New York
“And he had a hook for a hand!” Everyone’s heard this classic campfire tale, but the legend of Cropsey started this trend in the ‘70s in Staten Island. The “real” Cropsey was allegedly a patient at Willowbrook State School and would sneak out at night to terrorize kids with his hook hand and menacing presence.
North Carolina
Be careful when wandering the woods of North Carolina at night: you might encounter the cat-like Beast of Bladenboro. The mythical monster is said to look like a panther, but larger and much more vicious. Locals attest that the creature has killed pets and humans alike in the region, but no one has ever offered definitive proof of its existence.
North Dakota
Locals in North Dakota tell tales of a monstrous creature you can spot on the banks of the Missouri River. The Miniwashitu is allegedly a massive red monster, covered in hair and possessing a massive horn, one eye, and spikes all along its back. If you glimpse it, it’s said you’re likely to go blind and lose your mind. How inspiring!
Ohio
With a name like “Gore Orphanage,” what could possibly go wrong? Well, in the 1800s there was a fire at the unfortunately named orphanage in Lorain County, and all of the children died. Legend has it the kids can still be heard if you stand in the spot where the orphanage burned down—and some even say you can catch a glimpse of their ghosts.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Shaman Portal might sound ridiculous, but locals swear it’s real. This spot in the dunes of Beaver Sands reportedly swallows people whole, causing them to vanish into thin air as though they stepped through a portal. Skeptics say that quicksand or hidden caves are the likeliest culprit, but legend has it a UFO crashed in the region, opening a portal to a distant planet.
