25 Spooky Urban Legends from Around the Country

Urban legends abound in modern society. The terrifying tales with a kernel of truth make for great campfire stories and often serve as a warning to children and teenagers against stepping out of line.

Some people insist these scary urban legends are actually true!

There’s Someone In the Back Seat

Two cars on a dark, wet road with blurred headlights.
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A woman driving alone at night gets harassed by a truck driver who constantly flashes his brights and tailgates. When she escapes, she discovers he wasn’t trying to hurt her; he was trying to warn her about the crazed murderer in the back seat.

The Hook Man

Two hands holding up large hooks to represent the Hook Man urban legend.
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There are many iterations of the hook man story. All include a deranged lunatic who escaped from prison or asylum with a hook for a hand. He terrorizes a young couple trying to enjoy a date night in a secluded forest.

Bloody Mary

A young woman sees a ghost along with her reflection in a broken mirror to represent the Bloody Mary urban legend.
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If you say Bloody Mary 7 times in a dark bathroom mirror, Mary will appear. She’s not your friend, though. Some say it’s the ghost of Mary I, the Catholic Queen of England who earned the nickname “bloody Mary” after sentencing 300 protestants to death.

Halloween Razors

A small Halloween themed bag filled with candies and spooky toys.
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Every Halloween, parents fret about their kids trick-or-treating due to all the myths about poisoned candy and razors in chocolate.

Chupacabra

Chupacabra sculpture at a museum in St. Petersberg, Russia.
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The mythical creature hails from Puerto Rico and is said to feast on the blood of livestock.

Chain Letters

A woman looks shocked at scared while staring at her computer screen with her hands on her cheeks.
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Before social media, we had chain letters. Some came with deadly instructions. If you didn’t pass the letter on to five new people, you’d perish.

Don’t Turn on the Light

Person holding a light bulb that's on despite not being connecting to anything.
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Never turn on the light when you come home late at night and find your roommate sleeping. In this Urban Legend, a college student tries to respect her roommate by keeping the lights off and staying quiet. When she wakes up  the following day, she discovers her roommate was murdered and sees the message written in blood: 

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the light?”

The Jersey Devil

The tops of Evergreen trees visiible in a cold, foggy forest.
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A legendary creature lurking in Northeastern forests resembles a mini pterodactyl with hooves. It has a goat-like head, bat wings, and walks on two legs.

Big Foot

A sign on a tree saying "Warning! Please do not feed the sasquatch"
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Big Foot, sasquatch, yeti – they all describe a similar creature. This ape-like humanoid makes his home wherever there’s a large enough forest.

Though classified as an urban legend, we can’t discount the possibility that some other species still exist out in the unexplored woods.

That Poor Pup

a little brown terrier dog cowering like he's scared on a dark black background.
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A little girl goes to sleep with her trusted dog lying on the floor by her bed. Throughout the night, she hears scary noises but puts her hand out under the bed and feels a sense of calm when her fury friend licks her hand.

When she wakes up, she learns the horrific truth. Her dog was gone, and someone wrote on the wall:

 “Humans can lick too.”

An Ancient Burial Ground

A woman holds flowers facing down while visiting a graveyard. The woman is viewed from the rear with only her left leg and arm visible.
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Movies like Poltergeist popularized the urban legend that big real estate developers build new homes on ancient burial grounds. Of course, the spirits are displeased with their new roommates, wreaking havoc until they leave.

Goatman

Twilight shot of Old Alton Bridge Denton, TX (Goatman Bridge)
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The half-man/half-goat hybrid reminds us of the satyrs from Ancient Greece. They’re far less fun, though, as they’ve traded in the wine for feasting on dog flesh.

Alien Abductions

Man floating up into a blue beam as if he's being abducted by aliens.
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Those who believe in UFOS also think the aliens abduct and experiment on people, returning them hours later with no memory of what happened.

The Rat King

A cute pet rat with a little crown and red cloak to represent the rat king urban legend.
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New York’s sewers are infested with rats. According to legend, if a bunch of rats bundles together, they’ll form a giant super rat to rule them all.

Baseball Curses

pitcher about to throw a pitch in baseball.
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The curse of the Bambino and the curse of the goat were both broken in recent decades, but they held strong as reasons why popular teams couldn’t win the title. The Boston Red Socks earned their curse by trading star player Babe Ruth, while the Chicago Cubs faced a century-long losing streak when the owner kicked a goat off the field.

Resurrection Mary

A black and white photo of an apparition that looks like a woman on the road.
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A woman wanders the streets near Resurrection Cemetery in Chicago, looking for a ride home. Kind travelers who offer her a ride say she vanishes after getting in the back seat.

The Crossroads

Black and white photo of a T in a country road at night.
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A famous blues musician famously made a deal with the devil by making a demon deal at a rural crossroad. Legend has it that if you perform the right spell at the Crossroads, a demon will come and make your wildest dreams come true. But there’s always a price.

How To Lose a Kidney

A surgeon wearing a mask, head cap, and eye instruments who is ready for surgery.
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A modern urban legend plays on people’s fear of black market organ trafficking. The story goes that unscrupulous sellers will drug folks, take their kidneys, and leave them soaking in an ice bath in a hotel bathtub.

Mothman

Silver Mothman Statue in Point Pleasant, WV.
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The 1960s Mothman sightings in West Virginia spawned a horror/thriller movie starring Richard Gere. The Mothman is said to be a man with white wings, and residents hold him responsible for any horrific events near their town.

Alligators in the Sewer

American alligator on a river bank.
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New Yorkers need to be watchful of their sewers. Legend has it some kids bought alligators from a black market pet store but dumped them down the toilet when they started getting too big to handle. Now, giant alligators lurk in the NY sewer systems.

Skinwalkers

Urban Legends: Horror concept of a skinwalker creature. The dark shadow looks like a bear with horns. It stands on two feet in front of a man alone in a clearing.
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Don’t go out alone at night in Utah and Nevada. Skinwalkers are evil beings who can shapeshift and lure people away from civilization. They’re never seen again.

A Nasty Spider Bite

A close up of a jumping spider on a leaf.
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Spiders don’t lay eggs with their jaws, but that didn’t deter the popular spider bite urban legend from making the rounds. According to the story, a girl gets bitten on the cheek by a spider. The bite grows over a few weeks, and eventually, it bursts, revealing scores of baby spiders.

Water Babies

A woman floats dreamlike in a pond to represent a water fairy.
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Don’t go searching for the wailing cries of phantom babies in Utah. They’re actually water spirits attempting to lure people to their doom.

Slenderman

Artwork of a slender figure lurking in the woods at night.
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One of the newest additions to the list of Urban Legends, Slender Man, originates from creepy stories people posted online. Unfortunately, some kids took him far too seriously. Two little girls attempted to murder a third to appease the Slender Man.

The Good Guard Dog

A Doberman sits alert outside in a park.
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A woman discovers her beloved Doberman choking and is shocked to find human fingers lodged in his jaws. The incident causes her to search the house, where she finds an intruder nursing his severed hand.  

All the Witches

group of modern witches to represent celebrating the Night of Hecate (Hecate's Night)
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From medicine woman to legendary monster – discover the truth about witches and witchcraft throughout history. 

15 Real Life Haunted Hotels You Can Actually Visit

three images of the Emily Morgan Hotel exterior in a row
photo Credit: B.gill from Partners in Fire Stylized via Canva

Want to spot a real ghost? Stay at one of these real life haunted hotels for your chance to glimpse the otherworldly residents

Everything You Need to Know About Hecate’s Night

alter with burning candle, wax, and herbs to represent a pagan offering.
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The pagan ritual ritual can teach us a lot about modern practices. Discover Hecate’s Night for yourself!

Meet the Women of Norse Mythology

Close view of the Gefion Fountain near Langelinie Street. The bronze scultpture depicts Gefjon, one of the Norse Goddesses.
Photo Credit: Dr. Victor Wong via Shutterstock.com.

Beautiful, Powerful, intelligent, and Divine, these women showcase the best attributes of womanhood. 

Discover them here: The Norse Goddesses You’ll Want To Worship

Celebrating the Divine Feminine

Silloutte of a woman dancing on water in a gorgeous light to represent the Divine feminine.
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Many cultures throughout history worshipped the divine feminine. Find out why she’s so powerful.