Long ago, in another lifetime (read: about ten years ago), I used to have my own travel blog that featured fun and unusual destinations from across the country.
From haunted locales to offbeat museums, the sky was the limit in terms of the places my husband and I visited during my time writing the blog.
It’s been a while since I ran my Weird Wanderings site, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love a cool and creepy roadtrip.
So for your roving pleasure, here are four creepy travel books to inspire your next eerie journey. Ghosts not necessarily included.
Travels of Terror: Strange and Spooky Spots Across America (US Travel Guide, Gift for Fans of True Crime, Horror, and the Paranormal)
Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl have been creating some truly stellar horror books for years now. This Bram Stoker-nominated dynamic duo has penned a fantastic series over the years, including The Science of Women in Horror and The Science of Serial Killers.
This is their first foray into the world of creepy travel, and they’ve seriously knocked it right out of the park. From Saint Augustine, Florida to Austin, Texas, and from Los Angeles to New York City, Florence and Hafdahl have got the whole country covered when it comes to spooky spots.
And as a Pittsburgher, I’m thrilled to report there’s even a chapter devoted to my beloved Steel City. And if that’s not enough, each chapter also includes a woman you should know (Pittsburgh features none other than horror author extraordinaire Stephanie Wytovich).
This is truly a terrifying treat, so be sure to put this one on your TBR as soon as possible.
Go to Hell: A Traveler's Guide to Earth's Most Otherworldly Destinations
This gorgeously curated book lives up to its name, highlighting portals to hell, strange landscapes, and places that look like hell on earth (think hot springs and volcanos, including Devil’s Bath, a neon green lake that gets its color from copious amounts of sulfur).
It’s an absolutely devilish concept, and Engelhaupt handles it all with such a fun and informative approach. From New Orleans voodoo to Houska Castle that was constructed over a supposed literal hole to hell, you’ve got every imaginable locale covered.
This book itself is a work of art, so even if traveling to hell in your spare time doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, you can live vicariously through the vivid and unforgettable photography that reminds us that you don’t have to venture into the underworld or the great beyond to experience truly awe-inspiring and terrifying landscapes.
Twisted Travel: Horror Movie Locations
Released over the summer, this book is currently on my TBR pile, but from what I’ve read so far, this is going to be one of my favorite nonfiction books of the year.
Each chapter highlights a different horror film, providing fun facts and background about the movie followed by some real-life locales you can visit that are related to the film in question. Think plenty of imposing gothic settings and cemeteries.
This edition includes everything from The Blob and The Brood to Eyes Without a Face and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. And honestly, any book that opens with The Abominable Dr. Phibes is pretty darn cool if you ask me.
If all of that wasn’t already awesome enough, this is only the first edition, covering films from A through H, which means I’m already waiting with bated breath for the rest of the alphabet.
For all you horror film fans out there, this is one travel book you don’t want to miss, so put it on your wish list immediately, especially if you need a dose of creepy cinema this Halloween season.
Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets
An oldie but goodie, this was the original series of offbeat travel books that helped guide me through my own unusual outings. Suffice it to say, these books absolutely changed my itinerant horror heart and have shaped my excursions ever since.
There are plenty of books in this series, so your best bet is to start with the original Weird U.S. book and go from there. I quickly and enthusiastically picked up both the Weird Pennsylvania and Weird Ohio tomes, and without a doubt, they introduced me to some fun and freaky places to visit in my own backyard.
Well over half the states in America have a book already dedicated to them, but a word of warning: there are still more than a dozen states that never got an edition of their own, and it appears that the series is no longer being published.
But rest assured, if you’re lucky enough to have a book featuring your state, it’s absolutely going to be a rollicking good time.
