Man Cave... literally

I am a huge fan of when someone takes the time to transform their home, or at least their basement, into a fantastical environment. There are plenty of cool home theatres and man caves out there, but this one in particular caught my attention: someone built a haunted underground cavern in his basement. This is so freaking cool; check it out:

Wicked History: HH Holmes, America's First Serial Killer

Time for another installment in the Wicked History series. This time, I've chosen a subject near and dear to my blackened little heart: HH Holmes, the First American Serial Killer. I've found this excellent documentary that someone uploaded to YouTube which I feel does a pretty good job of summing up Holmes' life and murderous exploits. If your looking for something a little more in-depth, I'd suggest the book The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson (also a good read if your fan of Victorian arcana).
Now that you've watched the documentary, I'd like to throw in my two cents about Dr. Holmes: I think this guy would make an excellent theme for a haunted house. Think about: the hotel/murder factory he built lends itself so well to a haunted attraction enviroment; creepy decaying Victorian sets, hidden passageways/trap doors, screaming victims, Holmes himself popping up around corners, and finally, a trip down into a dank cellar full of gory animatronics and dissections in progress, along with the furnace he used to incernerate corpses. How bad-ass would that be? Besides, if Jack the Ripper has become fair game for a haunt theme, then I think Holmes could be used in the same way. Food for thought.

House on the Hill

Phantom Manor, Disneyland Paris, France. Probably the best facade I've ever seen for a haunted attraction.

Theatre du Grand Guignol

Love this poster.

Non Omnis Moriar

"One grave in every graveyard belongs to the ghouls." - Neil Gaiman
I hope this provides inspiration to someone for a Halloween prop.

999

Found a vintage commercial for Disney's Haunted Mansion. Very old school.

Happy Birthday Mr. Poe

A toast to the Patron Saint of Horror Writers, Mr. Edgar Allan Poe, who would have turned 205 on this day. Cheers, Edgar!

Art by Francesco Francavilla.