Whether you dismiss urban legends as children’s lore or believe they’re based on fact, these 50 tales will send a shiver up your spine
Stories to keep you up at night
No matter where in the country you’re from, your home state is sure to have its share of urban legends and myths. These scary stories aren’t just for Halloween; they’re whispered among summer campers, passed down through families and reserved for nights when the power goes out.
Urban legends may be spooky stories, but they aren’t necessarily ghost stories. They could, in theory, have happened to someone you know. These are the stories that make you walk quickly past abandoned buildings, or double-check that your door is locked when you’re home alone. And they’re why you should always be careful when you’re driving back roads at night, because you never know what scary urban legends you might encounter.
If you’re a fan of all things spooky and supernatural, keep reading for the best urban legends from every state.
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Alabama: Huggin’ Molly
The story of Huggin’ Molly is clearly a tool used by parents to get their children to obey the rules: The urban legend, native to Abbeville, tells of a phantom woman who appears to children if they stay out late at night. She’s terrifyingly imposing, at 7 feet tall and wearing a big hat and dark clothes. She grips the lingering child tightly and screams in their ear—she’s not meant to cause death, just one heck of a scary-movie-style fright.
Some versions of the tale claim that Molly is the grieving ghost of a woman who lost her baby, hugging local children to help her heal. Another version suggests Molly is a former Southeast Alabama Agriculture School professor trying to keep her students safe and off the streets at night.
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Alaska: The qalupalik
The qalupalik, an Inuit version of a mermaid or siren, calls with a hum to children who are wandering too close to the seashore, then takes them away in her baby pouch, called an amautik. Qalupaliks are hauntingly scary to see—clawed hands, the smell of sulfur and scaly skin and fins emerging from all parts of their bodies are all features of these terrifying, womanlike sea creatures who will never return a child once it’s been taken into the depths. Sounds like a good way to convince your kids not to go in the water, if you ask us
Read More – 50 of the Spookiest Urban Legends from Every State
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