2. The Bagunk. Glen Lyon.

The Bagunk is the legend of a spirit that is seen in the St Michael’s and St Andrew’s Cemetery as you head out of the town of Glen Lyon. How the name originated there is no definitive answer. The number of people that have talked about this legend including first hand accounts has made the Bagunk a well know legend including newspaper accounts over the years. The stories center around two cemeteries on opposite sides of the road.  A ghostly image in the shape of a human that legend holds is someone rising from their grave and moves over and through the tombstones. One account has it that a group of teenagers in the cemetery looking for the legend got caught up in the moment as the wind and noises in the cemetery got the better of them and as they went to hasten their exit the driver of the car felt a force next to her and in trying to turn the steering wheel it would not move. This persisted for a half minute or so until finally she was able to steer the car out of the cemetery. The group in discussing the events of that night decided never to go back.

Directions: From Route 81 take exit 164 (Pa-29 North/South Cross Valley Expressway) towards US Route 11/Nanticoke.Take Exit 2 toward Alden. Slight Left onto South Main Street, South Main becomes Middle Road. Middle Becomes Kirmar Ave.  Kirmar Ave becomes E Main Street. Go Through the Town of Glen Lyon. Once through town St Michael’s Cemetery is on the left approximately 1 mile out of town.

3.Got a Ticket to Ride? Car 46.  Scranton Trolley Museum. Scranton

The Scranton Trolley Museum is at the same location as the Steamtown National historic site and the Steamtown mall. The museum does not take credit for preserving the past glory of the trolley system with the passenger of a bygone era whose spirit is eternally trapped at the rear of car 46 that ran in the Philadelphia area. Accounts from a presence being felt, a creepy feeling inside the car to items being moved on it’s own to whispers coming from nowhere.

Self described physic’s claim a lonesome woman sitting in the car with   interpretations raging from a women who became gravely ill while on the trolley and was removed to a women died while a passenger. Certain Trolley Museum personnel will confirm either first hand accounts or visitors inquiring about a presence in the trolley.

Directions: Take route 81 exit 185 From South 81 or exit 184 from North 81 to the Central Scranton Expressway Follow signs to Steam Town Mall. Trolley Museum is the next left pass the Steam Town Mall.

4. Kirby Hall… Wilkes University.

The Victorian Mansion in its own right is worth a trip to the campus of Wilkes University. There is the added intrigue of stories of a man being murdered in the billiards room over a gambling debt to a women sobbing on the staircase. The grandfather clock on the first floor has stories of an dark, uncomfortable energy emanating from the clock with Wilkes Maintenance personnel repeatedly attempting to keep the clock working with it’s pendulum stopping time and time again. Professors and students relate accounts of a shadowy figure of a women moving through the one time family residence which is now used as classrooms.

Directions: From interstates follow signs for downtown Wilkes Barre (Public Square) or Downtown Hotels. Wilkes University is 2 blocks south of Public Square Wilkes Barre, Kirby Hall is located on the corner of E South Street and S River Street across from the Wilkes University Student Union Building.

5. The Horses of Harvey’s Lake…. Harvey’s Lake.

The road circling Harvey’s Lake is 9 miles around and sets the stage with its picturesque cottages and old time charm. The story of the Horses that drowned while harvesting ice on the lake relate back to this time period in the early 20th century. It is told that the horses fell through the ice into the frigid depths of the lake.  Legend has it that the instant shock of the frigid water has caused the spirit of the horses to appear on the lake and their bodies are believed to still be in the depths of the lake. Sightings in the late evening hours as the sun sets and the temperature changes causing both fog and mist  appear on the lake have circulated over the years..

Directions: From Wilkes Barre take Route 309 North towards Dallas and the Back Mountain. Follow signs towards Harvey’s Lake.

6. The Nathan Dennison house ….. Forty Fort.

The Dennison house built in1790 is regarded as the oldest house in the area. When I questioned the tour guide regarding the stories of Ann Dennison having fallen down the steps of the house he dismissed his personnel lack of belief in ghost. He related no personal sighting but told me many stories in a condescending do not believe it sort of way of visitors accounts.  He related the story of the women who went into a trance and spoke of a woman’s fall down the stairs.  There are accounts of a glimpse of a woman at the stop of the stairs to footsteps being heard on the second floor with no one being on the second floor of the house.

Directions: Located I block off of route 11 in Forty Fort ¼ mile opposite the Forty Fort Airport  on Dennison street.

7. Nay Aug Park and Everhart Museum. Scranton. 

Not until years later when I read of accounts of a presence of a ghostly figure inside the Everhart Museum did I recall my own experience as a grade school age student. Upon entering the museum I thought is was strange that a man dressed in period clothes of the depression era as I thought at the time was moving quickly across the entrance area. He was moving so fast at the time that I remember not getting a complete view of the man. Accounts center around the spirit of Dr. Everhart who died from a fall inside the museum five days after the dedication of the museum bearing his name.

 There is an account of ghostly figure walking towards the museum and continued through the wall. 

With the museum inside Nay Aug Park there are accounts of ghostly figures walking the grounds that are believed to be the spirits of people who have lost their lives at the gorge area that is a popular but accident prone area of people falling to their death.    

Directions: From Route 81 take exit 185 from South 81 or exit 184 from North 81 to the Central Scranton Exprwy. Follow signs onto Jefferson Ave (Rt Hand Turn). Turn Right onto Mulberry Street. Mulberry Street leads into the park.

8. Avondale Mine Disaster. Plymouth.

The Avondale Mine disaster of September 6, 1869 claimed 108 miners and two rescuers. The sudden explosions, resulting fires, cave in’s and toxic gases claimed the lives of both men and boys. The sudden explosion and resulting deaths is attributed with the restless souls still calling in distress as the disaster unfolded. Stories of gurgling, moaning sounds   and lights attributed to the spirits trying to find there their way out of the mine cave in have persisted to this day. 

Directions: There is a Historic Marker designating the disaster that is located near the Avondale mine. It is located on Route 11 Approximately ½ mile south of the town of Plymouth. Left hand side going out of town.

9. Forty Fort Cemetery. Forty Fort.

This cemetery dates back to 1777 and probably has the stories of ghostly apparition told at least this many times. Stories persist of floating ghost walking along side Wyoming Avenue that runs along the cemetery and walking through the gates into the cemetery. The Wyoming Valley Flood of 1972 which devastated a large portion of the cemetery uprooting caskets and carrying them down stream has added to the traumatic events of the cemetery that adds to the stories of ghostly sightings.

Directions: Intersection of Wyoming Ave (Route 11) and River Street across from the Forty Fort Municipal Building.

10. The Witch Tree of Drifton.

Ready to go on a hunt for the witch or devil’s tree? There is no definitive agreement as to the actual witch tree in Drifton. It is widely believed to be located on St. Ann’s Drive and got its name from the hideous form of the trunk that is the direct result of   the crashes into it over the years mostly from the stories of teenagers out for a joy ride with it being their last. Legend has it that touching the tree will bring the same fate as those who crashed into the tree. 

Directions: From Route 309 between Hazelton and Mountaintop turn onto E Butler Drive heading into Freeland. Follow signs for Drifton.

11. The Penn State Blue Beetle. Hazelton.

This story comes from the campus of Penn State Hazelton and reported by the security staff. As the story goes in the early hours of doing security rounds on the campus a blue Volkswagen Beetle emerged from the back end of the campus in an area generally where there are no cars. The story goes that the Beetle sped around the sharp curves of the campus with two security guards in pursuit not able to catch up to the car. Attempts to locate the car on campus were futile and when it appeared again was coming right at the security vehicle. In an effort to get to the bottom of the issue the security guards stood their ground in their vehicle and could not determine how the car came at them and got behind them as if it passed through their vehicle. Back at the security office their sighting was confirmed when another officer came in furious that he was almost run over by a speeding blue Volkswagen.

Directions: Take Route 81 Exit 145(Route 93) Follow signs towards Laurel Mall. Campus is before the Mall on the left.

12. Houdini Museum ghost… Scranton.

The ghost associated with the Houdini Museum has nothing to do with the Famous Harry Houdini but drew the current owners to purchase the building based on its haunted look and history of being haunted. The convergence of the use of the building for the Houdini Museum has helped fuel additional stories with visitors to the museum.

The current owners tell of those who partake in the séances as part of the Houdini Museum becoming visible frightened and screaming of a ghost. Stories of murder-suicide to being built on an old Indian burial ground long endured the test of time only adding to experience of visitors.

Directions: Route 81 Exit 190 (Towards Dickson City), slight Right onto Main Ave. Address 1433 Main Ave.

13. The Stage Coach Inn. Mountaintop.

The Stage Coach Inn with its rustic charm and long history sets the stage for stories of sightings from the spirit world.

Having visited the Stage Coach Inn many times over the years and knowing part of its history when I encountered an uneasy feeling one night I questioned whether or not in was my knowledge of stories associated with the place helping what I felt. It happened at the end of the night as my wife and another couple waited for the then proprietors of the place that we knew to close up the place. As we waited in the bar (I had nothing to drink that night) and as the dining rooms and other areas where picked up and lights put out I walked across the foyer area and felt a presence. It was telling me it’s time to leave, it’s time to leave and was angry that it was taking so long.  As I looked towards the direction leading into the main dining area I thought it was a strange type of shadow that I attributed to the lights or lack there of playing tricks on my perception but made it a point not to go towards the shadow. It was if I was being told do not come over here.

Stories of natural deaths occurring inside the inn to a stage coach accident have persisted over the years. For those of you who visit and have any first hand encounters please share as I still remember that night when I walk into the foyer of the Inn.

Directions: Located on route 309, 4 Miles + - from Mountaintop towards Hazelton

Are you Haunt Society Material?
As you visit the particular locations there are two things we ask you to do:

1. Email us back with your experience and people you may of bumped into (especially Ghost) that know of the story or legend.
2. Take our on line membership quiz to qualify as a member of the Haunt Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Your Membership will entitle you to:

1. A certificate as a member of the Haunt Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
2. Updated and expanded stories and legends to members only.
3. Invitations to a narrated on site location throughout the year.
4. Updated privileges to members only.

And to all a good fright……………

The Official Haunts of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Membership Test