From ghost towns to scary stories, here's a collection of KJZZ's spookiest tales about Arizona.
Cemeteries
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Bridget Dowd/KJZZA neighborhood that spans eight city blocks near the intersection of Stone Avenue and Speedway Boulevard in Tucson was once the final resting place for thousands of residents. Many of the bodies are still there more than a century later.
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Paul KoudounarisAngel's Rest is a famous pet cemetery in Utah. Author Paul Koudounaris told The Show more about these cemeteries' histories and what they represent for the owners. -
Larry MerryThe Show spoke with Jennifer Shaffer Merry, who is an expert on the historical aspect of cemeteries. She is an archivist at the Arizona Historical Society, Pioneer Cemetery Association board member and chair of the Arizona Chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies. -
Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez/KJZZIt is the home to many East Valley’s founding members. The location is one of the oldest in the area — and many of you have driven right past it. -
Carrie Jung/KJZZThe average funeral in this country costs about $7,000. There are hundreds of families who cannot afford that expense. And hundreds more who die each year without family, unclaimed. For both, the responsibility for burial falls to Maricopa County. -
Laurel Morales/KJZZThe Pioneer Cemetery is the final resting place for 400 explorers, scientists and Native Americans who made the Grand Canyon what it is today. And after almost a century, it’s at capacity. No more new plots. Some people aren’t too happy about that.
Ghost towns
Did You Know: Goldfield Ghost Town was alive in the 1800s
They’re known as ghost towns, and it’s not because ghosts wonder through the area — well, at least not any we know of. In the Southwest these are towns filled with history, and there’s one on the outskirts of the Valley.
Cleator is an Arizona ghost town with a watering hole
Arizona is full of ghost towns. Spots that were once kept alive by mining or the railroad, that have pretty much blown away in the desert wind.
Hitting the highway to visit Arizona ghost towns
Among the many things for which Arizona is known, ghost towns hold a spot in many people’s hearts. The cover story of Arizona Highways is dedicated to 13 of them.
Untold Arizona: Two Guns ghost town marks the end of an era
During Route 66’s heyday, families drove cross country on the "Mother Road" and took in a variety of roadside attractions from the world’s largest covered wagon in Illinois to a rattlesnake den in Oklahoma. In Arizona, many stopped halfway between Flagstaff and Winslow at a spooky ghost town called Two Guns.
Ghost stories told on The Show
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If you were a ghost, where is it that you might hang out in the afterlife? For one early trailblazer of Phoenix, long deceased, that answer may be the Arizona Historical Society. -
For the latest in The Show's seasonal collection of ghost stories, Maggie Muma of downtown Phoenix shares the tale of her encounter with some cruising specters on a Valley freeway. -
Carol Lee of Phoenix shares a chilling experience she once had in downtown Mesa. -
Melissa Williams of Chandler shares a tale of poltergeist activity from her days growing up in Virginia. -
The Show kicks off its ghost stories series with Heather Cronrath of Scottsdale, who tells us about a particularly spooky house guest. -
Paul Morris of Tempe shares a chilling experience he had at ASU's Virginia G. Piper Writers House. -
In The Show's final ghost story, Sarah Bingham shares "unsettling things" that happened to her and her business partner at a warehouse-turned-retail space in Phoenix.
Unsettling places and stories
Q&AZ: How did Holbrook's Bucket Of Blood Street get its name?
From Bloody Basin to Skull Valley, Arizona is full of towns, roads and landmarks that bear ominous names. A listener asked how one spooky-sounding street in Holbrook got its label.
The Phoenix Theatre Company takes on Arizona's infamous 'Trunk Murderess'
Phoenix's infamous “Trunk Murderess” case has inspired a mystery novel and even a feature-length film that acts out the story with puppets. Now, the Phoenix Theatre Company is premiering a new stage adaptation of the Winnie Ruth Judd story, which opens Wednesday.
Globe residents celebrate 25 years of walking ghost tour
The city of Globe celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Ghosts of Globe walking tour this weekend, but some residents say they see ghosts year-round. → PHOTOS: Bauler Family Lights and Scary Christmas House
How this quirky AZ town went from the wickedest in the West to tourist spot in 125 years
Longtime Valley journalist Peter Corbett wrote about Jerome’s 125th anniversary for True West magazine, and joined The Show to talk more about it.
A closer look at haunted Flagstaff
This Halloween, take a photo tour of some haunted historic buildings in northern Arizona.
Crumbling, iconic, haunted? Future uncertain for Casa Grande domes
Built in 1982, they were meant to be the headquarters for an electronics manufacturer, but have since become a magnet for photographers, artists and hooligans. The domes might not be an icon much longer.
A scary stay: Opera writer and composer visit haunted Bisbee hotel that inspired their work
Their stay at the Copper Queen is one they won't soon forget.
Untold Arizona: The legend of La Llorona, the weeping woman
Many people in the Southwest claim they have seen La Llorona or the weeping woman. People have spotted her along the Rio de Flag in Flagstaff all the way down to the San Pedro River near Tucson.
Arizona historian Marshall Shore brings old buildings to life with ghostly tales
Each October, Shore takes people on a tour through places where Phoenix ghosts may be found to make history come alive.
3 Scary Stories From Arizona And Beyond
No matter where you live, there always seem to be scary stories that your friend of a friend swears are true. In the spirit of Halloween, here are some of Arizona’s dark tales.
Haunted Phoenix
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Phoenix has a deep, interesting history. And, that includes some more spooky stories. Ghosts, mostly nice, still roam the halls of some of our most well-known locations. And, leading up to Halloween, The Show visited three of them for the series "Haunted Phoenix." Today, The Phoenix Theatre Company. -
The Orpheum Theatre downtown originally opened in the late 1920s. A recent renovation has helped restore it to past glory and, quite possibly, brought back some of its more spirited residents. -
It’s a popular destination in Tempe for people who want to get a beer or something to eat. But, it’s also apparently a popular destination for — spirits. Carter Nacke is an event assistant at Four Peaks Brewing Company and also a haunted tour guide.
