Category: Haunted House Stories

In an earlier article we suggested that you and your friends might like to visit a warm, welcoming restaurant after your visit to Thrillvania Haunted House Park, something to sort of lighten the mood and help you forget about all the gruesome sights you’ve just seen. If that’s the case, we suggest you stay as far away from Snuffers as possible, regardless of how many great things you’ve heard about the place. Snuffers has rightfully earned the reputation of being the most haunted restaurant in DFW.

Snuffers, located on Preston Rd. in Dallas, Texas, has an excellent menu, including award-winning cheese fries and icy-cold beer. It’s one of those places you’d might imagine Ross and Rachael, Phoebe and Chandler, and Joey and Monica all hanging out in but looks can be deceiving.

The restaurant has been investigated several times. Jenny Snyder of the Dallas Area Paranormal Society says the building is definitely haunted and the owner, Pat Snuffer, says he won’t even go into the place if he’s alone.

Employees report frequent cold spots and often feel like someone’s tapped them on the shoulder or brushed against their arm. Back in the day, when smoking inside restaurants was still allowed, the ghost would play games with the bartender’s cigarette, flipping it around in the ashtray when he turned his back to wait on a customer.

Even customers have strange experiences inside Snuffers. Cellphones and cameras that were working fine just a moment ago suddenly go all wonky when you enter the restaurant. Temperatures drop suddenly, pendulum lights sway for no reason and people hear footsteps, creaking doors and children’s voices coming from the walls.

So far the ghosts that haunt Snuffers appear to be friendly pranksters, just out for a little fun. No one’s ever been hurt, just mildly frightened. But no one knows for sure who the ghost is. One theory has it that Snuffer’s is haunted by a man who was stabbed there decades ago and died in the doorway to the men’s restroom. Another says that Snuffer’s is built over top of an ancient Indian burial ground.

Either way, we’re pretty sure it’s not the best location for your after-Thrillvania party. The last thing you want to do when you leave Verdun Manor is hob-nob with more ghosts!

There isn’t a haunted house worth its salt that doesn’t have at least one creepy mirror hanging over the mantel, on the parlor wall or over the sink in the bathroom. At Thrillvania Haunted House Park we know it’s all about the lighting, but still, there’s always that creeping little niggle down your spine that tells you something’s just not right…

Mirrors have a strange effect on people. Some can stand and gaze at their own reflection for hours and never bat an eye while others, well… let’s just say they’d rather not. Some people won’t even look in a mirror unless all the lights are on, and even then they’ll lift their eyes slowly, sneaking a peek, just in case the face looking back isn’t their own.

If you’ve ever attended a slumber party or camping trip then you’ve probably heard of Mary Worth, a witch who can be summoned by reciting her name 13 times while gazing into a mirror in a dark room. But watch out! When she appears she’ll jump from the mirror and scratch your eyes out.

And then there’s The Candyman. A crazy psychopath, The Candyman can also be summoned through a mirror but you need only recite his name three times. When The Candyman emerges from the mirror he kills his victims with his hook. Let’s try it, shall we? Candyman, Candyman, Candym… Well, maybe we shouldn’t press our luck.

The Wicked Witch had a magical mirror inhabited by a spirit. Dorothy stepped through the looking glass into a world filled with flying monkeys and Munchkins. “There are more worlds than these,” said Stephen King, and many are on the other side of the mirror, inhabited by who knows what kind of creatures.

The next time you have to make that trek to the bathroom in the middle of the night, remember this: In most cases it’s simply a trick of the light like we use here at Thrillvania Haunted House Park that makes it seem as if the Boogieman himself is gazing back at you from that silvery, slithery surface. But sometimes it’s not.

Footsteps on the stairs at night, cupboard doors that seem to open and close on their own, a tap on the shoulder, a cool poof of air. These things happen all the time here at Thrillvania. On their own, they seem like normal events. In fact, we’ve all had one or two occasions to laugh off similar happenings.

It’s the wind. It’s air in the pipes. It’s the neighbors fighting again. So how do you know if you’re living in a real haunted house?

13 Signs you live in a haunted house:

Unexplained noises – Do you hear footsteps, knocking, rapping, banging, or scratching? Does it sound like something is being dropped but you don’t see anything fall? It could be air in the pipes, uneven floors, or a bat in the attic. But it could also be a ghost.

Objects disappear and reappear – Are you absolutely sure you left your keys on the hall table? And now they’re nowhere to be found? And then they turn up in exactly the same spot you left them in in the morning?

Lights turning on and off – You’ll rarely see the lights turning on and off but you’re sure you turned the lights off when you left the room… and now they’re on again… and nobody’s been in there since you left.

Doors, cupboards and cabinets open and close – Again, you’ll rarely witness this event because it happens while your back’s turned or you’re out of the room. Just like the lights. You know you closed that cupboard, but there it is open again.

Odd shadows – Do you frequently see shadows out of the corner of your eye? If so, your house may be haunted.

Strange animal behavior – Animals are particularly sensitive to unseen visitors. If your pets are acting strangely, perhaps more aggressive than usual or cowering in the corner when they’ve never done that before, you may be living in a haunted house.

Cold spots – Drafts are one thing, but walking through a cold spot in a toasty, warm room – repeatedly – is quite another.

Feeling you’re being watched – Do you frequently feel like somebody’s watching you? Maybe they are.

Feeling you’re being touched – Some people feel just a passing breeze. Others feel a gentle tap or touch. Still others feel a sharp poke or jab. Cobwebs? Maybe. But not if it’s happening all the time.

Cries, whispers, talking – It’s not easy for spirits to communicate from beyond so you’ll rarely hear a distinct conversation. But listen for whispers, a muffled word or two, or you may hear someone saying your name.

Strange smells – Some people report smelling sulfur, but most recognize a perfume or cologne that they don’t have in their house. Some also report the smell of roses.

Moving or levitating objects – Lamps crashing to the floor, candlesticks or dinner plates rising above the table. Objects moving without anyone around is a clear indication you’re living in a haunted house.

Other unexplained evidence – Strange writing on the wall, handprints on mirrors, footprints in the
freshly vacuumed carpet – these are all evidence that you’re sharing your house with a ghost.

And then, of course, there’s the most obvious of way of all to tell you’re living in a haunted house…

Apparitions – It’s very rare to see an actual apparition. Ghosts generally make their presence known using some of the above tricks. Watch for human-shaped mists or mist that’s forming into some definite but indistinguishable shape. You may also see human forms that look real enough but disappear quickly into a wall or fade into the carpet. When you see apparitions it’s a sure sign you’re living in a haunted house.