AO Loves Halloween

An environmental microbiologist explains why an individual's death is a new lease on life for an entire ecosystem.

Cast your votes on the “nightmare Statue of Liberty.”

Every night across the U.S. local horror hosts don masks and costumes to tell jokes and revel in the absurdity of classic horror films.

In the United Kingdom, the insects were once considered omens of death—they're actually much more destructive.

'Time Warp' all the way back to 1800s spiritualism, magic performances, and spook shows.

How a superstition goes from the Talmud to TikTok.

Rich or poor, you could reach out to friends and family in the afterlife—and communication went both ways.

Centuries-old superstitions about troubled sleep are reawakening thanks to scary movies.

A trip to Dracula’s Castle in Romania could be in your future, when you enter Atlas Obscura’s Spooky Snaps photo contest.

Female ghosts seem to dominate the afterlife. Whether the spirits are real or not, the reasons for the disparity could be revealing.

How an art prank created a new Halloween legend for the Miawpukek First Nation.

Families hire a bone collector in Taiwan to fix problematic tombs—and sometimes deal with ghosts.

Mark Villalobos and Heather Mages create frightful fun in horror films big and small.

We learn about a peculiar belief that was once widespread: the hope to be saved by a bell.