Here's The Ultimate Terrifying Maine Road Trip And It'll Haunt Your Dreams
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Michelle
Author
Maybe it’s the mist that rolls in off the Atlantic. Or the mystery of what lurks in the vastness of the Great North Woods. Whatever it is, Maine can be a truly creepy place. With Stephen King counting himself as one of Maine’s natives sons, it’s no wonder we have a reputation for horror. And while we can confidently say that Pennywise the Clown is not skulking through our sewers, the fact remains: sometimes truth actually is stranger than fiction.
We’ve taken it upon ourselves to be your Tour Guide of Terror, planning a full-day road trip through some of Maine’s creepiest locales – from Down East to the edge of Aroostook. You can find the Google Map right here, which you can use to plan your own trip… if you dare.
This bucolic setting is home to an ugly curse. Legend has it that Colonel Buck condemned a so-called "witch" to burn at the stake - an ordeal which only her leg survived. So a curse was called down upon Buck by the poor victim's deformed son, who proclaimed that Buck's tomb would bear the mark of the witch's foot for all eternity. And so it does. Buck's heirs twice tried replacing the tombstone to rid it of the accursed stain, but to no avail. It just keeps coming back.
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On the western bank of the Penobscot River lies Fort Knox, built between 1844 and 1869. While it never saw battle, it is said that the ghosts of many Maine soldiers still roam its dark granite tunnels. And if you're still skeptical: in 2011, SyFy's "Ghost Hunters" crew visited Fort Knox for one of their paranormal investigations and concluded that, yes, the fort is very, very haunted.
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Central Street in downtown Bangor was the scene of the bloodiest shoot-out in Maine history. The year was 1937. The man was Al Brady, FBI's public enemy #1. In just four years, Brady and his gang committed over 200 robberies, countless assaults and four murders. It all ended in Bangor, where federal agents tracked the gang and gunned down every last one as the horrified citizens of Bangor looked on. Today, an etched stone marks the spot of the massacre.
While you're in Bangor, a stop at Mount Hope Cemetery is essential. Not only because it's one of the most beautiful cemeteries we've ever seen, but because it's one of the filming locations for Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" - among the scariest movies ever made. Oh, and remember Al Brady from Central Street? He's buried here, too. Could he still be roaming the grounds?
Now home to the Penobscot Theatre Company, this building plays host to audiences both alive and dead. Theatergoers and performers have reported sightings of two firefighters who were crushed by a brick wall and killed during a devastating 1914 blaze. Here's hoping they have the best seats in the house.
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No trip to Bangor is complete without a trip past Stephen King's house. He's the Master of Horror for a reason and his abode does not disappoint. From the Gothic facade to the wrought-iron spiderweb gate adorned with little creatures, everything here screams scary - and so will you.
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There are no spooks (that we know of) wandering the grounds of the old Katahdin Iron Works, but there's something inherently creepy about the 170-year-old kiln and blast furnace that remain on this secluded historic site, once home to 200 workers - now dead quiet.
It should be getting dark out now, which is all the better for our haunted home stretch. As you cross the "Green Bridge" just west of Millinocket, you might be greeted by a ghostly woman all dressed in white. Legend has it that 50 years ago, the car of a newlywed couple swerved off the road into an embankment. The husband went to find help and when he returned, his young wife was gone. She still roams this lonely stretch of road, searching for her lost love. Yikes.
"It's a stretch of road up north in Maine / That's never, ever, ever seen a smile / If they buried all the truckers lost in them Woods / There'd be a tombstone every mile."
Those lyrics, by truck driver turned country singer, Dick Curless, are about one of America's most haunted roads - U.S. Route 2A. One of the most treacherous roads in New England, it was once the main thoroughfare for trucks hauling potatoes from The County. Over the years, the road has claimed many lives... and some of its victims have never left. The most chilling story involves a woman begging for help, claiming she and her husband had been in an accident. If you choose to help her, however, you’re overcome with a deep, dark feeling and the woman disappears.
Those lyrics, by truck driver turned country singer, Dick Curless, are about one of America's most haunted roads - U.S. Route 2A. One of the most treacherous roads in New England, it was once the main thoroughfare for trucks hauling potatoes from The County. Over the years, the road has claimed many lives... and some of its victims have never left. The most chilling story involves a woman begging for help, claiming she and her husband had been in an accident. If you choose to help her, however, you’re overcome with a deep, dark feeling and the woman disappears.
Drive up the road a bit further and you'll find the perfect place to calm your nerves. Grammy's Country Inn is home to huge portions, great prices and friendly people. They don't call it comfort food for nothing.
And there you have it. We’re so glad you made it through in one piece. Do you have any scary stories to tell?
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