Booze & Ghouls

We Head To Philadelphia

In this episode of Booze & Ghouls, we head to Philadelphia to explore one of America’s most terrifyingly iconic landmarks: Eastern State Penitentiary. Once the world’s most expensive and technologically advanced prison, this crumbling Gothic fortress pioneered the use of extreme solitary confinement… and left behind a legacy of psychological torment, true crime horror, and lingering spirits who don’t seem ready to clock out.
We dive into the prison’s unsettling history, the infamous inmates who made headlines (and sometimes trouble), the deeply controversial punishment methods, and the modern encounters that keep ghost hunters coming back for more. From whispered voices and shadow figures to full-bodied apparitions and footsteps that pace long-abandoned corridors, Eastern State delivers hauntings as heavy as the stone it was built from.
Grab your drink, brace yourself, and join us for a snarky, boozy, and spine-tingling walk through one of the most haunted prisons in the United States.
 
Resources
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.
Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC)
John Haviland Architectural Papers
McKelvey, Blake. American Prisons: A Study in American Social History Prior to 1915.
Teeters, Negley K. & Shearer, John D. The Prison at Cherry Hill: The Separate System of Penal Discipline.
Rothman, David J. The Discovery of the Asylum: Social Order and Disorder in the New Republic.
Lewis, Orlando F. The Development of American Prisons and Prison Customs, 1776–1845.
Smith, Philip. “The Architecture of Confinement: Eastern State Penitentiary and the Evolution of Penal Reform.”Journal of Architectural History, Vol. 42.
Capone, Deirdre Bair. Al Capone: His Life, Legacy, and Legend.
Philadelphia Police & Court Records (1929)
Sutton, Willie. Where the Money Was: The Memoirs of a Bank Robber.
“Sutton Escapes Again.” Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 1945.
Eastern State Inmate Intake Logs, 1830–1940 (digitized summaries)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Court documents related to violent offenders housed in Cellblocks 12 & 15
Eastern State Penitentiary — “Reported Activity Logs”(Records kept by staff regarding repeated experiences: voices, apparitions, etc.)
Guided Tour Staff Interviews, 2018–2023(Accounts from long-term employees describing recurring hotspots)Personal blog and eyewitness entries:
“Ghosts of Cellblock 12” – firsthand reports compiled on phillyhaunts.net
Visitor accounts archived on YourGhostStories.com (filtered for consistency)
Independent paranormal investigation logs from Haunt Investigators of Pennsylvania (HIP)
Audio anomaly collections recorded in Cellblock 4 and Cellblock 12(Available through ESP’s official “Terror Behind the Walls” off-season documentation)
American Correctional Association — “Historical Analysis of Solitary Confinement Practices.”
Haney, Craig. “Mental Health Effects of Solitary Confinement.” Stanford Journal of Civil Liberties & Civil Rights.
Philadelphia Historical Society — Urban crime and punishment in the 19th century
Temple University Urban Archives — Prison overcrowding, reform debates, and post-closure deterioration
 
 

Aradale: Where Madness Never Clocked OUt

Join Booze & Ghouls as we head down under to Victoria, Australia, to explore Aradale Mental Hospital — a sprawling Gothic complex where over 13,000 souls checked in and few ever left. Between the grim legacy of J Ward’s criminally insane inmates, lingering spirits of patients long forgotten, and a few cheeky ghosts with no respect for personal space, Aradale remains one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most haunted — and human — locations.
Oh, and our Boozy Aside? A cheeky nod to Aussie ingenuity with a gin-and-bush-tucker twist. Because even when you’re telling ghost stories about Victorian-era asylums, hydration is key.
 
Resources Used
Ararat Historical Society Archives
“Haunted Asylums of Australia” by Allen T. Moore (2020)
Heritage Council of Victoria, Aradale Precinct Report
Ghost Tours Australia: Aradale and J Ward Case Files
State Library of Victoria: Ararat Lunatic Asylum Records (1867–1993)
“Australia’s Dark Past: Inside Aradale and J Ward” – ABC News, 2018
Aradale Ghost Tours official documentation & eyewitness interviews

Light House/The Basement

Fog, waves, and a lighthouse that refuses to rest. In this episode of Booze & Ghouls, Colleen explores Wood Island Lighthouse—from its 19th-century keepers and isolation, to the infamous 1896 murder-suicide, and modern hauntings that still send shivers across the Maine coast.  
Resources Used:
U.S. Coast Guard Archives: Wood Island Light Station Logs (1808–1980)
New England Historical Society: “Ghosts of Maine’s Lighthouses”
Maine Lighthouse Museum Archives
Historical Society of Biddeford Pool records
Paranormal Research Association of New England field notes (2009–2018)
Oral accounts collected by the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse
Email us booze.and.ghouls.podcast@gmail.com
 

Halloween Episode - The Whaley House/Congress Hotel

Grab a drink and maybe a sage stick, because Stan and Colleen are checking into two of America’s creepiest crash pads: the Whaley House and the Congress Hotel. Between fiery finales, heartbroken brides, and a few ghosts who clearly missed checkout, you’ll get history, hauntings, and just enough sarcasm to keep the lights on. Boozy asides included, because paranormal tourism is always better with a cocktail in hand.
 
RESOURCES & REFERENCES- Whaley, Thomas. Whaley House Historical Records, San Diego Historical Society Archives.- Hill, Patricia. San Diego Ghosts: Hauntings and Legends. California Press, 2002.- Travel Channel. Most Haunted America: The Whaley House Feature, 2010.- Ghost Adventures. Whaley House Investigation Footage, 2012.- Kelly, John. Old Town San Diego: History and Hauntings. San Diego Historical Press, 1998.- San Diego Paranormal Research Society. Field Reports: Whaley House, 2005–2020.- Local tourism archives: Whaley House Museum, Old Town San Diego.
 Sources & References
-Chicago Hauntings: The Congress Hotel," CBS Chicago
-Chicago's Most Haunted Hotels," Choose Chicago
-The Spirits of the Congress Plaza Hotel," Windy Cit Ghosts
-The Stories Behind Chicago's Most Haunted Places," Chicagoist 
-Real Haunted Hotel- Congress Plaza Hotel,' IlinoisHauntedHouses.com
-Congress Plaza Hotel: A Haunted Chicago Landmark,' Paranormal Traveler
-Congress Plaza Hotel.' Chicago Architecture Center
If you have any questions comments or any personal stories of you own please email us at Booze.and.Ghouls.podcast@gmail.com
 

Wails Across the World/The Toy Box

Tonight’s episode is called “Wails Across the World.”We’re chasing a sound older than memory: a cry that blurs grief and warning, love and fear. You might think of Ireland’s banshee—our home-grown diva of doom—but tonight we’re going global. Because Ireland doesn’t have a monopoly on these sorrowful specters. Turns out, the whole world’s been hearing women scream in the dark for centuries.
 
RESOURCES & REFERENCES- McAnally, Patrick. Irish Ghosts and Hauntings: The Banshee and Beyond. Dublin Folklore Press, 1987.- Iwasaka, Michiko & Toelken, Barre. Ghosts and the Japanese: Cultural Experience in Japanese Death Legends. Utah State University Press, 1994.- Hearn, Lafcadio. Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Tokyo, 1904.- Foster, Michael Dylan. Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai. University of California Press, 2009.- Sugimoto, Yoshio. An Introduction to Japanese Society. Cambridge University Press, 2010.- Japan Times Archives (Okiku’s Well, Himeji Castle); NHK Folklore Features.- Regional Folklore Forums and Tourism Boards (Himeji, Yotsuya, Kiyotaki Tunnel).
 
Email: booze.and.ghouls.podcast@gmail.com

The Rocking Chair/The Banshee

The Banshee: Ireland’s Harbinger of DeathPull up a stool, pour yourself something strong, and join Colleen for a deep dive into one of Ireland’s most chilling legends: the banshee. She’s not your average ghost — she’s a centuries-old omen of death, wailing her way through castles, riverbanks, and family histories. We’ll unravel her origins, explore real historical encounters, wander through haunted sites across Ireland, and sip some whiskey along the way. Equal parts eerie and irreverent, this episode will have you laughing one minute and side-eyeing the window the next. Sláinte!   
 
 
Resources
‘Banshee’ – Irish Folklore Commission Archives.
Lady Fanshawe’s Memoirs (17th century encounter).
Loftus Hall official history and folklore records.
National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin.
Regional folklore compilations: Clare, Kilkenny, Wexford oral histories.
Travel blogs and paranormal tourism websites for modern references.
 
For any Questions, Comments or Stories of your own please email us at booze.ghouls.podcaset@gmail.com

Duckett's Grove, County Carlow, Ireland

Join husband and wife team, Stan and Colleen, as they dive into all things spooky and paranormal. 
 
In this episode - Colleen tells the story of Duckett's Grove in County Carlow Ireland. Where ruins from a dramatic and elegant home, now serves the county some spooky tales in the gardens. Feel free to visit, if you dare.
 
Stan shares one of his very first paranormal stories from his personal collection. Since he was a child, he has been subjected to some creepy experiences and today you will hear one from his very first memories. 
 
If you like what you hear, do all the things to make sure you remember to come back next week. Every Monday a new episode drops and you never know where we take you - or what warnings you may miss out on hearing! Thanks for joining us here at Booze & Ghouls!
 
---Stan and Colleen
 
 
 
Resources 
Wikipedia — Duckett’s Grove.
DuckettsGrove.ie — history pages and fire account (including the April 19, 1933 fire).
Carlow Garden Trail / Carlow tourism — restoration and gardens information.
Spirited Isle / local paranormal write-ups — collection of hauntings and eyewitness reports.
Travel & blog articles (TripAdvisor, travel blogs) — visitor impressions and details.