25 Creepy Urban Legends You’ll Hope Aren’t True

Posted by , Updated on January 19, 2024

Urban legends can be found all over the world, in almost every culture. Sometimes these myths can be fun, moral lessons or a tradition passed down from generation to generation. However, more often than not, urban myths and legends take on a scarier side, revealing the dark corners of society. The best urban legends are the ones mixing fact with fiction, making it seem real but it really isn’t. And they almost always tell us something about ourselves and reveal our darkest fears. Here are 25 Creepy Urban Legends You’ll Hope Aren’t True.

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25

The Dog Boy

scary-dogSource: http://www.arkansasonline.com

Gerald Bettis was a troubled young man. Born in 1954, he was raised by kind-hearted parents, but apparently, their values didn’t stick. Gerald was known for collecting stray animals, like dogs and cats, around the neighborhood and torturing them. Neighbors claimed to hear the howls. As he grew up, living with his parents into adulthood, he became crueler. He abused his parents and would lock them up in the attic. When Gerald ended up in prison and his mother and father passed away, the house went up for sale. As different people lived in the house, they all told stories of bizarre and strange things happening like lights flicking off and on, pennies floating in the air, and strange men looking through the windows and vanishing. The Bettis House is known for being haunted, and realtors struggle to sell it.

24

The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs

upstairsSource: http://www.snopes.com/

A couple living in a large isolated house put their children to bed and hired a babysitter to watch after them while they were away. When the babysitter was watching television, she got a phone call from upstairs that said, “I’m upstairs with the children, you better come up.” Thinking it was a prank call, she hung up and watched television some more. However, moments later the phone rang again and the voice said the same thing. Frightened, the babysitter called the operator and asked to call the police. Right after she hung up, she got another call with the same message, “I’m upstairs with the children, you better come up.” She tried to keep him on the line, but he hung up. She got another call and this time it was the operator telling her to get out of the house. When the police arrived, they found a man with a butcher knife, covered in blood after killing the children.

23

The Bushman

bearSource: https://www.adn.com

Years ago, the Inuit people in Alaska and the Bushman lived harmoniously together. The Inuit used boats to catch fish, but the Bushman also wanted to use them. One day, a Bushman tried to take a boat but was killed by an Inuit boy for doing it. The Bushman all ran away never to be seen again, but every now and then hunters will be said to vanish in the wilderness because of the Bushman.

22

The Crosley Monster

big-foot-monsterSource: http://www.blumhouse.com

Four boys went camping one day in Crosley, Indiana. They pitched their tent near a fishing pond and fished into the evening. That’s when they heard a noise coming from behind them in the woods. Turning around, they saw two large red eyes, staring right at them. Since it was dark out, one of the boys grabbed their flashlight to see what was in the woods. As he flashed the light on the creature, he dropped it almost immediately. It was a beast covered in hair, shaking the trees and releasing foul grunts. The boys took off running for their car, and were chased by the beast. When they got to their road and headed for the car, the beast disappeared back into the woods.

21

Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?

dark manSource: http://www.snopes.com

A girl in college was studying late and went back to her dorm room to get notes. The lights were off and she didn’t want to disturb her roommate, so she snuck into the dark room, got what she needed and left. When she returned and turned the lights on, she found her roommate dead with lipstick on the mirror, saying, “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the light?”

20

Explosive Bunnies in Nebraska

bunnySource: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com

A couple of drunk farmers were getting tired of all the bunnies in their field. They had bought some fireworks the night before and decided to strap the explosives to the rabbits to get rid of them. They’d watch and laugh hysterically as the rabbits would run away before exploding into a thousand pieces. One rabbit, however, ran straight for the farmers truck, sat in the front seat, and waited. The bunny exploded, but it also caught the truck on fire, creating a massive fireball.

19

The Clown Statue

clownSource: http://www.snopes.com

A babysitter was watching two little girls while their parents went out on a date. When the girls go downstairs to go to bed, they couldn’t sleep, so they went back upstairs. They asked the babysitter if she could cover up the clown statue with a sheet so they could go to sleep. So, the babysitter went downstairs to cover the statue. She didn’t want to break it or anything, so she called their mom about it. The mom said, “Get the girls out of the house. We don’t have a clown statue.” They found out later the clown statue was a man hiding out in their house and would come out to watch the girls sleep at night.

18

Spiders in Hairdo

hairdoSource: http://www.snopes.com

Most girls like to take extra special care of their hair, but one girl ratted her hair so high, put hairspray in it, and never took it down, combed it, or washed it. As time went on, a spider fell into her hair without her knowing and laid some eggs. The black widow spiders hatched and bit her scalp, killing her.

17

Denver Airport is a bunker for the Apocalypse.

Denver_International_AirportSource: http://www.mirror.co.uk

Opening in 1995, many believe the Denver International Airport is a cover for a secret government bunker and tunnels, designed in the event of an apocalyptic event. As evidence, they point to the massive price tag that seems grossly expensive for the airport’s size. Where did the rest of the money go? They also point to the eerie apocalyptic imagery in the airport as well as clues pointing toward the Illuminati. To top it all off, from an aerial view, the airport’s runways make the airport look like a giant swastika.

16

Mississippi Disease the Government Covered Up

Decreased_Brain_Volume_from_Lead_ExposureSource: http://www.blumhouse.com

You’ll never find much information about Mercritis online or anywhere for that matter. Most of the stories are handed down from generation to generation. In the 1950’s, an outbreak of Mercritis happened in a small Mississippi town. The men ingested too much lead. Soon after, the women of the town went into a homicidal rage, hunting down the men and destroying property in their wake. The federal government came in quickly to cover up the mess as there was no cure available.

15

Ellerbe Road School

abandoned-school-bus-1484410553xx8Source: http://www.ktbs.com

Ellerbe Road School was once called George Washington Carver High School in the early 50’s. Now a dilapidated structure, many call it “Ellerbe Road “Demon” School” and for good reason. Stories have spread about the horrible things that happened at the school, including a janitor that molested children and how many kids were trapped inside while it burned down. Today, it’s said to be the site of satanic rituals with pentagrams all over the rubble and sacrificed animal carcass lying on the ground.

14

The San Antonio Ghost Tracks

Boy_on_tracksSource: http://www.legendsofamerica.com

Sometime in the 1930’s, a children’s school bus in San Antonio, Texas parked over train tracks. A speeding train came barreling down the tracks and the engineer tried to stop it, but it was too late. The train collided with the bus, killing ten children. To this day, it’s said if you park over top of the tracks and put the car in neutral, the ghost children will push your car out of the way. If you cover up your bumper with baby powder, you’ll see the hands of the children pushing your car.

13

The Toxic Lady

ERSource: http://discovermagazine.com

In 1994, paramedics rushed a woman into the emergency room in California. Her blood pressure was falling, and she didn’t respond well to questions. The medical team did everything required to get her blood pressure back to normal and stabilize her condition. As they drew her blood, something strange happened. A bizarre chemical smell filled the air. The medical staff assisting the woman suddenly all fell ill and an internal emergency was declared. A hazmat team came on the scene to investigate. The woman died and 23 of the ER team members noted at least one symptom of illness themselves. Theories abound about how she could have become toxic, but many believe she was an extraterrestrial.

 

This urban legend is documented as true! What other urban legends are surprisingly true? Check out 25 Creepy Urban Legends That Are Actually True!

12

The Killer in the Window

handSource: https://www.thoughtco.com

While a girl watched television next to a window, she saw an old man staring through the window. She screamed, grabbed the phone, and called the police while hiding under a blanket so the man couldn’t see her. When the police got there, they looked outside for footprints in the snow, but couldn’t find any. Looking inside, they saw several wet footprints in the carpet leading up to her couch. The police said, “Ma’am, you were extremely lucky. The man wasn’t looking through the window, he was inside the house. It was his reflection!”

11

Dead Man's Trail

Allegheny_PassageSource: https://mysteriousheartland.com

Dead Man’s Trail is near Thief River Falls in Minnesota. Before Europeans settled in the area, the Chippewa tribe lived there. The local tribe called the trail running along the Thief River “Dead Man’s Trail” because a Native American warrior, who was wanted for murder, would hide out there and kill people along the path. Another tale says a Native American woman lost her child to the river and sometimes you can still see her ghost in the area, crying out for her lost baby.

10

Mr. Chews

New_Castle_Court_House_CourtroomSource: http://www.hauntedusa.org

In Delaware, a judge named Samuel Chews was horribly mocked for his last name. People would sneeze in his presence and say, “Ah, chews!” They even mocked him when he was dead. However, many warned about this bringing on a bad omen, and it did. Many people who mocked him had horrible fits of sneezing and illness. It got so bad someone decided to rebury him in a fancy and glorified area; it apparently worked.

9

Ants in the Brain

Army_ant_bivouacSource: https://www.thoughtco.com

Before going to bed, a little boy ate sweets and left them by his head. Ants found the sweets and crawled up into his ear and started living in his brain. The boy experienced horrible pain and scratchiness. When he had an X-ray, the doctor found the ants inside. Without the ability to operate, the doctor could do nothing, and the boy died soon after.

8

Idaho Haunted High School

creepy ghostSource: http://www.nydailynews.com

At Pocatello High School in Idaho, a paranormal activity occurred on video tape. A phantom-like figure is seen walking down the hall and lights are flickering off and on inside a room. Terrified staff called ghost hunters to inspect the videotape, and they concurred that it is a phantom.

7

The Hex House

parking lotSource: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com

It’s not there anymore, but people living in Tulsa know exactly where the Hex House used to be. It was the home of Carol Ann Smith, a woman who kept two religious slaves in her basement for ten years. Many believe the slaves were under some sort of hex for all that time. The house was torn down, but many believe the basement is still underneath the paved parking lot.

6

Bunny Man Bridge

bunnySource: http://urbanlegendsonline.com

In Fairfax County, Virginia, there was an insane asylum no one wanted to live near. Eventually, the asylum was shut down and during the transfer of patients, some escaped into the woods. Of all the escaped patients, Marcus Lawster and Douglas Griffen were not found. Authorities tracked the men from a trail of mutilated rabbit corpses toward a tunnel bridge across a creek. Hanging at the tunnel entrance was Marcus with a note attached to his foot, “You’ll never find me no matter how hard you try! – Signed, the Bunny Man.” Strange and bizarre occurrences have happened in the area ever since. Many say if you try to walk straight through the tunnel by yourself, the Bunny Man will hang you up at the entrance just like Marcus.

5

Okinawa Children

scary childSource: https://www.reddit.com

The abandoned Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa is said to be haunted. At one point, it shared a chainlink fence with a daycare. At the daycare, children would throw toys over the fence. When asked why they were doing it, the children said they wanted to play with the children on the other side. But when the adults looked, there were no children on the other side of the fence. Just the toys they had thrown, lying on the ground.

4

The Devil's Chair

Bairdchair1aSource: https://www.vice.com

There’s a chair at a Florida gravesite called “The Devil’s Chair” and is said to have bizarre things happen to it. If you leave a can of beer on the chair, it’ll be empty by morning. If you’re bold enough to sit in the chair at night, the devil is said to visit you.

3

Skinwalkers

Navajo_womanSource: https://sites.lib.byu.edu

In Navajo culture, skinwalkers are said to be witches with the ability to transform from human to animals with the intent of killing someone. In order to maintain their power, the skinwalker must hunt and kill people. Many have said to see skinwalkers running alongside their trucks at night before they escape back into the wilderness.

2

El Silbon

El_Silbón_espanto_venezolanoSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

El Silbon is about a spoiled boy who asked his father for venison. When he grew impatient, he went looking for his father and found him empty handed. In a fit of rage, he killed his father and cut out his entrails to take back to his mother to cook. When she discovered they were his father’s entrails, she cursed the boy and had dogs hunt him relentlessly. He is now an omen of death. If you hear him whistling from far away, it’s too late.

1

The Night Marchers

night marchersSource: https://www.to-hawaii.com

The Night Marchers are a group of cursed Hawaiian warriors doomed to march in a straight line across the island, banging on their drums. Often carrying torches and weapons, the Night Marchers demand respect. If you don’t bow down when they come by, they will kill you.



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