Step inside one of Arizona’s most haunted hotels in this chilling episode of The Dark Folio. We travel to historic Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, nestled on Route 66, where guests and staff report eerie encounters, unexplained knocks, phantom footsteps, and lingering spirits from the past. From the infamous Room 220 “Meat Man” and the rocking chair ghost in Room 305, to the tragic murders in Room 306, we explore the history, mystery, and lingering energy that make this grand hotel a paranormal destination. Tune in if you’re brave enough to discover why some visitors never quite check out.

• Official Hotel Monte Vista History & Ghost Stories – includes mentions of ghost tales like the Meat Man and rocking chair ghost. Hotel Monte Vista – About & Ghosts (official site)

• Paranormal encounters overview – details murder legends, rocking chair stories, and more haunting lore. The Historic Hotel Monte Vista – Paranormal Encounters (TheHorrorHouse)
• Ghosts & unexplained activity near the hotel – lobby noises, flickering lights, and phantom figures. Downtown Flagstaff Haunted Locations (Downtown Flagstaff)
• Ghost of Room 306 & haunting reports – focused look at the prostitution-era legend and haunting sensations. Ghost of Hotel Monte Vista Room 306 (TheHauntedPlaces)
• Route 66 haunted hotel summaries – puts Monte Vista in the context of other haunted roadside inns. Haunted Hotels on Route 66 (Curious Roads)

Historical & Background Info👻 Paranormal Encounters & Legendsmusic from zapsplat

#HotelMonteVista #HauntedHotel #FlagstaffGhosts #Route66History #ParanormalStorie #GhostPodcast #TrueGhostTales #ArizonaHauntings #HistoricHauntedPlaces
#SpookyTravel #DarkFolioPodcast

Not every visitor of the season wears red.
Some wear horns… and carry bells through the winter night.

Full Description:

Step into the snow-covered shadows of Christmas as The Dark Folio explores the true folklore of Krampus, the horned figure who walks beside Saint Nicholas in Alpine legend.

In this winter episode, host May unravels the ancient origins of Krampus, from pagan winter spirits to Krampusnacht, the Night of the Bells. Far from the violent monster of modern pop culture, the folklore Krampus is a symbol of balance — a reminder that light and shadow have always walked together during the darkest season of the year.

This is a family-friendly, atmospheric journey through European folklore, winter traditions, and the quiet wisdom hidden beneath Christmas’s brightest lights.

If you enjoy folklore, mythology, eerie history, and cozy-dark storytelling, follow The Dark Folio for weekly tales drawn from the quiet spaces between belief and imagination.

Follow • Rate • Share
And I’ll see you next time… in the dark.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING — KRAMPUS

Encyclopaedia Britannica — Krampus
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus
A concise, authoritative overview of Krampus, his origins, and his role alongside Saint Nicholas.

Smithsonian Magazine — The History of Krampus
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-krampus-180957438/
Excellent cultural context explaining Krampus’s evolution, symbolism, and modern misunderstandings.

National Geographic — Krampus, the Christmas Devil
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/krampus-christmas-devil
Accessible folklore history with emphasis on Alpine traditions and Krampusnacht.

History.com — Krampus: The Mythical Anti-Santa
https://www.history.com/news/krampus-christmas-legend-origin
Strong overview of pre-Christian roots, Saint Nicholas traditions, and winter folklore.

Atlas Obscura — Krampusnacht
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/krampusnacht
Great explanation of Krampusnacht as ritual, community event, and cultural tradition.

Austrian National Tourist Office — Krampus & Perchten
https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/skiing-and-winter/krampus
Insight into modern celebrations and historical roots from a regional perspective.

Folklore Society (UK) — Winter Spirits & Folk Customs
https://folklore-society.com/folklore-of-winter/
Broader context for winter folklore and why darker stories emerge during the season.

The Sodder Children disappearance is one of America’s most disturbing unsolved mysteries.

On Christmas Eve 1945, a house fire destroyed the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. When the ashes cooled, five of the Sodder children were missing—and no remains were ever found.

In this episode of The Dark Folio, host May explores the eerie details of the Sodder Children case:• The fire that shouldn’t have burned that hot• The missing bones that never appeared• The strange sightings reported years later• The haunting photograph that reopened the mystery

Was it a tragic accident? A kidnapping? Or something far more sinister?

This episode dives into the true crime history, unexplained evidence, and lingering questions surrounding the Sodder Children disappearance—an unsolved American mystery that still haunts investigators and listeners alike.

🎧 Follow, rate, and review The Dark Folio for more unsolved mysteries, paranormal legends, and forgotten cases from history.

This episode is part of the Dark Folio series, exploring America's most compelling unsolved mysteries with respect, research, and a commitment to truth. All information presented has been thoroughly researched and fact-checked against multiple sources.

Sources & Further Reading:
(For listeners who want to dig deeper into the Sodder Children mystery)

Smithsonian Magazine
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-children-who-went-up-in-smoke-172429802/
A well-researched historical overview of the case, including the fire, missing remains, and later theories.

FBI Vault – Sodder Children Case File
https://vault.fbi.gov/sodder-children
Original FBI documents related to the investigation, perfect for listeners who want primary sources.

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History
https://wvculture.org/history/wv-history-the-sodder-children/
A regional historical account with local context and timeline details.

The Charley Project (Missing Persons Archive)
https://charleyproject.org/case/sodder-children
A respected missing persons database summarizing the disappearance and investigative findings.

The Independent – Historical Mystery Feature
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sodder-children-mystery-disappearance-b2010933.html
A modern journalistic look at why the case still fascinates investigators and historians.

Snopes Fact Check: The Sodder Children
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-sodder-children/
Clarifies common myths, exaggerations, and confirmed facts surrounding the case.

#SodderChildren#UnsolvedMystery#TrueCrimePodcast#DarkHistory#ColdCase#MissingChildren#UnexplainedMysteries#TheDarkFolio

Mercy Brown: The Last Vampire of New England | The Dark Folio Ghost File

In 1892, a Rhode Island community exhumed 19-year-old Mercy Brown, believing she was a vampire feeding on her family from beyond the grave. What they found in her coffin sparked international scandal and may have reached the desk of Bram Stoker as he wrote Dracula. Tonight on The Dark Folio, we uncover the true story of tuberculosis, superstition, and the last vampire panic in American history—a tale where fear turned a dying girl into a legend that still haunts us today.

CITED SOURCES

https://www.rihs.org/have-mercy/

(RIHS documentation with excerpts)"Vampires and Death in New England, 1784 to 1892" https://www.yorku.ca/kdenning/+++2150%202007-8/BellVampiresandDeath.pdf

Tucker, Abigail. "The Great New England Vampire Panic"

• Smithsonian Magazine, October 2012

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-new-england-vampire-panic-36482878/

Rhode Island Historical Society - "Have Mercy..." Article

• Comprehensive timeline with newspaper excerpts

• https://www.rihs.org/have-mercy/

Yankee Magazine - "Vampire Mercy Brown"

• Historical documentation and analysis

• https://newengland.com/yankee/history/vampire-mercy-brown-rhode-island/

Your AAA Network - "The Story of Rhode Island's 'Real' Vampire"

• Modern overview with cemetery details

• https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/fall-fest/the-story-of-rhode-islands-real-vampire-mercy-brown/

Wikipedia - Mercy Brown Vampire Incident

• Well-sourced overview with citations

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_Brown_vampire_incident

Mental Floss - "On the Twisted Trail of Bram Stoker's Notes for 'Dracula'"

• Overview of Stoker's research process

• https://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/bram-stoker-dracula-notes

Content Warning: This episode discusses death, disease, exhumation, and historical rituals that some listeners may find disturbing.#MercyBrown #TrueCrime #HistoryPodcast #VampireLegend #NewEnglandHistory #RhodeIsland #Dracula #BramStoker #GothicHistory #VictorianEra #Tuberculosis #Folklore #AmericanHistory #DarkHistory #TrueVampireStory

Music credit goes to Zapsplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/horror-music-box-ghostly-haunted-musical-tune-version-2/

Step into the shadowed beginnings of American Spiritualism as May opens the Dark Ledger on the Fox Sisters, the teenage girls whose mysterious “spirit knocks” ignited a nationwide movement. From the haunted Hydesville farmhouse to their sold-out séance demonstrations, the sisters reshaped how a generation thought about ghosts, grief, and the great beyond.

Were the Fox Sisters gifted mediums? Clever performers? Or young women trapped inside a phenomenon too big to control?

This Dark Ledger File dives deep into the history, controversy, and lingering enigmas behind the sisters who convinced the world the dead could speak.

Perfect for listeners who love: ghost history, Spiritualism, folklore, cryptic mysteries, Victorian-era strangeness, and atmospheric storytelling.

Follow, rate, and share to help The Dark Folio reach more curious kindred spirits!

#Spiritualism #FoxSisters #HauntedHistory #GhostStories #VictorianMysteries #TrueGhostStory #TheDarkFolio #ParanormalPodcast #HauntedAmerica #LilyDale #Hydesville #SarahWinchester #SéanceHistory

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Want to learn more about the Fox Sisters and the Spiritualism movement? Here are some excellent resources:

• How a Hoax by Two Sisters Helped Spark the Spiritualism Craze - HISTORY
• The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism - Smithsonian Magazine
• Margaret Fox and Catherine Fox - Encyclopedia Britannica
• The Fox Sisters: Spiritualism's Unlikely Founders - HistoryNet
• How the Fox Sisters' Hoax Gave Birth to Spiritualism - The Paris Review

• Lily Dale Spiritualist Community - Official Site
• Lily Dale on Atlas Obscura
• Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp - Official Site
• Cassadaga: America's Oldest Spiritualist Community - Smithsonian Magazine

• The Fox Sisters and the "Great American Hoax" - A New York Minute in History Podcast

• Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism by Barbara Weisberg
• The Reluctant Spiritualist: The Life of Maggie Fox by Nancy Rubin Stuart
• Spiritualism's Place: Reformers, Seekers, and Séances in Lily Dale by Averill Earls, Sarah Handley-Cousins, Elizabeth Garner Masarik, and Marissa C. Rhodes

• Fox Sisters Hydesville Memorial Park - Newark, NY

Haunted Biltmore: The Vanderbilt Ghosts That Never Left America's Largest Mansion | The Dark Folio

Step inside America's largest home—where elegance meets the unexplained. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina isn't just a stunning 250-room mansion built by George Vanderbilt in 1895—it's one of the most haunted places in America.

In this episode of The Dark Folio, we explore the lingering spirits that refuse to leave this gilded palace: George Vanderbilt, still pacing his beloved library during storms. His wife Edith, calling his name through empty halls. The mysterious Lady in Pink who drifts through corridors. And the wild energy trapped in the basement's Halloween Room, where a 1925 party may never have truly ended.

From cold spots in the swimming pool to children's laughter echoing through the gardens, the Biltmore's ghosts tell stories of love, loss, and longing that span over a century.

Join host May for 15 minutes of haunted history, real ghost stories, and the dark secrets hiding behind the Vanderbilt family's most beautiful creation.

🕯️ Perfect for fans of haunted houses, true paranormal stories, historical mysteries, and Southern Gothic tales.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

• Biltmore Estate Official History: https://www.biltmore.com/our-story/biltmore-history/
• Halloween Room Research: https://www.biltmore.com/blog/shedding-new-light-on-the-halloween-room/
• National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/places/biltmore-estate.htm
• Book: "The Last Castle" by Denise Kiernan

📍 The Biltmore Estate | Asheville, NC | America's Largest Home | Vanderbilt Mansion Hauntings

#HauntedBiltmore #GhostStories #TheDarkFolio #ParanormalPodcast #TrueCrime #VanderbiltGhosts #HauntedMansion #AshevilleNC #HistoricalHauntings #CreepyPodcast