Ghosthunting Maryland

America's Haunted Road Trip

by Michael J. Varhola

Explore the Scariest Spots in Maryland Maryland, with its role in the War of 1812 and the Civil War, is a ghosthunter's dream. This handy guide divides the state into six regions and profiles the best destinations in each. The USS Constellation boasts three ghosts, including a sailor executed for dereliction of duty; the Gridiron Club is haunted by an old woman kidnapped and murdered by her slaves; and Ellicott City is considered the most haunted town in America, with an embarrassment of spooks to choose from. These are just a few of the exciting places profiled in this unusual guidebook, written by the father-and-son team of Michael J. Varhola and Michael H. Varhola.

Genres: Paranormal

350 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Michael J. Varhola has a lifelong interest in the paranormal and has conducted investigations worldwide. He is a public speaker, author of several books, and a freelance journalist with a strong background in history, research, and fieldwork. He lives in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C."

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I'm normally a bit more lenient in my ratings than I'm being right now. I can normally appreciate a book for the intention behind it, the decent facts contained within, or the rich inspiration a good story can inspire. I had hoped to learn a fair bit from this book when it comes to local Maryland folklore, and perhaps even have a few sites to visit that would prove rich in a) local history and b) local folk beliefs. Maybe a few ghost tours would stick out...

I wish I had been so lucky.

Unfortunately this book proved a chore to get through, and didn't contain nearly enough information to satisfy me. This was no idle collection of folkloric legends, nor was it a travel guide, or a wealth of historical fact. his book tried to be all of the above (even going so far as to recommend certain restaurants, pubs, and dishes on occasion) and thus became nothing in particular. It felt more like reading unfinished blog entries or yelp reviews than a proper book. This book had a lot of potential, and it truly disappointed me that it never quite lived up to it.

The most irritating part of the book for me was how many times the author admitted to not having visited a site at the right time to be given a tour, go inside, or truly experience it. The author did not live terribly far away from any of the sites mentioned, and that sort of oversight seems unforgivable. Why wouldn't they visit multiple times, or at least call in advance to ensure they were able to do what it was they wished to? That, combined with typos, mentions of paranormal activity that never was fully described, and the lack of photos the author mentioned taking being included in the book made for a maddening experience.

I wish this book was better than it was. I truly do.

I just don't know what the editor was thinking.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative book. It gives you the background on the hauntged sites as well as how to go about getting permission to investigate. The author also provides contact information for all sites, too! It hasg me ready to go out and investigate now!

[Joseph R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This survey of hauntings in Maryland is part of a larger series of books, America's Haunted Road Trip. The books focus on states, regions, and cities in the United States. This book presents a lot of locations in the Old Line State. Maryland has seen a lot of historical events and figures that involve trauma and death, many from the American Civil War. The author traveled the state visiting sites, conducting interviews (both pre-arranged and spontaneous), and doing his own investigating, sometimes with help from members of ghost hunting groups like Maryland TriState Paranormal and Gabriel's Paranormal Society. He writes in an easygoing and personal style, telling what he did and experienced during his adventures.

What I enjoy in books with these types of ghost stories is learning the history of an area and reading dramatic stories of people's lives. I am not really interested in stories about using scientific equipment or identifying "spirit orbs" on photographs or getting reactions from people who claim to have sensitivity to the presence of the otherworldly. This book uses a lot of the "psychic investigation as narrative" storytelling. There are stories from history because that explains why areas might manifest supernatural phenomenon, but those stories are in service of the search for ghosts. So this book was not as enjoyable as other ghost story books in a similar vein.

The book ends with a travel guide giving a list of places to visit in Maryland, including some that weren't included in the narrative part of the book.

Mildly recommended--this isn't the sort of local ghost stories I enjoy the most.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting look at the various haunting sites that are scattered throughout Maryland. The author usually gives a brief history of the site and the background of the area and then goes into what the details of the haunting are. The writing isn’t boring or stiff as some of these books can be and often the history of the site is more interesting than the actual haunting. It is important to note that all the places, at the time of writing, were open to the public so anyone that wants to do a little ghost hunting on their own should be able to do so. This is also a good book if you looking to learn a little more about the history of Maryland.

[Rachel Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this! Gave some cool history about some of the spots in Maryland that I’ve already visited and ones that are on my list. My mom and I are going to map out some of them and take some trips soon!

[The Transmuted Tree · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book b/c I'm a Marylander and I thought it would be interesting to read about haunted sites near me. There were a few interesting tidbits in the beginning concerning the history of MD but this guy is super boring and absolutely ridiculous and kind of a jerk. This author writes like my mother talks--a lot of unnecessary details, which makes it an unenjoyable read. He also makes great leaps that are utterly ridiculous. While exploring one site he saw a fox. Yes, we have these creatures in Maryland, I've seen them in the suburbs while walking my dogs. But for him this fox was a definite "occult omen". (Ughhh, so this is the kind of person I'm dealing w/; someone who's sees something supernatural in EVERYTHING) And that's how he writes up these sites. They all must be haunted b/c someone said so, or b/c something traumatic happened there or b/c he gets the creeps when he's there. Utter BS.
There were also simple mistakes that an editor should have caught. When I see "my interest was peaked" and even my dumbass knows it's piqued, you're gonna loose a lot of points w/ me. Please know how to write before you become an author, it would help a lot of us out.
So after discovering that his writing style is super pointlessly detailed and he's *a little* ridiculous I decided to only read the two chapters that were pertinent to me, National Capital and Western. But the coup de grace came in National Capital and I never made it to Western.
He's relating an incident that happened while he was visiting the exorcist house in Mt Rainier. (One should note that Mt Rainier is not known for its white picket fences or manicured lawns. Once in Mt Rainier, you are officially on 'the wrong side of the tracks'.) While he's standing outside on the sidewalk he witnesses a black woman yelling at an Asian guy as he walks down the sidewalk and she follows in her car. She eventually yells all she needs to yell and drives off. Not only did this make it into the book (why?) but he calls this "the persistence of some psychically disturbing force over the local area." Are you fucking serious?!! That was it, I slammed the book shut, completely fed up. So you saw some ghetto shit happen in the ghetto? Must be Tuesday. So. The. Fuck. What. For him to include this detail is pointless but for him to then say it's due to some malevolent force over the whole area is so absurd and actually offensive. Point is, dude is ridiculous and this book is awful.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

worst book about Maryland ghost stories (possibly any ghost stories) I've ever read. If you're looking for MD ghost stories, read Weird Maryland instead.

I don't know about you, but if the author seems more interested in talking about how good the oysters and other meals at a tavern are, instead of the ghost stories surrounding it, I don't take this as much of a ghost-story book. Author obviously did his homework and I did learn some background of local haunts, but I really don't care that you "walked to a gas station" to ask someone about something.. just tell me the story. In addition, the book covers about 5-9 stories in each area of Maryland (south, Easter, northern, etc) and then has a WHOLE OTHER SECTION in the back of the book of various other haunted spots! Why not cut the filler from your stories and make more, shorter additions??

[Elizabeth Mckernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book must check out these sites

[Byron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked to see more about Hampton Mansion, but oh well. Fascinating read still!