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Some urban legends are mostly folklore—but the real events behind them can be just as unsettling. Explore stories of abandoned hospital buildings that remained in use, criminals hiding in cars, secret city tunnels, spiders found in ears, and the infamous tale of alligators beneath New York, with a closer look at what history actually supports.
This narrated mystery and history compilation separates documented incidents from rumors, including the poisoned Halloween candy case, a man who hid inside a Toys R Us store, Chicago’s Resurrection Mary legend, and the real murders that inspired the Amityville haunting story. For fans of urban legends, strange history, creepy stories, unexplained encounters, and true-crime-adjacent mysteries, this is eerie storytime for curious listeners and background viewing.
This narrated mystery and history compilation separates documented incidents from rumors, including the poisoned Halloween candy case, a man who hid inside a Toys R Us store, Chicago’s Resurrection Mary legend, and the real murders that inspired the Amityville haunting story. For fans of urban legends, strange history, creepy stories, unexplained encounters, and true-crime-adjacent mysteries, this is eerie storytime for curious listeners and background viewing.
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00:00So, let's start.
00:01Number 10, the abandoned hospital that was still in use.
00:05In the hills outside Berlin sits a massive complex of abandoned medical buildings known
00:09as Beelitz-Heilstatten.
00:11The site was originally built in the late 19th century as a tuberculosis sanatorium,
00:16eventually growing into a huge medical complex with dozens of buildings, treatment facilities,
00:22operating rooms, and its own infrastructure.
00:24Over the decades, thousands of patients were treated there.
00:27During both world wars, parts of the complex were also used as military hospitals.
00:32After World War II, the Soviet military took control of the site, and some buildings continued
00:37to function as military hospitals for decades.
00:40The unusual part is that, while some sections remained active, other buildings were gradually
00:45abandoned, corridors that once carried patients became empty, medical rooms were left behind,
00:51and parts of the property slowly deteriorated.
00:54Because the site was so large, it developed an eerie reputation, people exploring the abandoned
00:59sections discovered old hospital beds, peeling walls, forgotten equipment, and rooms that seemed
01:04frozen in another era.
01:06At the same time, other parts of the complex were still being used.
01:10After the Soviet military left Germany in the 1990s, much of Beelitz-Heilstatten fell into
01:15disrepair.
01:16Some buildings were eventually restored and given new purposes, while others remained abandoned
01:21and became popular with photographers and urban explorers.
01:25As the site's reputation grew, stories of ghosts and unexplained encounters began spreading.
01:30These stories are difficult to verify, but the history itself is well documented.
01:35The strangest part of the story doesn't require anything supernatural.
01:39Beelitz-Heilstatten really was a massive medical complex, where some buildings continued
01:43serving medical purposes, while others stood empty and decaying.
01:47That contrast helped create the perfect setting for urban legends.
01:51What looked like a completely forgotten hospital was actually a place where buildings were closed,
01:56reopened, repurposed, and abandoned over many decades.
01:59Number 9.
02:00The killer, hiding in the back seat.
02:03One of the most famous urban legends involves a driver returning to their car at night.
02:07They begin driving home, unaware that a dangerous stranger is hiding in the back seat.
02:11The driver eventually notices something is wrong, often after hearing a noise or receiving
02:16a warning from another motorist.
02:18The story has appeared in countless forms.
02:20Sometimes, the hidden attacker is discovered by a gas station employee.
02:24In other versions, another driver repeatedly flashes their headlights, trying to warn the
02:29victim that someone is hiding behind them.
02:31For years, people treated the story as a cautionary tale, rather than a real event.
02:36Yet, there have been genuine cases of criminals hiding inside vehicles and attacking people.
02:43In some incidents, burglars have hidden in cars while waiting for the owner to return.
02:48In others, attackers have entered vehicles without the driver's knowledge and remain concealed
02:53until the right moment.
02:54There have even been cases where police officers discovered suspects hiding in the back seats
02:58of vehicles during traffic stops.
03:00These situations are rare, but they prove that the basic scenario isn't impossible.
03:05The most famous versions of the legend often involve a stranger who has already murdered
03:10someone and is waiting for another victim.
03:12There is little evidence that these dramatic scenarios occur with any regularity.
03:17The story became popular because it plays on a simple fear, the possibility that danger
03:22could be nearby without being visible.
03:25A car feels like a private and secure space, especially at night.
03:30The thought of discovering someone hiding just a few feet away completely changes that sense
03:35of safety.
03:36The legend may be exaggerated, but the underlying warning is reasonable.
03:41Criminals have occasionally used vehicles to hide, escape, or approach victims.
03:46The terrifying story told around the world is mostly folklore, but the possibility that inspired
03:52it has happened in real life.
03:54Number 8.
03:55The woman who woke up in a bathtub of ice.
03:58One of the most disturbing urban legends involves a person waking up in a bathtub filled
04:03with ice only to discover that one of their kidneys has supposedly been removed.
04:08The story usually ends with the victim receiving a warning that they have been targeted by an
04:12international organ trafficking network.
04:15The tale has circulated for decades, appearing in different versions across several countries.
04:19The details change, but the basic story remains the same.
04:23Someone meets a stranger, loses consciousness, and wakes up with their organs supposedly stolen.
04:28The legend has become so famous that many people assume organ theft is an extremely common
04:33crime.
04:33In reality, the specific bathtub story has never been proven as a genuine incident.
04:38However, there is a disturbing truth behind the legend.
04:41Illegal organ trafficking is a real problem in some parts of the world.
04:44Criminal networks and corrupt intermediaries have been involved in the illegal trade of human
04:48organs, particularly in situations where vulnerable people are exploited.
04:53There have also been documented cases of people being deceived or pressured into illegal organ
04:58removal.
04:58These real cases are very different from the dramatic stories of tourists waking up in hotel
05:03bathtubs.
05:04The urban legend likely became popular because it combines a genuine fear with a shocking scenario.
05:10People know that organ transplants are valuable, and that there are shortages of donated organs,
05:15making the idea of a criminal market seem believable.
05:18The famous bathtub story remains unsubstantiated, but the broader issue of illegal organ trafficking
05:24is real.
05:25That distinction matters because the truth is already serious enough without adding fictional
05:30details.
05:31In the end, the legend survives because it taps into a fear of losing control over your own
05:36body.
05:36The specific story may be fiction, but the criminal exploitation of vulnerable people for organs
05:41has unfortunately occurred in the real world.
05:44Number seven, the secret tunnels beneath the city.
05:47For generations, people have told stories about mysterious tunnels hidden beneath major cities.
05:52Some legends describe secret underground roads used by criminals, while others claim entire
05:57communities once lived beneath the streets.
06:00In many cases, these stories are exaggerated, but the underground worlds beneath some cities are
06:05very real.
06:06One of the most famous examples can be found beneath the streets of London.
06:10London.
06:10The city has an enormous network of tunnels created for transportation, utilities, military
06:15purposes, and emergency shelters.
06:18Some were abandoned for decades, and eventually became the subject of rumors and speculation.
06:24During World War II, London's underground stations and tunnels were used as shelters during
06:28German bombing raids.
06:30Other underground spaces were connected to military operations and government communications.
06:35Some locations were kept secret for years before their existence became publicly known.
06:39Other cities have their own hidden underground networks.
06:42In New York, abandoned subway stations, old railway tunnels, utility passages, and forgotten
06:49infrastructure exist beneath the streets.
06:51Some areas have been sealed for decades, while others are still used for transportation or maintenance.
06:56There are also real examples of people creating hidden underground spaces for completely different
07:01reasons.
07:02During Prohibition, secret tunnels and hidden rooms were sometimes used to move alcohol or provide
07:07access to illegal businesses.
07:09In some cities, these spaces later became part of local folklore.
07:13The legends often grow far beyond the original truth, a small hidden passage becomes a massive
07:18underground city, and a forgotten tunnel becomes the headquarters of a mysterious secret organization.
07:24The reality is already fascinating.
07:26Beneath some of the world's largest cities are layers of history that most residents never see.
07:30Old stations, abandoned infrastructure, forgotten shelters, and secret wartime facilities can
07:36remain hidden for decades, waiting for someone to rediscover them.
07:40Number 6.
07:41The spiders found inside the human body.
07:43Few urban legends are more unsettling than stories about spiders crawling into people's ears,
07:49laying eggs beneath their skin, or somehow surviving inside the human body.
07:53These stories have circulated for decades, usually accompanied by claims that doctors discovered
07:58dozens of spiders living inside an unsuspecting person's head.
08:02Most versions are completely fictional, but there are real medical cases involving insects
08:07and other small creatures entering parts of the human body.
08:10Spiders can occasionally enter the ear, particularly when people are sleeping outdoors or living in
08:15areas where certain species are common.
08:17Doctors have removed spiders from patients' ears in documented cases, although these incidents are rare,
08:22In one widely reported case, a woman in China visited a hospital after experiencing discomfort
08:29and hearing strange noises in her ear, doctors discovered a small spider living inside the ear canal.
08:36The creature was carefully removed, and the patient recovered.
08:39Other cases have involved insects such as cockroaches, moths, and small flies becoming trapped in ear canals.
08:47These situations can be extremely uncomfortable, but are generally treatable.
08:52The much more frightening claim that spiders routinely crawl into people's bodies and reproduce, there has no scientific basis.
09:00Human bodies are simply not suitable environments for most spiders to live and reproduce.
09:06Still, real medical incidents helped fuel the legend.
09:09When someone hears that a spider was actually found inside a person's ear, the story can quickly become exaggerated.
09:15A single spider becomes dozens, an ear becomes the entire body, and a rare medical incident turns into a terrifying
09:22urban legend.
09:24The reality is still unpleasant enough.
09:27While spiders living inside human bodies is largely fiction, doctors have genuinely had to remove unexpected creatures from people's ears,
09:35noses, and other openings.
09:37Sometimes, the truth doesn't need much exaggeration to become disturbing.
09:40Number five, the Phantom Hitchhiker, who really existed.
09:45The Phantom Hitchhiker is one of the world's most famous urban legends.
09:48The story usually involves a driver picking up a mysterious stranger on a lonely road.
09:54The passenger gives an address, remains strangely quiet during the journey, and then suddenly disappears before the driver reaches the
10:01destination.
10:02In many versions, the driver later discovers that the passenger was actually a person who died years earlier.
10:08Stories like this have been told for centuries across different countries, but one famous Chicago legend became associated with a
10:15reported encounter in 1939.
10:18Jerry Pallas, a Chicago Southsider, later recounted meeting a young woman he came to believe was Resurrection Mary.
10:24According to the story, he encountered her while dancing at the Liberty Grove Dance Hall near 47th Street and Mozart
10:30Street in Chicago.
10:32The two danced together and reportedly kissed before she asked him to drive her home along Archer Avenue.
10:36During the journey, the woman supposedly got out of the car near Resurrection Cemetery.
10:42Pallas then claimed that she disappeared, leaving him unable to explain what had happened.
10:46The encounter became one of the stories associated with Resurrection Mary, a famous local ghost legend connected to the cemetery
10:54and the surrounding roads.
10:56Over the years, other drivers have claimed to encounter a young woman walking along the same stretch of road.
11:01Some have reported picking her up, while others say she vanished from their cars without explanation.
11:08There is no scientific evidence proving that Resurrection Mary was a ghost and the details of the legend come from
11:14accounts that are difficult to independently verify.
11:17The reported 1939 encounter is part of the folklore surrounding her, rather than proof that a supernatural disappearance occurred.
11:24What makes the case interesting is how a local story became a lasting legend.
11:29Resurrection Cemetery is real, Archer Avenue is real, and the reports associated with the area have circulated for decades.
11:36The supernatural explanation remains unproven, but the story of Resurrection Mary has become deeply embedded in Chicago folklore.
11:44Number four, the poisoned Halloween candy scare.
11:48Every Halloween, parents warn their children to be careful with candy from strangers.
11:53The fear is simple.
11:54Someone might secretly poison a piece of candy or hide something dangerous inside it.
12:00For decades, stories about poisoned Halloween treats have circulated across North America, creating anxiety whenever Halloween approaches.
12:08The strange part is that the legend is both exaggerated and connected to real crimes.
12:14For years, newspapers reported terrifying stories about children supposedly receiving candy filled with razor blades, needles, or poison.
12:23Many of these stories were later found to be false, misunderstood, or the result of accidents.
12:28In some cases, children accidentally injured themselves with objects that had nothing to do with Halloween.
12:34However, there have been confirmed cases where children were deliberately given poisoned candy.
12:40One of the most infamous incidents happened in Texas in 1974.
12:45An eight-year-old boy named Timothy O'Brien died after eating a Pixie Stix candy that had been laced
12:51with cyanide.
12:52Investigators discovered that the candy had been deliberately poisoned by his own father, Ronald Clark O'Brien, who had hoped
12:58to collect life insurance money.
13:00The case shocked the country because it was almost exactly the kind of crime that parents had been warned about
13:06for years.
13:06Other incidents have involved people placing dangerous objects inside candy or food, although these cases have been extremely rare.
13:15The vast majority of Halloween candy scares have turned out to be rumors, hoaxes, accidents, or misunderstandings.
13:23The fear became so widespread that some communities began organizing candy inspections while parents were encouraged to examine treats before
13:31allowing children to eat them.
13:33The larger legend about random strangers poisoning huge numbers of children has never been supported by evidence, but the existence
13:41of a few genuine cases shows why the story became so frightening in the first place.
13:47Number three, the man who lived in the supermarket.
13:50The idea of secretly living inside a supermarket sounds like something from a comedy movie.
13:55Someone waits until the store closes, hides between the shelves, and spends the night eating food while avoiding employees.
14:02It sounds too strange to happen in real life.
14:04Yet several real cases have involved people secretly hiding inside stores for weeks, and one notorious case involved a man
14:12who remained inside a Toys R Us store for months.
14:16Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army Reserve Officer known as Roof Man, became notorious for robbing fast food restaurants by cutting
14:23through their roofs.
14:24After escaping from prison in 2004, he hid inside a Toys R Us store in Charlotte, North Carolina.
14:32He used concealed areas and back rooms to stay out of sight, surviving on candy and baby food taken from
14:37the shelves.
14:38At night, he reportedly exercised by riding a bicycle through the store's aisles when it was closed.
14:44Manchester managed to remain hidden for months before his eventual recapture in 2005.
14:49His unusual hiding place later attracted widespread attention because of how long he had managed to evade detection inside an
14:56ordinary retail store.
14:58Other cases involved people hiding in grocery store ceilings and rafters, although those incidents lasted considerably less time.
15:06In Nevada, Matthew Hammer was discovered living in the rafters of a Raley supermarket after his foot reportedly broke through
15:13the ceiling.
15:13In Auburn, Washington, another man was arrested after hiding in a grocery store's ceiling space for several weeks and dropping
15:20down after closing to steal food and cigarettes.
15:23These cases show that people have managed to conceal themselves inside stores for extended periods, although the circumstances and duration
15:31differed considerably.
15:32Manchester's case is particularly unusual because his hiding place was a Toys R Us store and he remained there for
15:38months.
15:39The supermarket legend became popular because it plays on a strange fear many people have about familiar places.
15:45During the day, a store is crowded with customers and employees.
15:50At night, the same building becomes completely different.
15:53Empty aisles stretch into darkness, storage rooms are locked, and security cameras watch the entrances.
15:58Knowing that someone could hide inside a large building without being noticed makes the story unsettling.
16:03The real cases are unusual, but they established that the basic scenario has happened.
16:09Number two, the sewer alligators beneath New York.
16:12For decades, people have told stories about alligators living beneath the streets of New York City.
16:18According to the classic urban legend, wealthy families supposedly bought baby alligators as exotic pets,
16:25only to flush them down the toilet when they became too large.
16:28The animals then supposedly survived underground and grew into enormous predators.
16:33The story sounds ridiculous, but a real incident helped give the legend its strange reputation.
16:39On February 9th, 1935, a group of teenagers reportedly caught and killed an 8-foot-long, 125-pound alligator
16:48in a manhole on East 123rd Street in East Harlem.
16:52The incident was reported by the New York Times the following day,
16:55documenting a startling discovery in the city's underground infrastructure.
17:00The animal was far larger than a tiny pet someone might casually abandon,
17:04making the story especially memorable.
17:07New York's sewer system is enormous, dark, and connected to waterways throughout the city.
17:13Over the years, alligators and other exotic animals have also been discovered in unexpected places.
17:19Abandoned, exotic pets provide one possible explanation for some of these encounters,
17:25although the exact origin of every animal is not known.
17:28The famous idea of huge colonies of alligators living permanently beneath Manhattan, however,
17:33has never been proven.
17:34The sewer environment is generally too cold for alligators to survive comfortably for long periods,
17:40especially during New York winters, so how did the legend become so popular?
17:44Part of the explanation may come from real cases of exotic animals being abandoned.
17:50Alligators have been kept illegally as pets,
17:52and some owners have released them when they became difficult to handle.
17:56A few animals have even been found in places where no one expected them.
18:00The legend grew because it combined a real possibility with an environment people rarely see.
18:06Most New Yorkers never explore the underground sewer network,
18:09making it easy to imagine what might be hiding there.
18:12The idea of giant alligators building an underground civilization is almost certainly fiction,
18:18but the 1935 discovery of an 8-foot alligator in an East Harlem manhole
18:22gave the story a genuine historical connection to reality.
18:26Number one, the haunted house that was actually a murder scene.
18:31For generations, stories about haunted houses have spread through towns and neighborhoods,
18:36a strange building becomes associated with unexplained noises,
18:40ghostly sightings, or mysterious deaths,
18:42and eventually people begin avoiding it.
18:45Most of these stories are exaggerated over time,
18:48but sometimes the disturbing history behind a supposedly haunted house is completely real.
18:53One famous example is the Amityville house in New York.
18:56In 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were murdered inside their home.
19:01Ronald DeFeo Jr., the eldest son,
19:04was convicted of killing his parents and four siblings while they slept.
19:07The case shocked the local community,
19:09but the house became internationally famous several years later.
19:13A new family moved into the property in 1975
19:16and claimed they experienced strange events almost immediately.
19:20They reported unexplained odors, strange noises, cold spots, and other disturbing phenomena.
19:26Their story eventually became the basis for the famous Amityville haunting legend
19:30and inspired books and movies.
19:32The problem is that many of the supernatural claims have been heavily disputed.
19:37Investigators and skeptics have questioned the family's accounts,
19:40and some people involved with the story later admitted that parts of it were exaggerated or fabricated.
19:46Yet, the most important part of the story is completely documented.
19:51The murders actually happened,
19:53and the house really did become the scene of a horrific crime.
19:56The supernatural elements remain controversial,
19:59but the disturbing history that gave the legend its foundation
20:02is a matter of public record.
20:04This is how many haunted house legends begin.
20:07A real tragedy occurs, people remember the location,
20:10and over the years, the facts become mixed with rumors, stories, and imagination.
20:14Eventually, the original event becomes almost impossible to separate from the legend surrounding it.
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