There is something seriously fascinating about objects that carry mysterious histories and creepy legends. All over the world, museums house artifacts that are tied to supernatural events. Oftentimes, visitors claim to feel an unsettling and spooky energy when they come in contact with these objects, and their haunting history proves that these feelings aren’t just smoke and mirrors. These 20 artifacts are as amazing as they are creepy, and we’re here to share them with you.
Here are 20 eerie artifacts found around the globe.
1. The Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous gems in the world, but it also has a creepy backstory. Known for its deep blue color, this diamond has a long history of causing misfortune to its owners and is said to be cursed. Many people connected to the diamond have suffered untimely deaths or financial ruin.
A notable example is Evalyn Walsh McLean, who wore the diamond and ended up suspiciously losing 2 of her children. Evalyn passed from pneumonia at the age of 60. The diamond is currently housed in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of History in Washington D.C., and it’s a must-see for anyone intrigued by powerful, mysterious items.
2. The Haunted Mirror of Myrtles Plantation
This mirror is located at the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, where it’s rumored to reflect the spirits of former owners. Specifically, the ghost of a woman said to have committed a horrific murder. Visitors to the plantation have reported unsettling reflections, with some claiming to see faces that aren’t their own. There are also numerous accounts of people claiming to have seen handprints on the mirror, even right after it’s been cleaned.
While we’d be fascinated to stand before this mirror, we can’t deny how terrified we’d be to do it.
3. The Dybbuk Box
The Dybbuk Box is a wine cabinet that has captured the imaginations of paranormal enthusiasts around the world. It’s believed that a malevolent spirit lives inside the box, and numerous owners have reported strange, terrifying occurrences.
The box currently resides in Zak Baggin’s Haunted Museum, but prior to this, it hopped from family to family, causing misfortune and physical ailments to anyone who came in contact with it. It’s disturbing that something so small could hold such a powerful, evil force.
This is one artifact we’d be hesitant to touch.
4. The Unlucky Mummy
We’ve always been intrigued by ancient Egypt, and this particular mummy has a terrifying history. It’s said that anyone who disturbs the remains of this mummy is doomed to suffer, and a clear example is Archibald Douglas Reid, who mysteriously died in 1924 after X-raying the mummy.
The mummy was part of an Egyptian aristocrats tomb, and was brought to London by an archaeologist named Wallace Bridge. The mummy is currently in the British Museum in London.
While this isn’t a photo of the actual mummy in London, we still love that this one vaguely looks like Marge Simpson.
5. Annabelle Doll
This doll is both chilling and fascinating. The Annabelle Doll is known for being a source of paranormal terror. According to sources, the doll was purchased by a woman named Donna in 1970. Donna was a nursing student, and the doll was given as a gift.
However, strange occurrences started happening shortly after receiving the doll in Donna’s apartment. The doll would move by itself, or leave notes for Donna and her roommates such as “help us”. The girls reached out to a medium who claimed a young girl named Annabelle inhabited the doll, and the girls let her stay. However, it wasn’t a spirit named Annabelle, it was a darker force at play.
The doll currently stays in the Warren’s Occult Museum in Connecticut, and no one is allowed to touch it.
6. Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Koh-i-Noor Diamond is an extremely famous and controversial gem among the paranormal community. It is located on top of the Queen’s crown and is said to bring misfortune to anyone who possesses it. The diamond passed through the hands of numerous emperors and British royalty, but many believed it to be cursed due to the long list of owners suffering untimely, unnatural deaths.
“Proof” of the curse was the last male owner’s death, Maharaja Duleep Singh, who was marked by sadness, illness, and loss once acquiring the diamond.
7. Bela Lugosi’s Mirror
Once owned by the legendary actor who played Dracula, Bela Lugosi’s mirror is said to have strange powers. Some believe it was used for rituals or linked to Lugosi’s creepy passion for his craft. Either way, many people have had bad experiences in front of it and say it carries an unsettling aura of the supernatural.
The mirror currently resides with plenty of other paranormal items (including numerous ones on this list) at Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.
8. The Blarney Stone
While not as “eerie” as some of the other artifacts on this list, the Blarney Stone is surrounded by mystery and legend. Many believe that kissing the stone gives the gift of eloquence, but some visitors have claimed to feel strange sensations after.
This one feels a little safer since millions of people have touched it over time.
9. The Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is one of the most mind expanding archaeological discoveries ever discovered. The exhibit consists of a vast sea of life-size clay soldiers, created with the sole purpose of protecting China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in the afterlife.
Though stunning, people have reported seeing the statues move, or spirits around them. Some workers have even reported them disappearing.
10. The Villisca Axe Murder Artifacts
The Villisca Axe Murder House is the site of a brutal, unsolved crime, and several items related to the case are on display in the house’s museum. Visitors often report a creepy atmosphere, and some claim to hear ghostly sounds.
The house is in Viscilla, Iowa, and you can bet we’ll stay as far away as possible from this place.
11. The Demon House Staircase
The Demon House Staircase is linked to one of the most terrifying paranormal investigations in recent history. The house was located in Gary, Indiana, and Latoya Ammons thought it would be a great place to raise her three children. But, soon after they moved in , the family reported hearing loud noises at night and footsteps in the basement. In the following months, the family experienced many paranormal occurrences, including one of the children levitating over her bed.
The house was later bought by Zak Bagans, who destroyed it in 2016. The staircase was part of the house and Bagans made sure to keep it in good condition. Visitors of the museum have reported an overwhelming sense of dread and physical discomfort when seeing the staircase.
We’d be fascinated to see this in person, yet the idea of physical discomfort doesn’t really invite you in.
12. The Cursed Painting of the Crying Boy
This famous painting, depicting a boy crying over the loss of his family, is often linked to a series of mysterious fires. One of the most famous examples of this was a fire in Rotherham England, in which a house was torn apart by flames, yet the painting was totally untouched. Many believe that the painting itself causes fires in the homes where it’s displayed.
The painting was mass produced, so there are still some floating around out there. The idea of such a curse attached to a painting is both eerie and fascinating, and we might not want to hang it in our office.
13. The Basano Vase
The Basano Vase is a mysterious artifact with a chilling history. The silver vase is said to be linked to a series of deaths and misfortunes for centuries. The vase was gifted to a bride in the 1500s, and legend says it plagued the family with violent deaths since. Due to the misfortunes experienced by the family, they boxed the vase away, but it was later found with a note that read, “Beware, this vase brings death.”
The current whereabouts of the vase are still unknown, though it is predicted to be kept in someone’s private collection.
14. La Madonnia
This crying marble statue is said to weep blood on certain days, making it a source of fascination and fear for decades. The idea of a statue crying real tears is both heartbreaking and terrifying. We’d love to visit the site to witness the phenomenon, but we’d definitely approach it with caution, wondering what supernatural forces might be at play.
15. The Antikythera Mechanism
The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient device, considered to be the first analog computer, though its exact purpose remains a mystery. Some people believe it could have been used for astronomical predictions, or even to track supernatural phenomena. Though not as creepy as the other things listed, it’s odd to see such a sophisticated piece of technology dating back to the 1st century BCE. The mechanism is currently located in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.
16. The Relic Of St. Lawrence
These relics, said to be connected to a medieval saint, are rumored to have both healing and cursing properties. After his death, St. Lawrence’s remains were divided and distributed throughout the Christian world. Those who touch them are said to either be blessed or cursed, depending on their intentions. It is said that some of the relics have a dark aura, and some believe that this darkness is linked to the gruesome death of St. Lawrence.
17. The Great Bed of Ware
The Great Bed of Ware is surrounded by stories of the paranormal. In the 1500s, a carpenter crafted this bed and intended it to sleep a huge number of people. Eight people, to be exact. The bed now lives in the Victoria and Albert Museum, but prior to this, it drifted from inn to inn, gaining paranormal story after story. Rumors have spread that the spirit of Jonas Fosbrooke, the carpenter, attacks anyone who isn’t worthy to sleep on it.
18. The Statue of Yama, the God of Death
The statue of Yama has been said to be haunted for generations. It is considered haunted by many people because of his role as the god of death. The statue is depicted with a terrifying appearance and symbolizes the dread associated with morality. People have claimed to hear voices and even see spirits of past relatives after coming in contact with Yama.
There are many reportedly haunted statues, but the one with the most horrifying stories is in the National Museum In Phnom Penh.
