1. Robert the Doll Ruined Vacations and Relationships
Robert might look like a harmless little sailor doll, but he’s been blamed for everything from car accidents to broken marriages. Originally owned by a boy named Robert Eugene Otto in the early 1900s, the doll reportedly moved on its own and spoke in a childlike voice. Otto kept him into adulthood, and people say the doll destroyed every relationship he tried to have. After Otto’s death, the new owners heard footsteps in the attic and giggles echoing through the halls shares All That’s Interesting.
Now living at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Robert’s reputation hasn’t mellowed. Visitors claim their cameras malfunction or they suffer injuries after mocking him. The museum even receives apology letters daily from people who believe the doll cursed them. Whether you believe it or not, Robert seems to have a long memory and a taste for mischief adds GulfLive.com.
2. The Dybbuk Box Caused Nightmares and Sickness
It looks like an ordinary wine cabinet, but the Dybbuk Box supposedly holds a malevolent spirit from Jewish folklore. When Kevin Mannis bought it at an estate sale, he and everyone who came near it reported unexplained health issues, shadowy figures, and terrifying dreams. Even after he gave it away, the string of misfortunes followed each new owner. At one point, a man suffered a stroke shortly after opening the box says Casino.org.
Eventually, it ended up in the hands of paranormal investigator Zak Bagans. He’s displayed it at his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, but he warns people not to mess with it. Post Malone even claimed he was cursed after touching the box, later surviving a car crash and a plane emergency shares Daily Mail. If this thing is just a box, it sure leaves a lot of damage in its wake.
3. Annabelle Turned a Cozy Apartment into a Nightmare
Before she became a horror movie star, Annabelle was just a Raggedy Ann doll with a sinister presence. A nursing student received her as a gift in the 1970s and noticed it changing positions when no one was looking. Soon, strange notes started appearing and blood seemed to ooze from the doll. A medium claimed the spirit of a dead girl had attached to the doll, but that sweet story didn’t last long.
The doll reportedly tried to strangle a friend and even tossed him across the room. Eventually, the girls contacted paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren, who locked Annabelle in a glass case. Still, they claim she continues to wreak havoc, especially on those who mock her. One visitor even died in a motorcycle crash after taunting her.
4. The Chair of Death Was Too Dangerous to Sit In
This old wooden chair looks like something you’d find in your grandma’s kitchen, but it has a reputation for killing people. Known as the Busby Stoop Chair, legend says a man named Thomas Busby cursed it before being hanged for murder in the 1700s. He supposedly said anyone who sat in it would die—and over time, that statement felt more like a guarantee. Visitors to a local pub dared each other to sit in it, only to meet strange and sudden ends.
One man died in a car crash on his way home, another from a heart attack shortly after. Eventually, the chair was donated to a museum, where it’s now bolted to the wall so no one can sit in it again. Staff refuses to touch it, even when cleaning. Whether it’s coincidence or curse, no one’s willing to take another chance.
5. The Crying Boy Painting Survived Fires That it Shouldn’t Have
Paintings shouldn’t be fireproof, but this one seemed to defy the odds. In the 1980s, British tabloids reported a series of house fires where everything burned—except for a mass-produced painting of a crying boy. The reports were so frequent, firefighters started to believe the painting was cursed. One firefighter even said he refused to have it in his house after seeing it untouched in too many burned-down homes.
Some families said they heard crying before the fires broke out. Others claimed the paintings would fall off the walls or feel cold to the touch. Eventually, people began burning the paintings in mass bonfires, just to be safe. Even today, copies of the painting make some collectors nervous.
6. The Haunted Wedding Dress That Moves on Its Own
Anna Baker never got to wear her wedding dress, but she may have made sure no one else did either. In the mid-1800s, her wealthy father refused to let her marry a working-class man, so she died single and heartbroken. Her dress, still in pristine condition, was displayed in a glass case at the Baker Mansion in Pennsylvania. That’s when the strange things started happening.
Visitors and staff reported seeing the dress swaying gently, even when no air was circulating in the room. Some heard soft weeping or felt an icy presence nearby. One woman claimed she fainted when she leaned in too close. It’s a beautiful dress, but with a heartbreak like that sewn into its seams, it’s no wonder it refuses to rest.
7. Peggy the Doll Makes People Physically Ill
Unlike Robert or Annabelle, Peggy doesn’t need to be in the same room to mess with people. Paranormal investigator Jayne Harris uploaded videos of the doll online, and viewers started reporting migraines, chest pain, and nausea just from watching. One woman even claimed she had a heart attack after seeing the doll’s face. Peggy was believed to be haunted by the spirit of a woman who died violently, and she’s never quite calmed down.
Harris now keeps her in a locked cabinet and treats her with extreme care. She claims Peggy’s behavior improves when people show her respect. Still, the doll is so unnerving that some visitors refuse to look her in the eye. Whether it’s power of suggestion or something more, Peggy definitely gets under people’s skin.
8. The Tallman Bunk Beds Invited Something Dark In
In 1987, a Wisconsin family bought a secondhand bunk bed—and with it, they say, came something evil. Not long after setting it up, their kids got sick, the radio changed stations by itself, and shadowy figures appeared in the hallway. Doors slammed, and disembodied voices echoed through the house. One night, the father saw a red-eyed figure in the garage.
Terrified, the family moved out and burned the bed. Once it was gone, the haunting stopped completely. The story gained so much attention that Unsolved Mysteries even aired an episode about it. Sometimes, it’s not the house—it’s the furniture.
9. The Conjure Chest Brought Death to a Family
Made in the 1800s by an enslaved man under duress, the Conjure Chest was said to be cursed from the very beginning. Every time someone in the Kentucky family used it to store clothes, they died shortly afterward. Over the years, more than a dozen deaths were linked to the chest. Some were accidents, others illness—but all followed close contact with it.
Eventually, a root doctor was called to “neutralize” the curse, placing a charm inside one of the drawers. The chest now lives at the Kentucky History Museum, and people are warned not to touch it. It might look like a well-made antique, but the history inside it is deeply painful. Even museum staff are cautious around it.
10. The Myrtles Mirror Traps Ghostly Images
At first glance, it’s just an elegant antique mirror in a historic Louisiana plantation home. But visitors to the Myrtles Plantation have noticed handprints appearing on the glass—ones that can’t be wiped away. Some even claim to see faces staring back at them. Legend says the mirror holds the spirit of a woman named Chloe and two children who were murdered on the property.
The mirror was supposedly never covered after their deaths, allowing their spirits to become trapped inside. Guests who take photos sometimes spot figures in the reflection that weren’t there in person. Others feel cold drafts or sudden sadness when they stand near it. If a mirror really can hold a soul, this one is doing a fine job of it.
11. The Terrifying Tall Figure in the Mirror
A man bought an antique mirror at a yard sale, only to find his life spinning out of control soon after. He claimed to see a tall, shadowy figure in the reflection, even when he was alone. Strange things happened at night—whispers, cold spots, and the feeling of being watched. His pets refused to enter the room where the mirror hung.
He finally took it down, hoping to break the spell, but the unease lingered. Eventually, he sold it online with a full warning about its past. The new owner reported similar issues and ended up passing it on too. This one has changed hands many times, and it never seems to lose its grip.
12. The Basano Vase Was Buried for a Reason
This 15th-century silver vase was supposedly given to an Italian bride on her wedding day. She died that same night, clutching the vase. Over the centuries, every person who owned it reportedly died under mysterious circumstances—some within days of receiving it. By the 1980s, the vase was causing so much fear that it was buried with a warning note.
Eventually, it resurfaced, but no museum would take it. One report said it was finally hidden away by police to prevent further deaths. No one knows where it is today, and honestly, that might be for the best. Sometimes it’s better not to dig up what’s been buried.
13. The Hands Resist Him Painting Is Pure Nightmare Fuel
Often called “the eBay haunted painting,” this artwork features a young boy standing beside a creepy doll in front of a glass door. What really freaked people out were the reports from those who owned it—claiming the figures in the painting moved or vanished entirely. One couple who bought it said the boy’s expression would change, and they heard whispers late at night. Their children were terrified of it.
The original artist said the painting wasn’t meant to be scary, but the stories spread fast. Even people who just viewed it online reported unease and dizziness. It now lives in a gallery, but few are eager to take it home. This one proves that sometimes, a canvas can hold more than just paint.