On ‘The First Omen’, ‘Late Night with the Devil’, ‘Stopmotion’, and More [Halloweenies Podcast]

Everyone loves a nice, shiny title. “Best Pizza in the County!” “Tallest Building in the State!” “World’s Largest Pair of Underwear!” (Author’s Note: We had the honor of seeing these once; they ruled.)

But it seems like many a haunted house is said to be the most haunted in the country, without that being strictly possible — there can only be one. The title is sometimes proudly self-imposed or enthusiastically applied by visitors, but either way, it spreads and becomes a thing.

So Kristen and Will of Bloody FM’s Guide to the Unknown podcast have decided to start pitting these houses against each other in an informal bracket-style competition to see what, indeed, actually is the most haunted house in America, as decided by two completely unqualified people with nary a boot on the ground.

This week’s matchup features The Spy House of New Jersey vs. The Whaley House of California, and it’s pretty much carnage right from the get-go.

The Spy House is so named because of a story told by Gertrude Niedlinger, an eccentric older woman who served as curator of the home and was proven to have been a teller of tall tales while guiding her tours. The paranormal origin stories that may have primed future ghost-experiencers came from her imagination as opposed to the other realm, although a healthy mix is always possible.

Compare that with The Whaley House, whose numerous deaths on the property are well-documented, including the violent hanging of “Yankee Jim” Robinson, who stood on a mule cart with a noose around his neck until the mules drove off and he stood no more. The Whaley House has the distinct honor of facilitating a ghostly experience for Regis Philbin, as documented on Celebrity Ghost Stories, which should be proof enough for anyone.

Check out the ghostly showdown this week on Guide to the Unknown. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to get a new episode every Friday.