7 Haunted Objects You Never Want To Bring Into Your Home

Eerie tales of haunted houses and ghosts in old cemeteries are plentiful. But the thought of spirit inhabiting an everyday item? That’s an entirely different kind of creepy.

Some of the histories of these haunted objects have holes, and could be looked at with a critical eye. Still, it would be unfortunate to find yourself in the possession of a spooky mirror or a mysterious ring that just might be possessed.

1. The Myrtles Plantation Mirror

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana is known as one of the most haunted places in the South. Built in 1796 by General David Bradford, the property has seen enough history for a ghost story or two. One such tale involves a mirror allegedly haunted by the spirits of Sara Woodruff and two her children. Woodruff and her children died of yellow fever between 1823 and 1824—though legend says a scheming servant accidentally killed the children with poison. Mirrors were often covered after death in the 19th century, so that the spirits of the deceased could not hide within them. Apparently, this particular mirror remained exposed. When the trio passed on, they took up residence in the glass … where they linger to this day.

Some have claimed to see movement in the mirror, despite calm on the outside. Others swear they’ve seen strange markings materialize on the glass, seemingly from within, including a ghostly handprint. Today, the plantation is a bed and breakfast, offering guests the opportunity to tour the grounds and potentially experience some paranormal activity—if you dare to take a look.

2. Annabelle the Demon Doll

Let’s face it: all dolls are a little creepy. But a figurine rumored to attack people, scrawl strange notes, and contain the ghost of a dead little girl who may actually be a demon? Yeah, no thanks.

Annabelle the doll is apparently all of these things—despite looking like a kindly Raggedy Ann. Purchased by a well-intending mother at a thrift store as a gift for her college-aged daughter, Annabelle wound up in the apartment of two young women. They soon noticed strange things happening that seemed tied to the presence of the doll. A medium informed them that the spirit of a young girl who had died in the apartment inhabited Annabelle; the ghost liked the two women, and wanted to stay. Surprisingly, they complied. But as the eerie activity increased, the young women asked for a second opinion. Psychic investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren arrived, claiming now that the spirit in the doll was actually a demon, posing as the girl’s ghost. The Warrens then took Annabelle, locking her in a glass case with the written warning: “Positively Do Not Open.” If you wish to meet Annabelle yourself, she still resides in her glass box at the Warren’s Occult Museum in Connecticut.

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3. Robert the Haunted Figurine

You can look at him, but please don’t take his picture—at least, not without asking. Florida painter Robert Eugene Otto was just a boy when he acquired this doll in the early 1900s. It is said that a Bahamian servant had given the figurine to the boy as a gift—though some claimed it was a voodoo doll and the servant was a practitioner of black magic. In either case, Robert the boy played with and spoke to his new toy for hours, which soon inherited his birth name. Servants swore they heard a phantom voice speaking back. When something went wrong in the house and young Otto was confronted, he shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t do it,” he said, “Robert did it.”

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Unnerved by its presence, the family eventually locked Robert the Doll in the attic. Neighbors claimed to see the small figure move from window to window. Many years later, after Otto passed on, another family moved into the house. A little girl of this family found the eerie figurine, but soon grew scared of it, saying it wanted to kill her. The doll is now on display in the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, where museumgoers claim that one must ask the doll’s permission to take a picture; if not, the doll places a curse on the rude photographer.

4. “The Anguished Man” Painting

Sean Robinson inherited this unsettling painting from his grandmother, who warned him that it was not a piece of art he should display. Having kept it hidden in her own attic for 25 years, she claimed that it carried bad energy, and was rumored to have been painted in part with the artist’s own blood, who killed himself shortly after finishing the work. Indeed, Robinson and his family claimed that certain oddities began to happen shortly after bringing the artwork into their home—doors slamming, an unseen hand grazing his wife’s hair, smoke wafting through their home. If you’re curious, Robinson shot a video of some of the strange happenings. He now keeps the painting in his basement and, no, it isn’t for sale.

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5. The Killing Chair of Thomas Busby

Long before the electric chair was ever invented, one death row criminal created a death chair. In 1702, Thomas Busby was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Requesting his last meal take place at his favorite pub, the soon-to-be-dead man dined, then stood up from the table and proclaimed: “May sudden death come to anyone who dare sit in my chair.” Busby was indeed put to death, and the chair remained in the pub. Over the next 300 years, a list of doomed victims who allegedly tempted Busby’s curse emerged. Some of the deaths were immediate—car crashes on the way from the pub—while others seemed more drawn out—such as a brain tumor. It was said that the WWII soldiers who sat in Busby’s chair did not come home from the war. In 1972, the pub owner donated the chair to the nearby Thirsk Museum. The museum’s curator hung the chair from the ceiling, dissuading anyone from attempting to sit in it.

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6. The Tallman Bunk Beds

Alan and Debby Tallman thought they were buying a bunk bed set for their children from a second-hand store in 1987. Instead, the thrifty couple reportedly purchased a severely haunted piece of furniture. According to Alan and Debby, the creepiness started soon after they brought the bed set out of storage and assembled it for their children. The kids became ill and claimed to see witches when they slept, while the radio mysteriously change stations all on its own. After consulting their pastor, the family came to believe that it was the bunk bed set at the heart of strange activity. Ultimately, the Tallmans decided to burn the bunk beds, which ended the whole ordeal.

7. The Legend of Valentino’s Cursed Ring

According to legend, Rudolph Valentino, a famous silent actor of the early 20th century, came across a piece of cursed jewelry that ultimately ended his career—and his life. In 1920, the actor showed off a new ring to a friend; upon doing so, the friend claimed to see Valentino’s corpse flash before him. Valentino shook off this unexpected premonition, though the experience lingered in the back of his mind. When the movie Valentino shot while wearing the ring flopped, he removed it and hid away the piece of jewelry. Valentino’s next movie—shot without the ring—was successful. Confident the curse had passed, the actor put the ring on his finger, only to die a short time later at the age of 31. Some claim that a lover who also wore the ring became seriously ill, and Valentino’s biographer died after wearing it as well. Years after Valentino’s untimely death, a man by the name of Joe Casino bought the ring, waiting seven years to wear it, thinking that would be enough time for the curse to clear. Legend has it he died a week after putting it on.