B is for…
BABENHAUSEN BARRACKS
Once a sprawling housing complex built to house soldiers during World War II, Babenhausen Barracks now welcomes visitors as a museum where history lingers between memory and mystery. The halls recall the cadence of daily life under pressure—boots tapping on concrete, distant clatter of metal, and the soft murmur of drills rehearsed for long campaigns. Guides note that at all hours there are sounds that feel almost human and figures that drift through the rooms, dressed in period uniforms as if ready for a march. Some visitors report voices giving commands or shouting warnings when no living soldier is present. Perhaps the most unsettling claim centers on the telephone chamber: when a living person places an ear to the old instrument, a voice speaks in a language that many describe as gibberish, while others insist it is speech spoken backwards. The site has embraced these stories as part of its experience, offering a window into the routines, camaraderie, and fear that accompanied soldiers through wartime years.
BANSHEE
A female spirit in Irish and Scottish folklore, the banshee is said to stand outside a home and unleash a piercing, bone-chilling wail to warn families of impending death. Descriptions often mention red eyes reflecting a lifetime of mourning, and the scream itself is depicted as both mournful and terrifying—the signal that sorrow is near. In legend, the banshee is a witness to the living, a guardian of fate who appears at the edge of night to carry whispers across the threshold, binding communities with the shared knowledge of what may come. The lore positions the banshee as a harbinger whose cry is as much a cultural touchstone as a warning, a reminder that death is universal yet deeply personal.
BELL WITCH
From 1817 until shortly after John Bell’s death in 1820, the Bell family endured a haunting attributed to a poltergeist known as the Bell Witch. The spirit was believed to be the lingering remnant of a local woman named Kate Batts who bore a strong grudge against the Bells. Betsy Bell, John’s daughter, became a frequent focal point for the specter’s tricks and taunts as the haunting escalated. The Bell Witch allegedly slapped and pinched victims, produced loud noises, and damaged personal belongings. Over time the entity began to speak, to threaten, and to spread false rumors, even naming family members and casting aspersions. John Bell’s death, long whispered to have been the result of poisoning, fed further speculation about the witch’s influence. The presence persisted for a time, promising a return in seven years, a vow that was fulfilled before the entity finally faded away, leaving behind a legacy that has inspired countless tales and investigations into the nature of hauntings.
BERKELEY PLANTATION
Located on the James River in Virginia, Berkeley Plantation is steeped in American history and notable for two visits by President Abraham Lincoln. In the early 20th century, John Jamieson, a drummer boy who served with the Union Army, purchased the estate, with his lineage continuing to inhabit the property. Witnesses have reported seeing a young drummer boy walking beside a tall, quiet man along the cemetery fence that leads to the graveyard. Accounts describe the drummer’s figure as purposeful and calm, a spectral presence that seems to keep vigil over memories of the Civil War era and the people who lived there long ago. Whether these sightings are misinterpretations or reflections of a living memory, Berkeley Plantation remains a focal point for those drawn to America’s haunted past.
BIGFOOT
Also known as Sasquatch, Bigfoot is described as a towering, bipedal figure that appears to be half human, half ape, though certainty has always remained elusive. Sightings span centuries, with testimonies noting a creature that stands roughly eight to ten feet tall, covered in dark fur, and moving with surprising stealth through forested areas. In 1967, two men captured footage that sparked a wave of debate: some regard it as compelling evidence of the creature’s existence, while others insist it is a clever hoax. Regardless of the verdict, Bigfoot continues to occupy a central place in North American folklore, drawing researchers, campers, and curious visitors into the woods in search of footprints, sightings, and the possibility that a mysterious species might still be roaming the wilderness.
BLACK TRIANGLES
Black triangles are said to be large, silent flying objects shaped like a triangle, with lights at the bottom corners and a central light, sometimes red, along the midline. They are reputed to move without a sound, and accounts of sightings have persisted for more than half a century. One of the most widely discussed episodes occurred in 1997 over St. Petersburg, Russia, where a cluster of these craft hovered in the night sky for about 20 minutes before vanishing. Eyewitnesses captured video, and the mystery surrounding these silent anomalies has continued to fuel speculation about otherworldly visitations, experimental aircraft, or misperceptions shaped by imagination and memory. These reports persist in local folklore and in the broader conversation about unidentified aerial phenomena.