One of the best ways to celebrate Halloween is to spend the entire month scaring the pants off yourself. It's hard to explain why we enjoy terrifying ourselves during October every single year, but it's also hard to deny how fun it can be. As entertaining as it is to re-watch your favorite horror movies for a dose of Halloween fear, sometimes you want to do something a little different — and that's where ghost story podcasts come in. There are a whole bunch of podcasts about ghost stories out there. Some are based on true accounts, some are entirely made up, but almost all are incredibly creepy.
Whether you want something to really wake you up in the morning or something to spook yourself to sleep at night, there’s a podcast on this list for you. Obviously, you can listen to these podcasts at any time of the year, not just when you're feeling in a Halloween mood. Plus, many of these shows have dozens of episodes in their archives so you can have enough stories to last you through the whole spooky season. Here are 26 podcasts to get yourself in the spooky spirit this October and all year round.
1. Real Ghost Stories Online
Real Ghost Stories Online is a daily paranormal podcast about... well, exactly what it sounds like: real ghost stories told by real people. These aren't just mythical tales of spooky urban legends, but real accounts from real people. And, if you have your own story to share, you can call in or write to them.
2. Scary Stories To Tell On The Pod
Hosted by comedians Anna Drezen and Andrew Farme, Scary Stories To Tell On The Pod is perfect if you like your lore with a little bit of levity. In each episode, they read and discuss a classic creepy tale from everyone's favorite childhood nightmare fuel: the book series Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.
3. Lore
You've likely heard about Lore, the award-winning horror podcast that focuses on true scary stories. But if you've yet to start listening, now is the time. Each episode takes on a dark historical tale with a "modern campfire experience," so it's basically a creepy look at history, which is endlessly interesting. If you somehow burn through all 159 episodes of Lore, you can check out Lore creator Aaron Mahnke's 2020 limited series featuring voice acting by Keegan-Michael Key called 13 Days of Halloween.
4. The NoSleep Podcast
If you're really into spine-crawling horror stories, then you're probably already familiar with Reddit's spooky NoSleep subreddit. The thread is made up of horrifying tales from users, and The NoSleep Podcast is basically an extension of that. The podcast features terrifying stories from the thread
5. The Moonlit Road
Horror buffs know that the American South is full of spine-tingling ghost stories. The Moonlit Road is a podcast that focuses on these particular ghost stories and dark legends. If you're looking for shorter scary stories, this podcast is perfect since each episode is typically shorter than 15 minutes. It’s now on hiatus, but the backlog is definitely worth working through.
6. The Wrong Station
The Wrong Station features short and fictional scary stories perfect for when you need a spooky break. Tune in every Sunday throughout October for a new spooky episode.
7. Knifepoint Horror
Knifepoint Horror is a fantastically creepy podcast full of stories about ghosts and other supernatural happenings. Narrated by Soren Narnia, these stories describe events exactly as they happened. There's a lot of detail that might make it hard for you to sleep at night.
8. The Last Podcast On The Left
If you're looking for both real and fictional ghost stories, you'll love The Last Podcast On The Left. It’s hosted by Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski, and they cover everything from Jeffrey Dahmer to popular hauntings to cryptoid encounters. It's scary, funny, and entertaining.
9. The Wicked Library
The Wicked Library has over 150 episodes that tell horror stories by new and independent authors. These are all original short stories narrated along with musical scoring to make things extra creepy.
10. Tanis
If you were a fan of The Black Tapes, you'll want to check out Tanis. The bi-weekly podcast is a deep dive into the myth of Tanis and explores truth, conspiracy, science, and where the three blend together. Wondering what Tanis is? You'll just have to tune in and find out.
11. Snap Judgement Presents: Spooked
Spooked by Snap Judgment is a podcast designed to make believers out of skeptics. Real people narrate their real-life supernatural encounters, and you can judge for yourself what’s fact or cap. Certain episodes are available for free via Apple Podcasts, but to experience the full trove of content, you’ll want to subscribe on Luminary.
12. Alice Isn't Dead
Alice Isn't Dead is another spooky podcast that is about one story rather than a whole bunch of short stories. It's a series of audio diaries from a truck driver who is searching for her wife who she thought was dead. The stories are about all of her mysterious encounters and paranormal dangers. The entire storyline is now available to listen to, so there’s no waiting for the next installment.
13. Anything Ghost
If you're looking for a show with lots of episodes, check out Anything Ghost, which has been around since 2006. This one is more real ghost stories by real people, with a mix of the host, Lex Wahl, reading personal experiences. It also features local ghost legends as well as real callers telling their own stories.
14. Shadowland
For all things spooky and creepy, tune into Shadowland. Created by Seth Jablon and Christina Kallerey, each episode covers one single scary topic, like UFOs, ghost towns, or weird science. While the whole podcast isn't totally Halloween-focused, it covers all sorts of mysterious topics that will give you goosebumps.
15. The Horror of Dolores Roach
There are two seasons of The Horror of Dolores Roach that are perfect for Halloween. A unique take on the Sweeney Todd tale, the series follows a woman named Dolores Roach who is hiding underground in New York City. However, as you may have guessed, she isn't alone. Yes, we're talking Mole People.
16. The Creeping Hour
If you're looking for something spooky but kid-friendly, you'll want to check out The Creeping Hour. Hosted by the Creeps (three friends who say they've "listened to so many scary stories that they turned into monsters themselves"), the podcast is a horror anthology series with each episode featuring a different creepy tale. It’s now on hiatus, but there are five stories to choose from.
17. Ghost Town
Scary stories always feel a whole lot scarier when they're based on something that might actually be real. In the podcast Ghost Town, Jason Horton and Rebecca Leib talk about some of the most mysterious places out there. There are episodes about everything from haunted hotels to spooky old legends to weird investigations.
18. Parcast Presents: Halloween
Parcast Presents: Halloween is a podcast entirely focused on Halloween. They're currently on Season 13 which gives you hundreds of hours worth of stories about everything from the Kraken to Slenderman. They also talk about haunted spots, criminal cases, and real-life villains. It's a must-listen if you're looking for something scary.
19. My Favorite Murder
It's only right we include My Favorite Murder, the OG spooky crime podcast, on this list. Created by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, each episode discusses two murders, mysteries, and even natural disasters that have intrigued them or fans. You'll absolutely become a Murderino after you give it a listen.
20. Generation Why
Generation Why is a true crime podcast where creators Aaron and Justin talk through unsolved murders, controversies, mysteries, and conspiracies. They break down the theories, give their own thoughts, and will likely leave you with more questions than answers.
21. The Magnus Archives
If you’re a dedicated fan of arcane artifacts and threatening libraries, you’ll like The Magnus Archives. It’s a London-based podcast in which head archivist Jonathan Sims tries to bring the archives of supernatural research organization the Magnus Institute up to date, only to discover that there’s something lurking behind it all.
22. And That’s Why We Drink
Sometimes the supernatural needs a dose of laughs so you don’t get nightmares, and the terrifying true crime and supernatural tales of And That’s Why We Drink by Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz are tempered with some lightness.
23. Chilling Tales For Dark Nights
If short bone-tingling tales are your favorite, Chilling Tales For Dark Nights will send a thrill down your spine. Hosted by Steve Taylor, the show dramatizes short stories of terror and supernatural mayhem from many different authors, with voice actors and sound effects.
24. NIGHTLIGHT: A Horror Fiction Podcast
A horror podcast that focuses exclusively on fiction from Black authors performed by Black actors, NIGHTLIGHT is peppered with extraordinary tales across a whole host of genres: dystopian fiction, old-fashioned ghost stories, cyberpunk. You’ll find treasures here.
25. Let’s Not Meet
Truth can be stranger (and more horrifying) than fiction, and the stories featured on Let’s Not Meet, narrated by Andrew Tate, come from survivors of truly terrifying real-life events. If near-misses and could-have-beens give you the shivers, this is the pod for you.
26. Supernatural with Ashley Flowers
Another true crime-adjacent series, Supernatural explores the truly bizarre side of the true crime world. From alien abductions to haunted houses and beyond, this is the perfect series if you’re looking to get spooked by the horrors of reality.