Background:On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as 'tourists' in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal Universit

Dyatlov Pass Part 2

2 1 Sep 18th, 2015 59m 13s

Background:Part 2 of our Special on Dyatlov Pass: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as "tourists" in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute

Mel's Hole Part 1

1 May 29th, 2022 2h 8m

One of the most enduring and pervasive tropes to ever capture the human imagination is the concept of a "bottomless pit." On Friday, February 22, 1997, a man calling himself "Mel Waters" had faxed Art Bell, the much-beloved and sadly now-passed

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Part 2

1 Mar 22nd, 2020 2h 18m

Valid hypotheses about the Lost Colony of 1587 on Roanoke Island have existed since the settlers' disappearance. In 1603, Bartholomew Gilbert attempted the last contemporary expedition to locate the colonists, but his search ended with the de

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Part 1

1 Mar 15th, 2020 1h 52m

Few realize or remember that the very beginnings of English colonization in North America were fraught with tremendous hardship, peril, and connected to an enduring mystery. A charter was granted to Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth I of E

The Laughing Indian

1 Mar 20th, 2015 39m 40s

Legend:There are many different levels of torment that some ghosts seem to offer, but what could be worse than mocking?Background:When our guest was 12 years old and home alone in upstate New York he experienced an encounter with so

Amelia Earhart Vanishes Part 2

Nov 27th, 2014 2h

Legend:Did Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan live short lives as castaways, or were they lost at sea after running out of fuel and ditching their Lockheed Electra 10E? Maybe they were taken prisoner, interrogated and eventually executed by the

Amelia Earhart Vanishes Part 1

1 Nov 14th, 2014 46m 5s

Background:Amelia Earhart is one of the most famous aviators in the world and she flew into the history books in July of 1937 when she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea for Howland Island. They never made i

The Devil in the Diner

Jan 9th, 2015 37m 46s

Background:Have you ever encountered someone other-worldly? Someone who seemed to exude a dark charisma that frightened you with their ability to be so magnetic?Legend:Talented comedy writer, Paula Pell, joins us in this episode for

Mel's Hole Part 2

Jun 12th, 2022 3h 34m

As we dive further into the epic of Mel's Hole, we learn that in the third phone call to Art Bell on the Coast to Coast AM radio show on April 24, 2000, Mel reveals what had happened to him since his initial calls in 1997. After supposedly taki

Skinwalkers at the Pentagon

Jan 16th, 2022 2h 32m

One of the most baffling, disturbing, and popular subjects we've ever covered on the show is the mystery of Skinwalker Ranch. The groundbreaking book Hunt for the Skinwalker was the source for most of our research. And this is why we're honored

The True Story behind the Conjuring Part 2

Jun 28th, 2021 2h 22m

Our goal in covering the story of the Perron family's experience while living for a decade at the Arnold Estate, the inspiration for the motion picture, The Conjuring, was to uncover the real story behind the persistent hauntings. What we disco

The Beast of Gévaudan

Mar 1st, 2021 2h 38m

In the years between 1764 and 1767, a real-life monster had brutally savaged the residents of the former province of Gévaudan in the highland region of south-central France. While the creature's first attack was reportedly unsuccessful in kill

Ouija

Oct 12th, 2020 3h 14m

Most of us are familiar with the name and iconic image of the magical Ouija board. Many have dared to test it, either seeking answers from the great beyond or for spooky entertainment or both. The Ouija board has always been advertised as a f

D.B. Cooper Part 3 - Commercial Free Bonus Show

Sep 27th, 2020 3h 53m

In Part Three, the commercial-free final "mega-sode" of our D. B. Cooper series, we continue with the FBI's profiling of the infamous skyjacker and learn of their Lead Agents' conclusions, Ralph P. Himmelsbach and Larry Carr. While the FBI inv

D.B. Cooper Part 2

Sep 20th, 2020 1h 30m

What makes the legend of D. B. Cooper so enduring is not so much the crime itself, but everything that happened after. Cooper's skyjacking was just one of many during a wave in the era. His method of escape was only somewhat novel. Although

D.B. Cooper Part 1

Sep 12th, 2020 57m 3s

On the afternoon of Thanksgiving eve, November 24, 1971, a smartly dressed man approached the flight counter for Northwest Orient Airlines at Portland International Airport and purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle. The name he gave was "Dan C

The Dave Glover Show at the Sallie House

Feb 10th, 2020 1h 52m

In this episode, we revisit the Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas – by way of The Dave Glover Show, as Scott's not quite ready to return in person. ; ) Being an Astonishing Legends listener himself, Dave has graciously invited Scott and Forrest

Blood Báthory Part 2

Jul 13th, 2019 1h 50m

We love to hate our villains as much as we love to love our heroes. And many of us have a morbid fascination with some of history's most sinister characters, perhaps as a means of understanding the darkest aspects of human behavior. But as is

Blood Báthory Part 1

Jun 22nd, 2019 1h 42m

Countess Elizabeth Báthory was a Hungarian noblewoman and one of the most wealthy and powerful aristocrats in eastern Europe during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Together with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy, a military hero known as the

Yokai Horrors of Japan

Oct 15th, 2018 1h 40m

The folkloric traditions of Japan are as rich and vibrant as the country itself, and this is especially true with their pantheon of supernatural characters collectively known as Yokai. The word Yokai in Japanese comprises two concepts: "Yo," me

Earhart's Plane Found?

May 6th, 2018 2h 13m

Of all the hypotheses of what happened to Amelia Earhart and her Electra 10-E, William "Bill" Snavely, Jr.'s may be the only one that starts with a found plane and traces her route backward towards her last known contact point. Operating on a h

Polybius Ultra

1 1 Feb 4th, 2016 1h 34m

Our ancient ancestors spoke of a legendary place -- where the young and young at heart could test their skills against a magical, electronic device, using strategy, and their reflexes at 25¢ a pop. These wondrous havens were called "Video Arcad

Oak Island Money Pit Part 4

Aug 12th, 2015 3h 1m

Legend:Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost