Halloween is just around the corner, and nothing is better than a good scare at this time of year. Whether you believe in ghosts are not, everything seems to be a little bit spookier in the month of October. Personally, I am a big chicken and will not set foot in a haunted house, but I am always up for exploring tale-told haunted places in the area. I did my research and found 11 so-called haunted places that are less than 50 miles away from Purdue. You up for a little spooky Halloween fun this October?

1. Meyer Manor: Lafayette, Ind.

Built in 1963 by Brud Meyer for his wife and two sets of twin daughters. One daughter died days after birth. His wife, Betty, died 17 years later of a long-term illness. Brud Meyer died in 2010. Brud has been seen many times on the property, adjusting the thermostat or just glimpsing down into his workshop. Several people who have been in the home both prior to Brud’s death and after have reported cold spots and a feeling of despair. Several presences have been felt both in the home and on the property. Strange occurances have included scratches, banging and other loud and unexplained sounds, growling, feeling watched with harmful and hateful intentions, and dogs staring at nothing and growling or whining without reason for long periods of time.

2. Harrison Cemetery: West Lafayette, Ind.

At Harrison Cemetery, visitors have heard crying and moaning and had an eerie feeling that something is watching them. A few have been touched by something unseen or have had things thrown at them by invisible hands. Gravestones are said to move around here as well.

3. Pythian Home: Lafayette, Ind.

There are many things that happen in this old nursing home, from lights turning on unexpectedly, to hearing footsteps, to even feeling something brush up against you. In one of the stories, there was a murder in one of the bathrooms. When the body was taken out, three women went in and cleaned it up. One of the women knew the girl that was murdered, and she went back to pay her respects. When she walked into the room, she allegedly found it exactly as it was before they started cleaning. Now around the time of the anniversary of the girl's murder, all the gore returns. There still is no use cleaning it up. It still comes back.

4. Hamilton Road: Mulberry, Ind.

Stories about Hamilton Road are the stuff of legend. It is said that the ghost of a short man will chase you if you stop on the third bridge and flash your lights four times, then cross the bridge. Phantom flames are said to come from the woods where an 1800s church caught fire, and a mysterious, unknown train comes down the nearby railroad tracks.

5. Hotel Attica: Attica, Ind.

A glowing apparition has been seen in several hotel rooms late at night, or in the early hours of the morning. Guests have reported seeing their closet doors open and close by themselves, as well as hearing ghostly voices and ballroom music.

6. Locust Grove Cemetery: Ambia, Ind.

Phantom sounds of an army cadence and marching are often heard at Locust Grove Cemetery. Legend has it that Harrison’s ghostly men are recreating the Battle of Tippecanoe.

7. Mount Hope Cemetery: Logansport, Ind.

Spooky sounds of horses and whistles that echo your own have been reported in this cemetery that dates back to the 1800s. Also, there have been reports saying there are huge tombstones here with eerie inscriptions like “knock three times and they shall come.”

8. St. Joseph's College: Collegeville, Ind.

Some of the many strange things reported at St. Joseph’s College include a spirit in the chapel, a rumored exorcism at Aquinas Hall, and reports of witnesses hearing voices in their heads inside Drexel Hall. Dwenger Hall is also rumored to be haunted, and the ghost of a baby is said to haunt Hallas Hall. In the theater building, legend has it that several campus priests hanged themselves after an exorcism.

9. Memory Gardens: Rensselaer, Ind.

Memory Gardens is a cemetery that has a haunted statue. According to the locals, the saint statue at the back of the graveyard is rumored to move at night, keeping watch on visitors. Some say its head and arms will change position. However, the cemetery is closed after dark and trespassers will be prosecuted.

10. O'Neal Bridge: Holiday Drive Bridge: Zionsville, Ind.

O’Neal Bridge, a.k.a. Holiday Drive Bridge, was built around 1892, and restored in 2008-2009. The bridge may no longer be in use, according to reports. Legend has it that around this spot, a KKK lynching took place, and those who were killed now linger around the bridge. Witnesses have reported disembodied screams in the wee hours of the night.

11. Fischer Theater: Danville, Ill.

Fischer Theater was a 19th century opera house that has served many purposes over the years including housing, convenience stores, and of course, a theater. While now a generally unknown location, the theater has been known to be haunted since a volunteer of the Vermillion Heritage Foundation accidentally recorded strange sounds coming from the projection room. Springfield Ghost Society also investigated the theater and noted strange sounds and shadowy figures. Many locals also recognize it as an eerie, historical site.