The Twilight Traveler

On July 16, 1945, a blinding flash tore through the desert of southern New Mexico when the world's first atomic bomb was detonated. While the Trinity Test is often remembered as a scientific milestone, this episode focuses on those who paid its hidden cost: the Trinity Downwinders.

In this episode, we sink our teeth into the Snallygaster - Maryland's favorite nightmare with wings - and the surprisingly problematic history lurking beneath the folklore. Then we visit the Snallygaster Museum, where myth, tourism, and dark history collide.

The Cascades Female Factory operated between 1828 and 1856, serving as one of Australia's most notorious penal institutions for women. In this episode, we visit the remains of the factory to uncover the harsh realities of convict life. While the site now stands in quiet ruin, its history speaks loudly of the cost of empire and the women who endured it. 

In this episode of The Twilight Traveler, we head to Berlin to revisit the 1933 Nazi book burnings—a night when thousands of banned works were thrown into the flames in the name of ideological purity. Our journey continues to the Empty Library memorial at Bebelplatz, where a glass window reveals rows of vacant shelves below the square, a quiet but powerful reminder of the voices erased.

Join me on a visit to Otranto's Chapel of the Martyrs, where rows of skulls stare from behind glass and centuries-old tragedy hangs heavy in the air. In this episode, we walk through the chapel's dim corridors, unpack the story of the 800 victims memorialized here, and reflect on what it feels like to stand in the presence of their preserved remains.

Once a roaring symbol of Birmingham's industrial might, Sloss Furnaces now stands silent, its towering stacks and rusted machinery a grim reminder of the men who toiled, and sometimes perished, within its fiery depths. In this episode, we explore the dark history surrounding one of Alabama's most infamous landmarks.

In this episode, we're heading to Cleveland, Ohio to visit the mysterious Franklin Castle, a mansion steeped in tragedy, rumor, and restless spirits. Together, we'll explore its shadowy halls, uncover the truth behind its haunted reputation, and see why this house continues to capture the imagination of ghost hunters and skeptics alike.

In today's episode, we'll explore the Crystal Mountain Internment Camp at Canada's Banff National Park, where "enemy aliens" were once held during World War 1. We'll visit the First World War Internment Exhibit and uncover the difficult truths behind Canada's mountain paradise.

In this episode, we're heading back to 1854 London, where a simple water pump became the source of terror. Join me as I trace the deadly path of the Broad Street cholera outbreak and visit the replica Broad Street Pump that still stands as a reminder of one of London's most tragic moments in public health history.

This week, we're heading deep into the eerie woods of Louisville, Kentucky - home to one of America's strangest legends: The Pope Lick Monster. From chilling sightings on the infamous Pope Lick Bridge to the local Goatman Festival that celebrates the myth, we're exploring how folklore, fear, and tragedy collide.

This week, we drift through Mexico's Xochimilco canals to uncover the eerie legend of the Island of the Dolls. Once home to a recluse who decorated the trees with discarded dolls to ward off restless spirits, the island now draws curious travelers seeking both beauty and unease. 

This week on The Twilight Traveler, we uncover the story of Seneca Village, the 19th-century Black community in Manhattan that was destroyed to make way for Central Park. We’ll explore the history, the displacement, and how the new Central Park exhibition works to honor what was lost.

In this episode, we journey to Chicago's Haymarket Square, where a labor rally in 1886 turned into one of the most infamous tragedies in U.S. history.

In this episode, we uncover the history behind the Shoes on the Danube memorial, a chilling tribute to the Hungarian Jews executed along the river during World War II. We’ll explore the history, symbolism, and emotional weight of this memorial, reflecting on how public memory keeps the echoes of atrocity alive.

In today's episode, we journey to Andersonville, GA to visit the haunting site of the Andersonville Prison - one of the Civil War's most infamous POW camps. Known for its inhumane conditions and staggering death toll, Andersonville Prison stands as a grim reminder of wartime cruelty and human endurance.