Koziar's Christmas Village

Secluded away in the rural farmlands of Berks county Pennsylvania, lies one of the World's greatest Christmas attraction. Shockingly you may not even know it's there unless you're looking for it.

The Koziar's Christmas Village is open seasonally and consists of over half a million colored lights. The attraction began when the farming family who resided in the property began to decorate the home and barn. As years passed the decorations and lights began to spread further around the property. Word of mouth in the community spread quickly, and passerby's would congest the local back roads of the property. Eventually the family opened up the grounds of their property and allowed visitors to enjoy their light spectacle.

Today many of the dioramas and displays are within former chicken coops and other farm houses. The attractions are decorated to correspond with popular fairy tales, animated favorites, and various holiday themes. Some are quite stunning and awe inspiring, others kitschy cool, and some just WTF were they thinking. One of our personal favorites was the Christmas under the sea.

The village is consistently one of the top holiday destinations in the state and has also won National as well as International acclaim. Do your family and yourself a favor and pay a visit to Koziar's Christmas village. It's certainly an experience you'll remember forever.

Bloody Springs Road Berks County, Pennsylvania

September 29, 1757 some locals in the area had been meeting at the home of the Spatz family. Harvest season was in effect and several locals were helping out the family. Picking, peeling, slicing, and canning various fruits and vegetables went on for several hours that day. As night began to fall the the neighbors began to depart for their homesteads, while the Spatz family prepared for a comforting night of sleep.

As the family began to slumber in their beds, the weight of their eyelids grew heavier with each passing minute. Beginning to find solace in their peace and comfort, they were awakened by the family dog making bizarre sounds. The youngest son  vaulted out of his bed to take a peek. Upon opening the front door he was immediately struck by a bullet in the leg. Hurriedly he staggered back through the doorway and hastily slammed and locked the door before the intruders could gain entrance. The family rapidly collected their rifles and ammunition, and began to return fire. The family quickly realized they were severely outnumbered and were under attack by a native tribe of Indians.

As the group attempted to formulate a plan of escape, the attacking Indians were one step ahead of them. The family homestead was set ablaze while the family was still quietly gathered inside. In desperation they retreated into the stone walled basement and fought back the flames the best they could, pouring the remaining cider they had stored onto the gathering blaze.

The family stayed squandered in the basement for several hours, keeping as silent as they could. When the sun began to rise along the horizon the household thought they had out waited their assailants. As they emerged from a small basement window they were noticed by a young brave who rapidly alerted the awaiting tribesmen. The outsiders swiftly returned and began to assault the family members. Two of the children were tomahawked and scalped. The wife was bludgeoned with a butcher knife. The father and another son had their lives spared but were taken into captivity.

During all the commotion the youngest son had retreated into the woods for hiding. The Indians gave chase but eventually returned to the massacres. Stealthily the adolescent returned to the bloody scene as well. He stayed hidden behind a log while the natives finished off their work. He watched in awe as his family was brutally murdered before him, while his brother and father were led off to captivity.

The road is named due to the fact that the local spring turned a crimson color due to the blood that flowed here. The entire area was a hotbed of violent battles that occurred during the French-Indian War conclusion.
Numerous residents on the street believe there's much residual energy left nearby. Neighbors have experienced unexplainable phenomena, such as cold spots within their homes. Doors and windows have opened and closed without any explanation. One long time resident felt the presence of someone pushing her down a flight of stairs. With so much violence and spilled blood in such a close knit rural community, it should come as no surprise that there may be still be some restless souls.

Check out more on Bloody Spring Road here!

Dreibelbis Station Bridge Spirits Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania

You don't have to take a road trip to Sleepy Hollow to get spooked by headless ghosts. Hidden away on the roads of rural Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania rests a covered bridge believed to be haunted by such a spirit.

On a blistery winter night in the mid 19th century a man was traveling home in his horse drawn sleigh. A fresh snow had just fallen and covered the hilly roadways. He cautiously traversed his carriage through the slick, white powder. As the man made the turn to cross over the covered bridge he realized the bridge was devoid of snow. Unfortunately he was too late to come to a halt. When his snowbound vehicle touched the dry wooden timbers of the bridge, the man's horse became frightened and careened the sled out of control. The horse rose to his feet, tossing the owner from the sleigh. During the commotion the man found himself entangled within the reins of the horse. The reins had forced a grasp around the gentlemen's neck, the force of the horse cleanly swiped the man's head from his neck.

Several local paranormal groups have investigated the area and acquired some interesting EVP's as well as photographs. It's believed that on later winter nights a headless being can be spotted bumbling his way around the bridge. Perhaps he's looking for his lost severed head, or maybe he's still trying to find his way home.

Other nearby spots you may enjoy.  Witchcraft Road   Crystal Cave   Dragons Cave

Fork in the Road Centerport, Pennsylvania

If you find yourself at the fork in the road in the tiny town of Centerport, Pennsylvania, which way will you go? If you're like us you'll choose the road that gives you the quickest opprotunity to turn around and get a photo. At the intersection of Main st. and Centerport rd. you'll find a large 8 foot fork.

Suspiciously the fork just appeared in 2004, leaving borough officials and townsfolk confused. After some investigative reporting a local resident came clean. The small concrete island is an old family property, that he felt needed a bit of charm. The man has no plans of removing the giant fork anytime soon., the residents and myself couldn't be more pleased.

Spirits at New Bethel Cemetery: A Personal Experience

As we drove along Hawk Mountain road the full moon illuminated the sky, as a thin vapor of fog began to come across the mountain. When we made the turn onto New Bethel Church road all of our pulses sped up for a fleeting moment. We all began to feel our trip was about to get more exciting.

I pulled the car into the New Bethel Church parking lot. Cemeteries rest on either side of the parking lot, that's why we were here. Pennsylvania's first known serial killer, Mathias Schambacher is buried in this rural church graveyard. Many late night visitors have witnessed strange flying lights flickering throughout the area, and felt a strange abnormal presence nearby.
Mathias was known to have killed at least a dozen people during the mid 1800's. Many believe these lost spirits may still be roaming the area, as well as the spirit of Mathias himself.

I hopped out of the car to take a look around for Mathias' gravestone, while my passengers sat admittedly frightened in the vehicle. I stepped into the older of the two cemeteries with only the moonlight guiding me along the path. As I strolled around amongst the dead, I felt a presence around, but nothing overwhelming. While meandering about I spotted colored lights reflecting off a tombstone in the far. The lights seemed to change from red, to blue, to yellow. As I attempted to whisk off and investigate I was directed to return back to the automobile. Gradually approaching the car my passengers were reporting hearing strange noises and wanted to leave immediately. Before we could leave I needed my cohorts to verify the flashing lights I had observed, both passengers exited out of the vehicle to substantiate my findings. We all stepped back into the vehicle to maneuver ourselves on our way.

As we approached the exit I decided I wanted to take a few photos of the historic church. As I attempted to snap some photographs my camera seemed to keep malfunctioning. Every picture taken was showing up as total blackness, the church is completely unrecognizable in every photo. Once back in the car my traveling companions were in even more of a panic, the strange noises they heard earlier were back, and louder this time. I was ordered to exit out of there immediately. I proceeded to put the vehicle into drive and steer us back into some civilization. We merged back onto the road when a loud gasp was exhausted by both riders. I slowed us down to a halt, "what?" I exclaim! A light just flashed across the road they remark. I question their sincerity, both of their imaginations have been on overdrive all night. I immediately dismiss their sighting and continue down the road. Then it happened! A flashing light flew right across the road, into the trees and vanished. I glanced around hoping to see some sort of explanation as to what had just occurred. All of our pulses were now pounding, heartbeats sped up, and adrenaline began to pump through our veins.

We advanced slowly down the backwoods road, fear and tension building to an overwhelming high in the car. Was the evil spirit of Mathias Schambacher right here in our grasps. Every stone flying off the road caused a little more unease in my guests, I began to speed up the pace after seeing the paleness in their faces. An overcoming sense of fear had crept into all of us at this point. As my brain raced trying to calculate an explanation, there it was. It appeared before all of us. We sat in a bewildered state of disbelief, none of us spoke, for none of us were prepared for what we were witnessing. Finally the answer to our strange mystery was right there before us, something we are surely not to forget anytime soon...

two men in a pick-up truck spotting deer!

Witchcraft Road & Witches Hill

Traveling along Witchcraft road, small farmhouses dot the area while the trees give way to magnificent views of the rural farmlands. But why does a pastoral farming area in northeast Berks county have such a sinister name?

The early settlers in the area were mainly of German descent, they often referred to the nearby mountain as Hexe Dans or Witches Hill. They believed the area was cursed by witches, demons, and poltergeists. This was mainly attributed to the fact that there was a spot on the crest of the hill where no agriculture would grow. The early settlers believed these rampant supernatural spirits were trampling the fields, making it impossible for any crops to grow. Rousing the locals suspicions even more was the way their horses would refuse to even cross the ridge of the hill.

Annually the locals would gather on the hill and hold festivities and ceremonies to rid the area of any evil spirits. Walpurgisnacht tradition was carried over mainly by eastern European settlers and was deemed as a way to scare away unwanted evils. Today this tradition is still celebrated in most parts of Europe and Scandinavia. But are the evils still on Witchcraft road? No one may know for certain! Are you brave enough to find out?

Daniel Boone Homestead

In a small log cabin in rural Berks County, future pioneer and frontiersman Daniel Boone was born. For the next 16 years, Daniel would wander the nearby forests trying to fulfill his need to explore. He would learn hunting skills from the local Native Americans he had befriended. Daniel received his first rifle in 1749 at 15 years old. He would soon be delegated to protecting the livestock from predatory attacks. These hunting skills would later prove to be very valuable in Daniel’s life.

Daniel’s father Squire Boone originally built a 1 ½ story home for his family to live in. They first settled in the foothills of Berks County in 1730, and in 1734 their most prominent son was born. Squire mainly made his living as a blacksmith, weaver and a dairy farmer. The family lived modestly but was not without controversy.

The Boone family was part of the strict Quaker religion. In 1742 the eldest Boone child, Sarah, married outside of the Quaker faith while visibly pregnant. To make matters worse, in 1747 son Israel decided to marry outside the Quaker faith as well. These acts caused quite a controversy in the nearby communities. In 1750 the Boone family left Pennsylvania and relocated to North Carolina. It’s speculated that the marriages outside of the faith forced the Boone family to move.

“Many heroic actions and chivalrous adventures are related of me which exist only in the regions of fancy. With me the world has taken great liberties, and yet I have been a common man.” Daniel Boone used these words to describe himself and they seem to be pretty accurate. There are many folktales and fictionalized characters based on Daniel Boone. Though Daniel was not a very educated person, he was always searching and exploring to learn. He fought in the French and Indian War, and is most known for exploring and settling Kentucky. Daniel Boone gained most of his fame when at age 50 his autobiography began to circulate. People from all over were fascinated by his life, adventures, and his upbringing in his Pennsylvania boyhood home. Boone soon became a folk hero for all of America. One of the biggest misconceptions about Daniel Boone is the raccoon-skin hat. Daniel actually considered that hat style rather uncivilized. Daniel Boone regained a lot of popularity when a television show of his frontier escapades appeared in the 1960’s.

After the Boone family moved from Pennsylvania in 1750, relatives of the family bought the home. Shortly after, the home was expanded and drastically remodeled. Today the Daniel Boone homestead still stands, though it looks much different than the 1 ½ story log cabin home Daniel was born in. It wasn’t until 1926 when the state acquired the home and began restoration. The home is encompassed by 579 acres, which is used to help interpret the life of early settlers to our country. Also on the property are a blacksmith shop, a smokehouse, a nearby neighbor’s home and a bake house. Even though parts of Daniel’s life are shrouded in controversy, most regard him as a hero and great statesman to our country. What better way to pay tribute than to visit his boyhood home, and retrace his first footsteps.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Perched high up on the Kittatinny Ridge of the Applachian Mountain sits a sanctuary for raptors and birds of prey.

Hawk Mountain provides the world’s first refuge for hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures. Offering 8 miles of trails and picturesque vistas, there is no

shortage of nature to admire here. But things weren’t always so safe here for our feathered friends.

In 1929, the Pennsylvania Game Commission was paying hunters $5 for each goshawk they shot down. This was big money considering the Great Depression was upon us. The state believed the hawks were harming farmers’ livestock. In 1931, an amateur ornithologist from Philadelphia was visiting the area. What he found astounded and shocked him. Hundreds of hunters perched high in the mountain shooting the birds for their own pleasure. The dozens of carcasses lying on the mountain floor would become an inspiration to eradicate this horrible movement. Richard Pough, the young man from Philadelphia, tried to stop the hunters on his own, but was unsuccessful. Eventually photos he had taken of this travesty made their way into the hands of conversationalist Rosalie Edge.

Initially she leased 1,400 acres and hired a warden to keep the hunters off the property. By 1938 she had purchased and deeded the property to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association. Interestingly, the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is not supported by the Pennsylvania or Federal Government, it is all privately run. Aside from the hundreds of raptors who migrate here every fall, there’s also a small pond where you’ll find frogs, turtles, fish and even newts. The sanctuary also has a native plant garden, consisting of over 250 species of Pennsylvania native plants.

It’s not only nature lovers who enjoy Hawk Mountain, Paranormal investigators are quite attracted to the place as well. The land was originally traced back to the Lenni Lenape Indian Tribe. Remains of a ceremonial ring have been found on the mountain, as well as Native American artifacts. It’s thought that this ceremonial ring could have been used for spiritual rituals. But this mountain has an even more horrid past than some ritualistic animal killings.

In the 1750’s, tensions between colonist and Native Americans began to escalate. On a cold February evening, a group of Indians slayed 5 family members relaxing in a family cabin. What the natives didn’t realize was that the family’s young son had survived the ordeal. Hiding in the nearby woods, the young man witnessed the brutal attack of his family. After many traumatic years, the son returned to the mountain and built a larger home, which he eventually sold to Mathias Schambacher and his wife. Sometime during the mid-1800’s, the couple opened the doors as a tavern and roadside inn. Slowly, overnight patrons from the inn began to steadily disappear. Everyone in the mountain area started to become suspicious of Mathias Schambacher, though not enough evidence was found to arrest the man.

In 1879 while on his death bed, Mathias had his wife contact a preacher for a death bed confession. Mr. Schambacher had admitted to killing between 11 and 14 men. He claims he lost count after his well become filled with human skulls. During his funeral, witnesses have attested to seeing lightning hit his grave. Maybe this accounts for the strange flashing lights many have witnessed on Hawk Mountain.

Many other visitors have sensed and seen what appears to be a 10-foot apparition that evil radiates from. Maybe this apparition haunted Mr. Schambacher as well, since he claims to have committed the murders due to a strange voice he would hear demanding him to kill. Perhaps undiagnosed schizophrenia is the reason. Whatever the reason, there is something mysterious going on here. Shortly after the purchase of Hawk Mountain, many of the staff felt a supernatural phenomenon immediately, and many human remains have been found in the area.

So whether enjoying nature is your thing, or if you prefer to live a little on the dark side, Hawk Mountain is a definite must visit.

William Penn Memorial Fire Tower

About a mile from the famed Pagoda in Reading, Pennsylvania lies an imposing tower built from stone and steel. The tower seems very ominous, especially if you just visited the much more colorful Pagoda.

The tower was originally built in 1939 to serve as a post for the firemen. Being situated at the top of Mt. Penn, the firefighters were able to keep an eye on essentially the entire county of Berks. The tower is constructed out of all fireproof materials and was built on the foundation of what was once the Tower Hotel, which operated between 1889-1923. The tower stands at 120 feet high and sits more than a thousand feet above the Schuylkill river. From the top of the tower there is a 60 mile panoramic view. The tower discontinued use in 1988 due to the suburban sprawl of the county which made it more difficult to track the lower lying areas of the county. Today the tower is owned by Reading city and is slowly decaying away, though there is a non-profit group hoping to restore the tower and re-open it as a tourist attraction.

Horrors at Dreamland Park

The Dreamland Park, north of Reading is a defunct amusement park. Closing in the 1950's, the park is more synonymous with horrors than with children frolicking and laughing.

Along Pricetown road in Rascombmanor township lies the remains of the Dreamland Amusement Park. Opening in the 1930's by a gentleman named Ralph Kreitz, Dreamland had all the necessities for a fun time, young or old. Buildings were set up with gambling devices and card games. Also were some children's rides, a rollerskating rink, and a theatre for concerts.

Mr. Kreitz owned and operated the park until it's closing in the 1950's. The park should have just become a forgotten memory of a failed dream. However on a hot August night in 1969 a young couple was parked along nearby Skyline drive. Surely admiring the nearby Pagoda, along with the beautiful view of the city below. But things were about to take a dark, horrendous turn.

Two Pagan gang members approached the vehicle and forced themselves inside. They than forced a young Glenn Eckert (20) and his date Marilyn Sheckler (18) to drive them to a train station in Leesport, Pennsylvania. There they were confronted by two more members of the notorious motorcycle gang. The four Pagans commanded the youth into an awaiting box truck. They drove the couple along the back roads of Berks county, each taking turns brutally raping the young woman. According to the police reports at approximately 2:00 A.M. the gang took the pair to Dreamland Park and murdered them. 

After several months of searching, their bodies were discovered on October 23, 1969. The duo was found in the woods surrounding Dreamland Park. Marilyn had been bludgeoned to her death, while Glenn suffered gunshot wounds. The trial began the following Summer after the gang members began turning on each other. Two of the men were convicted of the murders. 

Today there are a few buildings lying in ruins in these woods. "No Trespassing" signs litter the area. Nearby neighbors and the new owner are weary of trespassers, and with the history surrounding the area. Could you blame them?

Sounds more like a nightmare than a Dreamland.