Editorial Standards
How Hauntly Researches the Places We Cover
Hauntly exists at the intersection of travel, history, architecture, memory, and the stories people continue to tell about remarkable places.
That means one distinction matters more than almost anything else:
History and folklore are not the same thing.
Both can belong in the story. They should not be presented as though they carry the same evidence.
Our Editorial Order
When researching a destination, Hauntly prioritizes information in this order:
1. Documented History
We look first for reliable historical information, including material from archives, libraries, government agencies, historic preservation organizations, museums, newspapers, academic sources, property records, and other credible sources.
2. The Travel Experience
Hauntly is a travel publication.
We want readers to understand what it is actually like to visit or stay somewhere today, including location, atmosphere, practical considerations, notable features, and how the property fits into a trip.
3. Reported Hauntings and Folklore
Ghost stories, legends, unexplained experiences, oral history, and local folklore are part of the identity of many places Hauntly covers.
We include them as stories and reported experiences rather than automatically presenting them as historically or scientifically verified events.
Sources
Whenever practical, Hauntly favors primary sources and credible secondary sources over repeated claims that circulate without attribution.
Not every historical detail can be definitively resolved.
When credible sources disagree, we aim to make that uncertainty clear rather than quietly choosing the more dramatic version.
Affiliate Relationships
Hauntly may eventually receive compensation through booking or affiliate links.
That does not purchase favorable editorial coverage.
A commercial relationship does not convert a legend into a historical fact, and lack of a commercial relationship does not prevent a property from being included.
See our Affiliate Disclosure.
Sponsored or Hosted Travel
If a property, tourism organization, brand, or other organization provides something of material value in connection with coverage, we will disclose that relationship.
Corrections
History deserves better than copy-and-paste mythology.
If we get something wrong, we want to know.
Readers, historians, property owners, museums, tourism organizations, and researchers may submit corrections or additional documentation to:
Please include the article URL and supporting source whenever possible, or use our contact form and choose Historical Correction.
Our Goal
Hauntly is not here to prove that ghosts exist.
It is here to explore places where history left a mark, where stories survived, and where travelers can still walk through the rooms, streets, hotels, cemeteries, ships, theaters, and landscapes where those stories began.
Stay Where the Stories Happened.