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Virtually anywhere you go, you are bound to find some urban legends to make your travels a bit more interesting. Naturally, some of those legends tend to be a bit spookier than others and some are just downright too unbelievable to pass for anything good. So, where exactly does Syracuse fall into the mixture? To help determine that, here are five Syracuse urban legends to consider before you pay a visit to the this part of New York.

Landmark Theatre Ghosts

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A real landmark (pun intended) for residents of Syracuse, this important theater  has actually seen its fair share of ghosts, or so they say. In fact, the theater actually put on a play in 1991 titled “Clarissa: Grande Dame of The Landmark Theatre” to celebrate one of the more infamous ghosts. The story is, Clarissa witnessed her lover get electrocuted backstage so she killed herself by jumping off the balcony. Of course, she is not the only ghost report that has come from the theater.

Cat-Eating Residents

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Especially terrifying for all the cat lowers out there, this urban legend certainly is based on what many accept as fact. Apparently, during one of the World Wars, Austrian soldiers had to resort to eating cats to avoid starvation. Many believe this is what has lead to the Solvay legend, which suggests there are no stray cats in the village because all of the locals, most of whom are Austrian immigrants, have eaten them all. Sure, it might sound nice to have no stray cats, but if they were really eaten by the residents, then it’s certainly not a good thing.

Split Rock Quarry

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Based on a definitely real tragedy, this particular Syracuse urban legend refers back to an incident back on July 2, 1918. During this time, there was an accident at the quarry that involved TNT and while the cause of this is still debated, many believe the quarry is now haunted. Visitors have reported seeing strange lights or ghosts, feeling cold spots, hearing strange noises and some other supernatural occurrences.

13 Curves Road

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A road appropriately named due to the fact it does have 13 curves, this is one of those Syracuse urban legends that seems somewhat easy to debunk, but still is a bit chilling. The story involves a young, newlywed couple driving down the road and dying. Most commonly, it suggests they were in an accident and both died, but another version says the car broke down and the husband supposedly went for help. Instead, she awoke the next morning to find him hanging in a tree near where they stopped. Either way, she is said to haunt the road, but since there are no official reports of fatalities on that road back when the legend supposedly started, it loses some steam for many.

The Oakwood Cemetery

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Built in 1859, this cemetery borders Syracuse University and has been a popular topic of conversation among ghost hunters since the beginning. Namely, a pyramid monument for Comfort Tyler which sits within the cemetery. Tyler who was one of Onodaga County’s original settlers. Many report seeing strange figures and mysterious lights around the monument, and around the sight in general.

Are there any other Syracuse urban legends you are family with? Have you gone to any of these locations to witness anything strange? Let us know your stories below!

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