How to Build a Haunted House
The History of a Cultural Obsession
Pegasus Books · Print & ebook · April 7, 2026
A cultural history of the phenomenon of the 'haunted house’ as seen through art, architecture, and ghost stories.
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- Who it’s for
- For readers curious about the cultural history of haunted houses
- Themes
- Haunted-house history, Art, architecture, and ghost stories, Cultural fascination with the eerie
- Genres
- Mind & Spirit, History of Architecture, Haunted Places & Mysteries
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A cultural history of the phenomenon of the 'haunted house’ as seen through art, architecture, and ghost stories. What makes a house haunted? Why do some buildings conjure up a reputation for being particularly creepy, while others leave us unmoved? Barring the possibility of a looming afterlife, what are the particular features, contexts, and histories that lend a building the dreaded identity of haunted house?
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How to Build a Haunted House tours some of the world's most famously spine-chilling structures in search of answers. From Medieval Scotland to Enlightenment-era London; Victorian suburbs to pre-Civil War Louisiana, Blackwell Baines, an expert in Gothic art and architecture, will explore that specific set of ingredients that captures our imaginations and contributes to our collective understanding of the eternally eerie. After all, whether a staunch sceptic or paranormal enthusiast, we all know a haunted house when we see one.
Who it’s for
- For readers curious about the cultural history of haunted houses
- For readers interested in art, architecture, and ghost stories
Where it sits
| History of Architecture | 38% |
|---|---|
| Mind & Spirit | 34% |
| Haunted Places & Mysteries | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Social History
- How Cultures Work
- Haunted Places & Mysteries
- Authors
- Caitlin Blackwell Baines
- Publisher
- Pegasus Books
- Published
- April 7, 2026
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Haunted-house history · Art, architecture, and ghost stories · Cultural fascination with the eerie
- Reading lane
- Social History