Meet the Grim Grinning Ghosts of the Haunted Mansion (Part 2)

So, you’ve decided to join us once again as we tour the Haunted Mansion? And I felt dead certain we’d frightened you away. It appears I was gravely mistaken. Wait…don’t go…I promise that’s the last pun. At least, for a little while. 

Last week, we met a few of the best-known spooks living within the Mansion, but there are SO many more just dying to meet you (okay…that was the last one for real). With Halloween growing ever closer, there’s no time to waste. So, let’s dive right into the next batch of graveyard ghouls.  

The Dread Family 

Before you even set foot inside the Mansion, there are a number of notable residents to meet. The first, and perhaps some of the most sinister, are the members of The Dread Family. You can see the busts of all six members of the family in the queue. There is Uncle Jacob Dread, Bertie Dread, Aunt Florence McGriffin Dread, Wellington & Forsythia Dread, and Cousin Maude. 

It seems that they called the Mansion home. At least, until they systematically murdered each other in an attempt to inherit the family fortune. 

Added to the queue in a 2010 renovation, the Dread Family busts are actually an interactive game for Guests. By looking at the statues and reading the inscriptions, you can learn who was responsible for whose death.

In early concepts for this macabre little game, there were two additional family members: Whitfield Tarkington Dread and Ruben Dread. Imagineers also intended to provide voices to each character, which would whisper clues to help you solve the mystery. 

Ravenscroft

As you walk through the cemetery that leads to the Haunted Mansion entrance, you will come upon an ornate, gothic pipe organ. Skulls decorate the pipes, as does the figure of a raven (more about that later). 

Musical instruments are carved on the side of the crypt, and if you reach out and touch one you will suddenly hear music wafting through the air. Touch more than one at the same time and you’ll hear them harmonizing.

On closer inspection, you will see the word “Ravenscroft” inscribed on the organ. It’s a reference to voice actor and performer Thurl Ravenscroft, who voices one of the singing busts inside the Mansion. Now, does this crypt contain the body of the phantom organist who plays in the Grand Ballroom? It’s never made expressly clear, but we like to think the answer is yes. 

Captain Culpepper Clyne

When the Haunted Mansion was still in the conceptual phase, Imagineer and artist Ken Anderson came up with the idea for the ghost of a murderous sea captain named Captain Gore. He was to be haunted by the spirit of his slain wife. When she appeared, the image of the captain would have dissolved into a pool of seawater. Sadly, it was determined that the scene took too long to stage and was excluded from the attraction.

However, no good Imagineering idea ever goes completely away, and Guests can visit the crypt of the newly named Captain Culpepper Clyne. But in his new incarnation, he’s a bit more comic than originally envisioned. His crypt is in the shape of a giant bathtub, and his hat, hand, and a leg can be seen sticking out of the water. The epitaph states that “Here Floats Captain Culpepper Clyne – Allergic to Dirt So He’s Pickled in Brine – He Brave the Sea and All Her Wrath – But Drowned on Land While Taking a Bath.” 

Stand in the cemetery long enough, and you’ll hear the drunken voice of the captain singing a sea shanty. Bubbles occasionally rise from the top of the crypt, and water sprays passersby when he sneezes. 

Prudence Pock

Over the years, the Mansion seems to have attracted many an artist. Another such specter is that of Prudence Pock, the poetess. Her epitaph reads, “Here lies Prudence Pock – She died, Tis Said, From Writer’s Block,” a pain your dear author knows only too well.

Like the organist’s crypt, Prudence’s tomb is interactive. The sides resemble a library, and books are constantly trying to jump off the shelf. A speaker around the backside of the crypt allows Guests to communicate with Prudence as she composes her poems. Should she get stuck for a word, you can speak into the “Spectrecom” to provide her with a suggestion.

Before moving on, it’s worth noting that Prudence may be related to another one of the Mansion’s residents. One of the singing busts is known as Phineas P. Pock. Is he Prudence’s husband? Her brother? Uncle? We’re never told, but it’s fun to speculate. 

The Raven

While it is not a phantom or spirit, there is something a bit supernatural and unsettling about the raven that Guests see on the lid of the coffin in the conservatory. He sits perched atop the coffin of the skeleton who can “hardly contain himself” and is attempting to escape.

You may recall that we encountered a carved raven in the cemetery, and there is strong reason to believe that the birds are one and the same. In the early days, the raven was intended to act as the narrator for Guests as they made their way through the haunted mansion. Ultimately, it was decided that the Ghost Host would guide Guests through the house, but the raven did not simply disappear. Keep your eyes open as your Doom Buggy carries you along, and you’ll see him several times inside the house. 

Hurry Back…

And with that, dear reader, we complete the second part of our Haunted Mansion exploration. But don’t worry, there’s more yet to come. After all, with 999 happy haunts, there are still a lot of spirits for us to meet. Join us next week when we become better acquainted with the Singing Busts, the caretaker (and his little dog too), and learn about some of the other residents of the cemetery (like Brother Claude and Mister Sewell). We may even talk a bit about the animals buried in the pet cemetery. It promises to be a frightfully good time.