Explore the spooky side of Google Maps with Local Guide Kimbra Kasch

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Caption: A photo of Kimbra laughing and sitting on a chair in her “haunted” house in Portland, Oregon.

The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting longer in the Northern Hemisphere. People used to pass this time of year around the fireplace at home, exchanging tales of spirits, ghosts, and ghouls. But have things really changed so much?

Meet Kimbra Kasch (@KimbraKasch), a Local Guide from Portland, Oregon, who uses Google Maps as a modern way to tell stories about haunted houses and spooky cemeteries. Her contributions take us on a ghost-spotting tour around the city, and what better way to celebrate Halloween this October 31 than this!

Caption: A photo of Kimbra writing in a notebook at a table in her “haunted” house in Portland, Oregon.

Kimbra grew up one of nine children in a Victorian house built in 1890 in Portland. Strange things happened there, but instead of feeling scared, Kimbra developed an interest in the paranormal. At 13, she read her first Stephen King novel, Carrie, and has been loving all things spooky ever since. Today, she’s a published author and currently writing a book about the history of her house, where she still lives.  

As a Local Guide, Kimbra brings a new perspective to Google Maps. Combining her love for the mysterious and her writing background, she adds extensive reviews of haunted locations across the United States that read like ghost stories—but remain true to reality. We can almost hear the eerie whispers coming from the backstage of the Bagdad Theater, almost see the resident ghost sitting on her bench at the Old Town Pizza & Brewing, and almost feel the spirits stirring in one of the most haunted cemeteries, Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. Did it get chilly all of a sudden?

Caption: A photo of Kimbra taking a photo at The Crystal Ballroom in Portland to share on Google Maps.

Kimbra’s photos show great attention to detail, too. From crumbling gravestones and church ruins to stained glass decor of bewitching characters and gloomy hallways, her images create a unique atmosphere. And, just in time for October, Kimbra has created a Haunted Halloween Tour list for those who wish to experience the strange and mystical in Portland.

Watch the video below to see how Kimbra maps the otherworldly with a sense of wonder through her contributions on Google Maps.

So light up the jack-o'-lantern and check out Kimbra’s recommendations on Google Maps for haunted places to celebrate this Halloween.