THE HAUNTREPRENEUR Caroline Emmerton: 2026 Halloween Special

The 2026 Halloween Special is here! A sinister haunted house. The witchiest city in the world. A classic Gothic horror novel. These became the foundation of Caroline Emmerton’s tourist attraction, ⁠The House of the Seven Gables⁠. Caroline fully embraced darkness and death, and by doing so, she built a community of belonging that is still doing so much good to this day.

Join Katie on location in a moody October Salem Massachusetts cemetery, with returning guest David Tullis!

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Want to book David Tullis for a tour in Salem? Email him at davidktullis @ hotmail.com and tell him What’sherName sent you! We guarantee you’ll have the best time with the greatest guide in town! Everything from an all-day adventure to a one-hour ghost tour. 110% recommended!

For those who want to know every nitty gritty detail about the restoration of the house, here’s a digital copy of Caroline Emmerton’s memoirs. And here’s a really interesting article on Hawthorne and the haunted house.

Portrait of Emmerton by Charles Durand in PEM
photo byKatie Nelson

Katie and David at Caroline Emmerton_s childhood home
photo by Meredith Henderson

Caroline Emmerton’s memoirs in her own hand
House of Seven Gables

The famed seashell-top cabinet at HOSG
photo by Katie Nelson

The Secret Staircase at HOSG
photo by Katie Nelson

Children at the HOSG Settlement House
House of Seven Gables

Boys learning woodworking at the HOSG Settlement House
House of Seven Gables

at the HOSG Settlement House
House of Seven Gables

What’sHerName Salem Tour at HOSG
photo by Katie Nelson

Grave of Caroline Emmerton
photo by Johanna-Laina Fischer

Caroline Emmerton’s family grave
photo by Johanna-Laina Fischer

Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, Mass
photo by Johanna-Laina Fischer

Army vet, award-winning playwright, and historian David Tullis guides off-the-beaten-track tours of Salem, Massachusetts while also working at four different historic sites in the city. He is also a historical pewtersmith. David is currently writing a play based on The House of the Seven Gables.

Music featured in this episode includes

“TipToes,” Tragic Story,” and “Underworld” by Myuu; “Curse of the Witches by Jimena Contreras; “Waltz of the Doomed” by Tenonic; “Corny Candy” by The Soundlings; “Ghost Processional” and “Meditation Impromptu No. 01” by Kevin MacLeod; “Horror House” by Aaron Kenny; “Scary Church Organ” by FoolBoy Media; “No. 4 Piano Journey” by Esther Abrami; “Halloween Midnight” by Roman Cano; classic haunted house soundscape by BeautifulDayMonster.

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