Death Kissed Traveler

Marissa Benson
  • 4.7 (18)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Death Kissed Traveler dives into the dark history of theme parks, carnivals, circuses, and roadside attractions—where joy turned to tragedy, and the dead may still linger. From deadly ride malfunctions to haunted midway games and circus disasters, each episode uncovers the chilling true stories amusement tried to bury.

  1. 2d ago

    Behind the Mask: The Darks Side of Scare Acting

    What really happens behind the mask? In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we dive into the dark side of scare acting — the world of haunted houses, Halloween events, horror attractions, and the people paid to terrify you. From Halloween Horror Nights scare actors and haunted attraction performers to abusive guests, injuries, panic, burnout, and the psychological toll of working in extreme horror environments, this episode explores what audiences rarely see once the fog clears and the lights come on. We’re talking about the reality of working inside some of the world’s most intense haunted houses, theme park Halloween events, scare zones, horror mazes, and immersive attractions — including the risks performers face from drunk guests, aggressive visitors, physical contact, exhaustion, and unpredictable crowd behavior. We also look at why some guests become violent, what kinds of people scare actors hate dealing with, and the strange line between entertainment and real fear. If you love Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios, haunted attractions, scary theme parks, horror history, dark tourism, true crime, amusement park history, or behind-the-scenes theme park stories, this episode takes you beyond the costumes and into the reality behind the screams. Because sometimes the scariest thing inside a haunted house isn’t the monster. It’s the guest. Listen now to Behind the Mask: The Dark Side of Scare Acting on Death Kissed Traveler.   Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  2. Oct 2

    Whispered Crimes: The Carnival Cult

    In September 1991, 21-year-old carnival worker William “Tony” Ault disappeared from the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair in Indiana. What investigators eventually uncovered was far darker than a simple missing-person case. Tony had become involved with a small group of traveling carnival workers connected by secrecy, occult beliefs, and a disturbing past. One of those men, Jimmie Lee Penick, had already committed murder in Ohio just weeks earlier—and Tony knew about it. Believing he was being invited to join the group, Tony agreed to take part in a private initiation after the fair closed. Instead, he was taken to an isolated farm building outside Auburn, Indiana, where the night turned into a brutal, carefully planned murder. In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we follow the full timeline of the case: Tony’s life on the traveling midway, the carnival workers surrounding him, Penick’s previous murder, the events of September 25, 1991, Tony’s disappearance, the discovery of his remains, the arrests, the investigation, the court cases, and the sentences that followed. This true crime story combines dark carnival history, murder, traveling carnival culture, cult-like behavior, Satanic practices, ritual violence, amusement industry history, unsolved details, criminal investigation, and one of the darkest crimes ever connected to the American midway. If you love true crime podcasts, dark history, carnival history, creepy amusement park stories, bizarre murders, cult cases, disturbing historical crimes, and real-life horror, this episode is for you. Step beyond the lights of the midway and into the true story of The Carnival Cult Murder. Death Kissed Traveler — horror, history, hauntings, and the dark side of the amusement world. Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  3. Sep 25

    Guests Gone Wild: Disney & Universal Studios

    Theme parks are supposed to be magical… until the guests completely lose it. In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we’re diving into some of the wildest guest behavior to come out of places like Disney and Universal — fights, drunken chaos, bizarre confrontations, security getting involved, and those moments that make everyone nearby stop and stare. I’m also sharing one of my own craziest theme park stories, involving Halloween Horror Nights, an argument in the crowd, security, and a night that ended with police involved. From entitlement and bad decisions to full-blown theme park meltdowns, this episode proves that sometimes the scariest thing in the park isn’t the ride or the haunted house… It’s the guests. deathkissedtraveler.com Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  4. Sep 18

    Shadowed Archives: Lagoon Frightmares

    Step inside the dark history of Lagoon Frightmares, one of Utah’s most popular Halloween events at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we explore the history of Frightmares, from Lagoon’s early haunted attractions and classic dark rides to the creation of Frightmares in 1995. We also dig into forgotten haunted houses, retired scare zones, old props, and some of the strangest attractions buried in Lagoon’s Halloween past. Then we go behind the scenes with two Lagoon Frightmares scare actors who share what it’s really like to work inside one of Utah’s biggest haunted attractions. We talk about becoming a scare actor, interacting with guests, favorite scares, behind-the-scenes stories, and what happens inside Lagoon after dark. If you love Lagoon history, Utah haunted houses, amusement park history, Halloween events, haunted attractions, scare actors, creepy stories, and theme park mysteries, this episode is for you. Come with me as we uncover the history, secrets, and scares behind Lagoon Frightmares. visit deathkissedtraveler.com Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  5. Sep 4

    Fatal Fun: X2

    X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain isn’t just a roller coaster — it’s one of the strangest, most ambitious rides ever built. In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we’re diving into the wild history of the coaster originally known as X, from Arrow Dynamics’ groundbreaking 4D design and its notoriously difficult development to the massive transformation that turned it into X2. We’ll talk about the rotating seats, insane first drop, technical problems, terrifying reputation, onboard effects, and why this ride still feels completely unhinged more than two decades later. If you love roller coaster history, Six Flags Magic Mountain, extreme rides, amusement park accidents, theme park engineering, and dark amusement park stories, buckle up — because X2 was never meant to be normal. deathkissedtraveler.com Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr

    Fatal Fun: X2

  6. Aug 28

    Fatal Fun: Wild Waters Water Park

    Step back into the forgotten history of Wild Waters in Ogden, Utah, one of Utah’s long-lost water parks with a story far darker than summer fun. In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we dive into the history of Wild Waters / Holiday Island Water Park, the attractions that once drew families from across northern Utah, the safety concerns surrounding the park, and the tragic accident involving a young boy who disappeared beneath only a few feet of water and was later found inside the park’s underground water system. We’ll explore how the accident happened, the uncovered drain and underground pipe system involved, other reported incidents connected to the park, and what ultimately became of this once-popular Ogden, Utah water park. If you love abandoned amusement parks, defunct water parks, Utah history, theme park accidents, amusement park disasters, dark tourism, forgotten places, true stories, strange history, and theme park history, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Follow Death Kissed Traveler for more stories about the dark side of amusement parks, water parks, roadside attractions, haunted destinations, forgotten tourist attractions, and places where tragedy became part of the history. Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr   Keywords: Wild Waters Ogden Utah, Wild Waters Water Park, Holiday Island Ogden, abandoned water parks Utah, closed water parks Utah, Ogden Utah history, Utah amusement parks, Utah water park accident, water park deaths, amusement park accidents, theme park disasters, abandoned amusement parks, defunct amusement parks, dark tourism, dark history, forgotten Utah, Death Kissed Traveler podcast

    Fatal Fun: Wild Waters Water Park

  7. Aug 21

    Carnival Fact or Fiction

    Step right up… and see if you can separate carnival fact from carnival fiction. 🎪 In this episode of Death Kissed Traveler, we’re diving into the dark history of carnivals, creepy amusement parks, state fairs, traveling circuses, sideshows, and some of the strangest true stories ever connected to the midway. Were state fairs really hosting public executions? Did carnival sideshows help introduce Americans to new medical technology? Were famous “freak show” attractions completely fake? And how much of the disturbing carnival history we’ve heard is actually true? We’re uncovering weird history, dark tourism, true crime, amusement park accidents, carnival disasters, haunted carnivals, sideshow history, creepy legends, vintage amusement parks, bizarre historical facts, and urban legends—then deciding what’s FACT and what’s FICTION. If you love true crime podcasts, dark history, haunted places, amusement park history, theme park disasters, creepy travel stories, unsolved mysteries, strange history, and bizarre true stories, this episode is for you. 🎪 Welcome to Carnival Fact or Fiction… where the truth may be stranger than the legend. Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr

    Carnival Fact or Fiction

  8. Aug 14

    The Full Ride: Circus Circus Part 2

    The circus is back, but this time, we’re stepping beyond the midway and into the darkest corners of Circus Circus Las Vegas. In Part 2, we uncover the history and accidents of the Adventuredome, disturbing murders connected to the property, reports of haunted hotel rooms, ghostly encounters, and even more dark secrets hiding beneath the neon lights. Behind the clowns, carnival games, and family-friendly attractions is a side of Circus Circus that most Las Vegas visitors never see. Listen to the full episode of Death Kissed Traveler wherever you get your podcasts—and follow the show for more dark tourism, haunted destinations, amusement park accidents, and forgotten history. Produced by Sun-Kissed Traveler. Visit sun-kissedtraveler.com for a free vacation quote and show sources. Written by Marissa Benson.  Music and Sound Effects Epidemic Sound.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkissedtravelerpodcast/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deathkissedtravel?_t=ZT-90F2Dn2tEU9&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Da6bkCo3o/?mibextid=wwXIfr #CircusCircus #LasVegasHistory #DarkHistory #HauntedLasVegas #TrueCrimePodcast #Adventuredome #VegasTrueCrime #GhostStories #DarkTourism #DeathKissedTraveler

    The Full Ride: Circus Circus Part 2
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4.7
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Death Kissed Traveler dives into the dark history of theme parks, carnivals, circuses, and roadside attractions—where joy turned to tragedy, and the dead may still linger. From deadly ride malfunctions to haunted midway games and circus disasters, each episode uncovers the chilling true stories amusement tried to bury.

Information

  • Creator
    Marissa Benson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Death Kissed Traveler

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