Best Ballen Studios Podcasts (2025)

1
The Nightmare 35:02

39m ago35:02

35:02

During the late 1970s, a fully laden DC-10 passenger jet crashed shortly after take-off, killing everyone on board. The disaster shocked the nation, prompting investigations, headlines, and a long search for answers. Yet in the days leading up to the tragedy, something quietly unsettling had been unfolding elsewhere. One man, living hundreds of mil…

1
It's Not Easy Being a Military Police Officer 33:35

3d ago33:35

33:35

In the desolate Mojave Desert, Edwards Air Force Base is home to America's most advanced and secretive aircraft, a place where the boundaries of technology are pushed daily. But according to chilling eyewitness accounts from service members, the greatest secrets aren't in the sky, but on the ground... where a massive, hairy, ape-like creature has b…

1
Along Came a Spyder 38:30

8d ago38:30

38:30

In 1955, a small silver sports car rolled out of a California garage and into American folklore. It was sleek, fast, and dangerous. A machine built for the racetrack. But within weeks, its young owner would be dead, and the car itself would become infamous. What followed were decades of bizarre accidents, unexplained fatalities, and eerie coinciden…

1
A Sergeant Goes Missing at a Nuclear Testing Range 30:29

10d ago30:29

30:29

The vast, empty deserts of New Mexico became the proving grounds for America's nuclear arsenal, a landscape of secrets and strange phenomena. It was here that a routine missile recovery mission turned into a gruesome mystery, leaving one Air Force Sergeant surgically mutilated and drained of blood, apparently at the hands of something not of this w…

1
The Curse of the Ourang Medan 33:08

15d ago33:08

33:08

In 1947, a cargo ship was discovered drifting aimlessly through calm waters in the Indian Ocean. When rescuers finally boarded, what they found defied all logic. Every member of the crew lay dead, sprawled across the decks, their eyes wide open, mouths frozen mid-scream. Yet the vessel itself showed no sign of fire, struggle, or damage of any kind.…

1
Documented Military Reports of Vampires 33:14

17d ago33:14

33:14

In the age of enlightenment, the disciplined Austrian army brought order and science to its newly acquired territories. Yet in the rugged mountains of Serbia, they stumbled upon a darkness that defied all logic – a plague of undeath that forced hardened soldiers to take up wooden stakes against the walking dead. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.…

1
The Moonshaft 33:45

12d ago33:45

33:45

Throughout history, humankind has turned its gaze towards the heavens in search of mystery. Yet time and again, it is beneath the ground where the most enduring enigmas are found. Across every continent lie tales of ancient tunnels, lost chambers, and sealed structures that predate all known civilisation. One such story emerged from the mountains o…

1
They Shouldn't Have Invaded Finland 27:33

24d ago27:33

27:33

The Winter War was a brutal struggle against a determined human enemy and the unforgiving cold, dangers the Red Army knew and understood. Yet on a desolate mountain plateau, where strange stone idols stand guard and the trees twist in agony, a Soviet company learned that some places are battlegrounds for forces far older and more monstrous than man…

1
The Baby Aleshenka 33:04

20d ago33:04

33:04

One night, while walking through the woods on the outskirts of her town, an elderly woman discovered what she thought was an abandoned infant lying in the dirt. She carried it home and resolved to raise it herself, but what began as an act of compassion would soon spiral into a mystery that left her community asking whether the baby Aleshenka was e…

1
Something In My Room 20:37

1M ago20:37

20:37

For a soldier on guard duty, the mind can wander, but the senses must remain sharp for any sign of the enemy. Imagine the chilling confusion, then, when the figure that emerges from the darkness is not a Viet Cong fighter, but the impossible specter of a Roman soldier, speaking a dead language to deliver an eternal warning. See Privacy Policy at ht…

1
The Alien of Varginha 33:53

1M ago33:53

33:53

In 1996, the quiet Brazilian town of Varginha became the centre of one of the strangest UFO cases in modern history. Nestled amongst the hills of Minas Gerais, its residents reported encounters with a bizarre, non-human creature, an event that would draw global attention, military involvement, and decades of speculation. Was it all an elaborate hoa…

1
The Devil's Food 34:46

1M ago34:46

34:46

The rules of engagement are clear when facing another army, but they are useless against a more primal foe. From the African plains to the mangrove swamps of Burma, soldiers discovered that the greatest danger wasn't the enemy in the opposite trench, but the man-eaters that saw both sides as nothing more than prey. See Privacy Policy at https://art…

1
Policing the Paranormal 37:43

1M ago37:43

37:43

Experience tells us there are certain professions in which people are far more likely to encounter the unexplained than others. As the many accounts featured on our sister podcast Wartime Stories clearly demonstrate, one such group is military personnel. But another, just as frequently, is the world of law enforcement, where officers across the glo…

1
Project Blue Book 32:53

2M ago32:53

32:53

On the frozen battlefields of the Korean War, American soldiers faced down the overwhelming force of the Chinese army. But for one company of infantrymen, the true enemy was not human; it was a silent, glowing orb that toyed with their artillery before unleashing a terrifying weapon of its own. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Ca…

1
Pope Lick 30:04

2M ago30:04

30:04

In the woods just east of Louisville, Kentucky, an old railway bridge cuts through the treeline. To many, it would appear no different to any other trestle found in the rural US. But locals believe that this particular overpass is guarded by a goat-like beast so disturbing that it causes those who see it to instantly run for their lives, or, in som…

1
The Death of Summer Pt. 2 33:05

1M ago33:05

33:05

Decades after his childhood friend vanished, Rodney returns to his hometown to confront the whistling terror that haunted his youth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Ballen Studios

1
Celestial Battle 32:55

2M ago32:55

32:55

For the people of 16th-century Europe, the sky was a place of divine mystery, not a battlefield for mortal men. But in 1566, the heavens over Basel, Switzerland, became just that, as hundreds of dark spheres waged a mysterious war before the eyes of the citizens below. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at…

1
Stocksbridge Bypass 32:36

2M ago32:36

32:36

By Ballen Studios

1
The Ghost of Meaford Mary 33:29

2M ago33:29

33:29

Long before it was a military training area, the land of CFB Meaford was home to sprawling farmsteads and the quiet lives of pioneer families. But while the families are long gone, one tragic soul remains, a young girl whose ghostly blue eyes now watch over the soldiers training for wars in other lands. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva…

1
What Happened to Granger Taylor? 33:49

2M ago33:49

33:49

Fact or fiction, is there anything more terrifying than the idea of being abducted by aliens? History is littered with such accounts, depicting scenes of horrifying experimentation. But what if some of these beings were benevolent, instead inviting us to learn from them? In 1980, one man may have been given that chance. Whether still on this planet…

1
The Death of Summer Pt. 1 32:34

2M ago32:34

32:34

One summer in the 1980s, Rodney and his friends realize too late that a whistling monster is stalking their town. And one of them has already been marked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Ballen Studios

1
Something These Men Could Not Explain 26:04

2M ago26:04

26:04

In the brutal calculus of war, survival is often credited to skill, luck, or the simple whim of fate. But for some soldiers, the difference between life and death came as a warning from the most unlikely of sources: a messenger who was already dead. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/p…

1
Where is Juan Pedro? 33:17

2M ago33:17

33:17

On the 25th June 1986, a routine journey across Spain turned tragic. In the early morning, a tanker truck carrying thousands of litres of sulphuric acid crashed whilst crossing the Somosierra mountain pass. But the driver was not alone. He had brought along his wife and 10-year-old son. When authorities arrived to investigate, they found something …

1
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace 43:57

2M ago43:57

43:57

Marie Antoinette’s world renowned extravagance made her an icon and then an example as the Queen of France, but her beheading, and the French Revolution, may never have come to pass if not for a lavish piece of jewelry at the center of a salacious con. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co…

1
Gulf Breeze Six 49:48

2M ago49:48

49:48

In the late 1980s, the skies over Gulf Breeze, Florida, became a theater for some of history's most famous UFO sightings. But as the town looked up in wonder, a far more sinister mission was unfolding on the ground, as six AWOL soldiers arrived with a Ouija board and a divine mandate to kill the Antichrist. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p…

1
There is Something in the Desert 35:48

3M ago35:48

35:48

For centuries, the deserts and mountains of the Middle East have been steeped in myth and mystery. From ancient conquerors to modern armies, those who marched into these lands often returned with stories of strange and unexplainable encounters. In more recent times, the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq have become the backdrop for some of the world’…

1
The Man Who Saved the World 39:54

3M ago39:54

39:54

While The United States and The Soviet Union flirted with existential disaster on a global stage during the Cuban Missile Crisis, an unknown conflict was unfolding under the ocean on a Russian submarine equipped to trigger an all-out nuclear war. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv…

1
The Blister 34:18

3M ago34:18

34:18

A grieving nurse’s blister festers into a supernatural boils that whisper, scream, and threaten to consume him whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Ballen Studios

1
The Megalodon 27:07

3M ago27:07

27:07

For as long as humans have sailed the seas, they have feared the deadly predators lurking just beneath the waves. But what if the most terrifying monster wasn’t a known species, but an ancient ghost of impossible size, a creature science says has been extinct for millions of years? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv…

1
The Road to Oroville 38:18

3M ago38:18

38:18

On the evening of 24 February 1978, five friends from Northern California - Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias - set off to watch a basketball game. They never returned. Months later, four of them were discovered dead in the snowy wilderness of the Plumas National Forest, seventy miles from their intended route.…

1
Buying the Presidency 40:17

3M ago40:17

40:17

Money and politics have always been intertwined in America, but before the days of Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg, there was Rockerfeller, Carnegie and Morgan, titans of industry whose political power may have become absolute if they hadn’t underestimated an upstart politician by the name of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. See Privacy Policy at https://art…

1
War During Winter is a Horrible Thing... 31:52

3M ago31:52

31:52

On the Eastern Front of World War I, German and Russian soldiers were locked in a desperate stalemate against each other and one of the most brutal winters in a century. But as the conflict decimated their enemies, ravenous wolf packs began to stalk the battlefield, seeing the trapped armies as their only source of food. This is Part 2 of the story…

1
There is Something in the Woods 30:53

3M ago30:53

30:53

David Paulides, a former police officer turned researcher, has spent years investigating unexplained deaths and disappearances in North America’s national parks. His work has catalogued thousands of cases that defy easy explanation. In this episode, we follow his findings and ask the question: is there something in the woods - something that stalks…

1
The Tornado that Saved DC 42:57

3M ago42:57

42:57

During the War of 1812, Washington DC was in the process of being destroyed by the British Army, until they came up against an even more powerful force: Mother Nature. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
Horror at Harmony Palms Pt. 2 33:38

3M ago33:38

33:38

After uncovering the sinister secret behind his aunt’s retirement home, young Rodney must escape a blood ritual before it’s too late. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Ballen Studios

1
The Battle of Alcatraz 34:39

3M ago34:39

34:39

Alcatraz was designed to be an inescapable prison for America’s most dangerous criminals. But in 1946, a desperate breakout attempt by its prisoners forced battle-hardened U.S. Marines – fresh from the islands of the Pacific – to lay siege to the fortress on their own shores. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No…

1
Terror From The Sky 33:41

3M ago33:41

33:41

For centuries, reports of mysterious flying beings have surfaced across the Americas. Witnesses describe them as humanoid in form yet moving without wings, descending silently from the skies to terrify those who encounter them. But in the early 2000s, northern Mexico became the focal point of some of the most striking and widely reported cases. Pol…

1
The Khan Legacy 45:21

3M ago45:21

45:21

Before the Mongol Empire dominated the Asian Continent, there was no empire to speak of, only nomadic tribes in perpetual battle. That is, until a precocious teenager with a knack for strategy forged a dynasty that reshaped the entire world in his own image. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar…

1
When Men Fight Wars with Wolves 25:49

3M ago25:49

25:49

For as long as humans have existed, they’ve engaged in warfare with one another. But those battlefields often put soldiers at odds with nature’s deadliest combatants. These are stories of the conflict between humankind and one of the animal kingdom’s most effective units. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice…

1
The Story of Bananas is Bananas 42:07

3M ago42:07

42:07

Peeling a banana uncovers much more than a tasty fruit, it reveals a fraught history riddled with violent coups, espionage, political assassinations and international wars. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
The Pembrey Forest Hauntings 30:39

4M ago30:39

30:39

Located on the south-west coast of Wales, Carmarthenshire’s shoreline offers some of the nation’s most peaceful and picturesque scenery. Yet behind this natural beauty lies a history marked by tragedy, where countless lives have been lost in circumstances both sudden and severe. In this episode, we explore accounts in which visitors to the area hav…

1
Horror at Harmony Palms Pt. 1 32:51

4M ago32:51

32:51

When an invitation to a luxury community turns into a nightmare, young Rodney discovers the residents of Harmony Palms want more from him than just his company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Ballen Studios

1
The Worst Job in Vietnam 35:05

4M ago35:05

35:05

The Vietnam War was defined by brutal heat, punishing rain, and impenetrable jungles full of hidden danger at every step. And that was just on the surface. Underneath it all there was an even more fearsome battleground, in the dark, claustrophobic and deadly labyrinth of Vietcong tunnels. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ…

1
The Falkirk Triangle 31:52

3M ago31:52

31:52

Across the world, there are pockets of land where the skies seem restless. Places where strange lights appear without warning and encounters with the unknown are whispered about for generations. Their locations are often fixed on maps by triangulating the nearest towns and cities, yet their reputations are defined not by geography, but by the stori…

1
The Star Who Invented the Future 37:26

4M ago37:26

37:26

A goal of helping to fight against the Nazis during World War II leads a Hollywood star, known as the "most beautiful woman in the world," to invent the technology which changes the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
The Chilean Army and the Chupacabra 44:51

4M ago44:51

44:51

When Chupacabra attacks swept across Chile in 2000, the military stepped in. But what they discovered was so shocking, it drew the attention of NASA. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
The Battle of Actium 53:52

3M ago53:52

53:52

The assassination of Julius Caesar left an enormous power vacuum in Rome, thrusting his successors into an epic, intercontinental battle for control of the empire that reshaped the future of the modern world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
The Enfield Horror 30:03

4M ago30:03

30:03

Each year, people around the world report having encounters with bizarre animals that seem not to be of this earth. It occurs so frequently that an entire scientific discipline, cryptozoology, was established to study the phenomenon. For a brief period during the early 1970s, one small town in rural Illinois would briefly play host to an entity so …

1
Skinned Tom 34:23

4M ago34:23

34:23

A tense breakup in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains takes a bloody turn when a couple encounters a skinless monster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Ballen Studios

1
Haunted Military Aircrafts 33:40

4M ago33:40

33:40

Veterans share chilling encounters with haunted aircrafts, ghostly pilots, and red-eyed figures lurking in cargo bays. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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