Mexico's macabre doll island draws visitors, inspires celebs
Hundreds of weathered plastic toys hang from trees on the Island of the Dolls in Mexico City, drawing visitors, fans and even celebrities like Lady Gaga into their macabre spell.
Macabre destination
On La Isla de las Munecas, or the Island of Dolls, in Mexico City, hundreds of weathered and mutilated dolls hang from trees and stare down at visitors with empty eyes. This creepy place is located in the ancient Aztec canals of Xochimilco and attracts fans of the macabre.
Tranquil oasis?
The story about how the dolls ended up on this island is a creepy one. Until his death in 2001, the island's sole inhabitant was flower grower and fisherman Julian Santana Barrera. He began hanging the dolls in 1950, after feeling haunted by the ghost of a girl who had drowned in the canals.
Restless spirit
Julian's great-nephew, Juan Rojas Santana, told the AFP news agency that Julian no longer saw the ghost after he found a stuffed doll in the canal and hung it up in a tree to dry. Before that, the girl's ghost had haunted and frightened him so much that he hardly wanted to set foot on the island. Apparently, he constantly heard screams and demands for toys.
Star appeal
The macabre location may frighten many, but it also fascinated gothic film director Tim Burton and pop superstar Lady Gaga. They used the island as the setting for their joint music video "The Dead Dance," in which the singer appeared as one of hundreds of dolls on a wall.
R.I.P. Julian
When Julian died in 2001, his body was also found in the canals. According to local media reports, the cause of death was heart failure. Today, a kind of altar and a sign commemorate the founder of the Island of the Dolls, which was developed for tourism after his death and can only be visited on guided boat tours.
Curse or blessing?
On the day of the video premiere of "The Dead Dance" in early September, Lady Gaga canceled her concert in Miami due to vocal cord problems. The singer had touched some of the dolls in the clip, inspiring many on social media to wonder about the "curse of the Xochimilco dolls." However, the haunting has brought good fortune for the Santana family, with a boost in visitors in recent weeks.