Island Of The Dolls: Mexico’s Creepiest Place

Apr 28, 2011 47 comments

The Island Of The Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas), located in the vast network of canals that lies to the south of Mexico City, near Xochimilco is one of the creepiest tourist attraction in Mexico. Here, among the branches and dead trees hang hundreds of old, mutilated dolls.

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The story goes that some half a century ago a little girl drowned off a small island hidden deep amongst the canals of Xochimico. The island’s only permanent inhabitant was a hermit named Don Julián Santana Barrera, who despite having a wife and family, chose to live alone on the island. Soon after the girl’s death Barrera fished out one doll after another from the canals. Convinced that this was a sign from the evil spirit, Don Julian Santana began hanging them on trees to protect himself from evil and calm the spirit of the dead girl. Soon Don Julián had made the entire island into a shrine.

Santana did not clean up the dolls or attempt to fix them, but rather put them up with missing eyes and limbs, covered in dirt. Even when dolls arrived in good shape, the wind and weather naturally decomposed them over time creating a gallery of eerie and ghoulish faces.

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As well as damage from the sun – which leaves many of the dolls covered in bubbles, blotches and blisters – the wind and rain have also left their mark, eroding any surface paint and leaving behind pale, skull-like faces, or gradually gnawing away the dolls’ fake hair to create jagged tufts that make them look as if they’re suffering from an agonising wasting disease.

Many are also missing arms or legs – or have been given the limb of another doll that clearly doesn’t match – and even toys without heads are welcome on the island, many strung from washing lines or shoved into the gaps between branches, their exposed necks becoming a home for the exotic spiders and insects that inhabit this sprawling agricultural region.

Don Julian Santana lived on the island for 50 years before his death in 2001. He was found drowned in the same area in which he believed the little girl had died.

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Source: BizzareMag, AtlasObscura

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. I Feel you it scares the shit out me
      i can feel them staring at the camera!!!!
      AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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    2. I think Island off the dolls needs company not screams. I would love to come and respond to all their questions and help them. I am afraid of dolls but when I see them they are tying to tell me to come and help them… They keeps on repeating it... I need to come!

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  2. torch it! torch it all!

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  3. Kind of nice to know that Chucky has his own vacation paradise. I won't be joining him, but still....

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    Replies
    1. hahahaha i thought the same thing :) xx

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    2. I know right! That's exactly what i thought! Like we've all seen or heard of "Chucky" Now what pyschopath would like to stay with 'em?

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  4. Dolls have always creeped me out. I agree with the person who said torch it all.

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    Replies
    1. You're scared of dolls? Never heard that one before : ) Do kittens and ducklings give you goosbumps :o)?

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    2. R u kidding? Even if u don't find dolls creepy.. U gotta find this a little scary?! I'm terrified of dolls
      And clowns

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  5. I was I was the only one w a phobia of dolls... And clowns. And spiders. This island has 2 out of 3; I will never set foot even near there.

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  6. wow wouldve burned the frick outta those dolls and say burn baby burn!

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  7. People, people! Lets all appreciate his work of art. Dolls are creepy but his fascinating idea of creating a unique island is actually pretty incredible. Surely he must have been crazy but this man is awesome. I would haveloved to meet him

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    Replies
    1. and then you'll be part of his doll museum...

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    2. Just like I would've loved to meet Jeffrey Dahmer. We all have our morbid sides. Lets face it, we're human. Humans all have their dark sides.

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    3. I agree - ...think it's a creepy-sweet kind of art... People, wanting to torch & burn art, books, etc...scare the shit out of me though :O/

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  8. Surprised to see so many people scared of a child's toy. I personally would love to go and see this island, if I wasn't scared of Mexicans. LOL!

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    Replies
    1. I love to go see the island and I'm not scared of Mexicans but I would love to go see the island something as beautiful as that yes

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    2. same with you I'd think it would be an awesome thing to see

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    3. Scared of Toys? No surprise really as some people are scared of Clowns. Fear is something humans seem to have a surplus of..

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  9. I was made aware of this place via a show called Destination Truth.

    They conducted some paranormal experiments and caught a couple piece of cool evidence.

    I love it!! I want to go check it out

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    Replies
    1. that right there just put the icing on the cake for me I would love and most definitely love to go check this place out now #icnfeelothers #giftedofanother

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  10. i lived about three blocks away from there......dear god....if i would have known the crazy shit on that island....

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    Replies
    1. you live three blocks from there and nothing ever happened at your home that was questionable

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  11. i see dead babies everywhere..

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  12. OK OK lets just say he did it for the lil girl that die .. but its said he died the same way the lil girl died ... and people don't know how ... but all I got to say is they need a healing with to go over to that island and protect it from evil

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  13. OMG-UH!!! Id ♥ to go here!!!!! Looks super creepy!!!! Love it!!!

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  14. stupid dont you think guys? I know its all true but hanging dolls? I would have gone right away to the other side of the world. But i still like it and want to visit....

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  15. This is like Silent hill meets toy story..

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  16. The fact that he fact that the man died in the spot as the little girl did should that be a sign that there are evil spirits there please someone answer

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    Replies
    1. He was a shaman who used his dolls to keep the typical away and to draw the curious

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    2. yes it is especially seeing that he was the only one on the island and had a whole family that he didn't stay with #redflag

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  17. Not sure, but are the dolls still "hanging" around, it's been quite awhile since the "owner" died?

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  18. does anyone know what the little girls name was? and why she was on the island? and exactly how she drowned, like how did she get in the canal? can any body answer these questions

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  19. I think its a respected story, he felt he needed to protect the little girls spirit. Dolls rnt that scary.

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  20. Why did he keep going to the Canal that she drowned in, though? I would've never went to it honestly - like and then he sees dolls? I'd get super scared and move off of that island XD.

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  21. This is moving and sad. A memorial- certainly not a place to be burned down. You people with your trendy phobias- this was done honestly from the heart of someone who mourned this little girl; have RESPECT please.

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