50 Creepy Signs That Will Send Shudders Down Your Spine

37) This Sign Is Disgusting

Being told you will go missing is not something to mess with. This is one of those creepy signs that would make anyone and everyone back away on their tiptoes and hide. This is an Apartheid-era sign near Johannesburg, South Africa that dates to 1953. Apparently, Natives, Indians, and Coloreds would go missing if they entered at night. The armed guards shoot at night and dogs will eat their corpses. This sign is something straight from a horror movie and it’s incredibly sad this was ever in place in our world at any time (via Bored Panda).

36) Lockdown

This is an important sign to have at school, even though it creates panic and anxiety. In case of a shooting, doors in school need to be locked. Creepy signs like this are necessary for the safety of students and teachers in case anything bad should happen (via Bored Panda). With the unfortunate climate of mass shootings continuing to impact the United States on a daily basis, it’s beyond sad that this sign needs to be in place, but it still does.

35) Sign On The Wrong Side?

We hope the same sign is on the other side. Because if it is not, a kid who goes down one way will get stuck on the slide. That could turn into a nightmare for any child who didn’t see it coming. This is one of those creepy signs where you can’t help but imagine what would happen if there wasn’t a “closed” sign at the opening of the slide (via Bored Panda).

34) The Raccoon Room

This is one of the most interesting and confusing creepy signs on this list. First, the sign on the top mentions not to allow the pig in the raccoon room, whatever that means. Then it goes on to confirm that only lucky people get to enjoy a special moment where the raccoon climbs atop their head. You cannot force this kind of magic on your own. What does that even mean? We’ve tried to figure it out. We’re left with more questions than not and hope that those special people enjoy having a raccoon on their head (via Bored Panda).

33) Don’t Make The Animals Sick

We understand not climbing on zoo fences. It seems like an aggressive sign, though, mentioning not to climb on the fence because the animals will get sick. Not that you would die or anything, but that the animal would suffer. Hopefully, that’s enough to deter anyone from climbing on a fence, although we don’t know who would do that in the first place because the threat of being attacked or eaten by any animal is clearly very real here (via Bored Panda).

32) The Drowning Machine

This creepy sign seems self-explanatory. It warns people not to fall in the water because it’s a drowning machine. Even though it’s a horrendous way to die, at least they’re telling the truth. At least creepy signs like this one are honest enough to hopefully save your life (via Bored Panda). We’re hoping that it was enough to save people from what would be a horrible way to die.

31) Watch Your Nose

We wouldn’t go anywhere near this water after seeing this sign. If the water got anywhere near our nose, we’d spend the next week in pure panic, wondering if an amoeba was eating our brain due to the rare infection it caused (via Bored Panda). This sign gets the point across rather effectively.

30) Poison Spider Trail

If we saw this sign, we’d turn around that instant. Creepy signs that mention anything about poisonous insects or aggressive animals correctly deter people from going anywhere near them. At the very least, we’d be very cautious, wear long pants, and make sure no skin was exposed (via Bored Panda). But even if people took those precautions, going down something called ‘Poison Spider Trail’ just doesn’t seem like the most intelligent nature walk to take.

29) Help

If we were walking in a forest and saw this tree concealing the sign, with only the word “help” exposed, we’d stop in our tracks. We’d wonder if the tree was secretly alive and didn’t want hikers to see this sign. Creepy signs like this make you pause and think, for a moment or two, if you want to continue onwards (via Bored Panda). It also makes you wonder what became of the person who needed the help. Or what this sign even entailed in the first place.

28) Aggressive Geese

At first glance, you only notice the sign for aggressive geese. But if you look behind the sign, you see a poor fellow who didn’t pay any (or at least, enough) attention to the sign. A goose is attacking him. While it’s hilarious, we hope he was okay. These creepy signs shouldn’t be taken for granted, they’re there for a reason (via Bored Panda).

27) Snake Got Loose Again

Thanks for the heads up, Norman. Apparently, the snake got loose… again. If a poisonous snake gets loose once, wouldn’t you think to do something about it? For example, maybe put it in a cage with a stronger lock? These kinds of creepy signs make you very aware of where you’re stepping, to prevent any poisonous snake bites (via Bored Panda).

26) Leaking Nitrogen

At least this sign is straight to the point. It warns people not to get on an elevator with a nitrogen tank, because if it leaks, you will die. Creepy signs like this one might save a life or two. At least someone is waiting for the tank on the other side (via Bored Panda). You do have to wonder if there is perhaps a more intelligent way to transport these nitrogen tanks that cuts out the possibility of unsuspecting people getting on the elevator with them, however.

25) Lifejacket Warning

This ominous signs states that only three people died wearing a life jacket in this lake but over 170 people drowned not wearing life jackets. Creepy signs like this tell us that this lake is very dangerous, and we should be careful. In fact, this would deter us from entering the lake at all (via Bored Panda).

24) Holy Water Removed

At least they had the foresight to remove the Holy Water to prevent illness, otherwise, a lot of people could have gotten sick. Even though these creepy signs warn us about a possible illness, at least no one shared the water with someone who could have potentially given them a virus (via Bored Panda).

23) Death By Crocodile

We’re not sure what would be worse, dying from a fall or dying from a crocodile attack. So this sign says it all. If you don’t die from the fall, you will die from the crocodile. It looks like your fate is already predetermined, and you have no choice here about the outcome. These creepy signs tell us about our fate, and even though they’re helpful, they’re still terrifying to read (via Bored Panda).

22) Move The Elevator

This is one of those creepy signs that make you question the actual safety of this specific elevator. We’re not really sure if we’d get onto this elevator after reading this sign. Even then, jumping to get it to start riding the elevator would be quite thrilling, if not a bit frightening (via Bored Panda).

21) Non-Survivable Ski Area

Creepy signs that say, “you will die if you do not return to the ski area,” is a daunting warning that would make us freeze in our tracks and return to the ski area. We’d appreciate the sign, though, for considering our safety and future selves (via Bored Panda). The sheer force of its warning has no doubt saved several people in the past.

20) No Bees

Creepy signs, like the rhino poachers, say it all: if there are no bees, we’ll have no apples, oranges, kiwis, or tomatoes. As sad as that is, it’s the reality of the situation and something we can’t ignore. This is another reason to be more mindful of respecting the environment (via Bored Panda). Bees are critical to our health as they help all the above fruits grow, and it’s not taken seriously enough how important they really are.

19) Tsunami Warning

This is a 19th Century Japanese tsunami warning that says, “Remember The Calamity Of The Great Tsunamis. Do Not Build Any Homes Below This Point.” It’s a gentle reminder about the power of Mother Nature and how we’re helpless against her (via Bored Panda).

18) Active Diarrhea

This sign loudly proclaims that no one with active diarrhea is allowed in the pool. This makes a lot of sense, but it still doesn’t negate the fact that these kinds of signs make our stomachs churn with nausea. We’re not sure we’d get into this pool knowing that there was previously a problem of people with diarrhea swimming in the water (via Bored Panda).

17) Black Death

This sign isn’t cheerful in any way, shape, or form. A disease that killed 30-50% of the population in 1348 is a large amount. Knowing that the Black Death entered England through this port makes us grateful for our current medical technology and inventions ​​(via Bored Panda). But that’s not to say that other unchecked viral threats aren’t floating around, so we need to stay vigilant overall.

16) Catastrophic Fire Danger

At least this sign, like many of the other creepy signs on this list, is honest. Seeing a sign that says the fire danger is “catastrophic” is terrifying to say the least. At least it helps us prepare for the worst-case scenario should we run into any brushfire (via Bored Panda).

15) Beyond Creepy Dude

The individual standing behind the door makes this one of the creepiest signs on this list. He looks like a murderer waiting for his prey. Topping it off, the sign in front of him says “please keep this door closed,” and we’re sure we would keep that door closed and locked forever (via Bored Panda).

14) Fight Back?

We’re not sure we’d want to shout if we saw a mountain lion in our vicinity. Or fight back if that mountain lion attacked us. Again, creepy signs that warn about vicious animals make our hearts pound faster than normal. It’s one way to induce extreme panic, to say the least (via Bored Panda).

13) Kill Your Speed – Not A Child

Like one of those creepy signs that shed light on the reality of the situation, it’s quite heart-wrenching to read something like this. It might mean that children were killed in this area from car accidents and people not paying attention to the speed limit. At least this is a sign that will make you think twice about the speed you’re driving (via Bored Panda).

12) Close The Door

This sign in Alaska warns people to close the door so no bears get inside. Imagine you’re sitting at dinner, and suddenly a bear enters your living room? That’s one way to freak out. These kinds of creepy signs, although frightening, help us stay safe (via Bored Panda). Hopefully this sign led to less bears getting inside this location as a result of it being displayed.

11) Creepy Cartoon Sign

This sign says, “it’s better to correct an unsafe friend than to bury one.” While that holds a lot of truth, it doesn’t make it that less creepy. It’s absolutely better to correct an unsafe friend and seems like a gentle reminder about the fragility of life (via Bored Panda).

10) Less Than 10

Imagine you were walking on this bridge, and you’re the eleventh person? That’s one way to induce panic and run in the opposite direction. Apparently, if there are more than 10 people on the bridge, the bridge breaks. If we were walking on that bridge, we’d want to keep it to one person at a time (via Bored Panda).

9) You’ve Been Warned About This Trail

This sign is helpful. If you were expecting an easy hike, this sign would put you in your place. Even though these kinds of creepy signs warn us about the danger ahead, they’re helpful and could save us a lot of trouble in the end. We’re curious what this hike is like. If we were well prepared, we’d probably go ahead and keep on walking. Sometimes, adventure can be worth the risk (via Bored Panda).

8) Another Bee Warning

There are many creepy signs out there that warn about the fragility of bees. This sign says, “if we die, we’re taking you with us.” It holds a lot of truth. If there are no more bees, then the diversity of fresh produce would decline, which would lead to a hugely negative impact on human nutrition (via Bored Panda).

7) Radioactive Material

Whoever planned on digging here in the first place, they’re quite brave if not a bit foolish. This gravestone says, “do not dig – radioactive material from nuclear research. There is danger to visitors.” While this would pique our interest, it would also cause us to safely tiptoe around the area until we leave (via Bored Panda). We’re not really sure why anyone would want to be considering digging here if that is the case.

6) Horses May Bite

This sign looks like something straight out of a horror movie. Creepy signs that forewarn about aggressive animals are frightening enough, but when you see the actual animal standing behind it with its eyes glowing in the dark, is something that would make us back up and sprint in the opposite direction (via Bored Panda).

5) Don’t Grab Hamish By The Horns

This sign says, “do not grab Hamish by the horns.” We’re not sure who’d grab the Hamish by the horns, considering that he looks strong and aggressive. From a distance, the Hamish seems friendly, and we can admire him from afar (via Bored Panda). But of course, there are probably several foolish people who did decide to grab Hamish by the horns, creating the need for this sign in the first place.

4) Dental Signs

This is a sad sign to read at a dentist’s office. They must’ve had trouble in the past if they needed to put this sign up. It says, “if you use meth, disclose it to us because the dental anesthetic will kill you.” Hopefully, people reading this sign will consider that and be open and honest with the dentist. It’s always better safe than sorry (via Bored Panda).

3) Food Recall At The Stadium

Imagine you’re licking your fingers clean from a sandwich you just ate at a ball game only to look up and see this warning? It says, “if you purchased sandwiches or wraps at the stadium, please bring them back immediately.” Creepy signs like this that warn us about what’s to come is something that would make our stomach churn, food poisoning or not. We wonder how many people got sick that evening (via Bored Panda). This obviously isn’t what fans want to see when they spend their money on food at a stadium.

2) Lava Falls At The Grand Canyon

A lot of us are fit and adventurous, so reading this sign would make us think. It’s one of those creepy signs that warn us about what’s to come. It says that many heat related deaths occurred 15 minutes from the top. It’s a sign that would cause you to drink a lot of water and listen to the warning signs of heat stroke in your body, like fatigue and headache (via Bored Panda).

1) Saying Goodbye

As creepy as this is, it’s also sad. It says, “when the light is on, speak softly, because someone is saying goodbye.” If we saw that light on, it might even make us tear up. It’s a good sign to have, though, to make sure people in the room are respecting those who are passing on (via Bored Panda).