Thanks to horror movies like Childs Play and Puppet Master, dolls have gotten a pretty bad rap. But, it’s not just Hollywood that’s instilled in many people a dread for these children’s toys. An actual phobia of dolls—called pediophobia—can be found in medical and psychological texts. Is it any wonder then that the Island of the Dolls is such a creepy place for so many people?

Located just south of Mexico City, Mexico, La Isla del las Munecas is thought to have a dark, mysterious past. In the mid-20th century, Don Julian Santana Barrera abandoned his life in Mexico City and moved to the island. Although versions vary, the story goes that Santana Barrera found a drowned girl in the water adjacent to his island. He also found a doll in the water. One version of the story says that the man heard the spirit of the deceased girl crying for her doll. So, he hung the doll up in a tree. From then on, his life’s mission became finding dolls to honor and appease the little girl.

Santana Barrera did many things to acquire the dolls that still adorn the island’s trees. He searched for them in the garbage, walked the lake’s banks to find them, and even traded the island’s produce to locals in exchange for dolls. It’s no wonder that many believe the man was suffering from a mental disorder.

In 2001, Santana Barrera died of a heart attack; however, the dolls remained. The Island of the Dolls has been featured on popular television shows, including the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. The place has become a popular tourist attraction. For anyone interested in visiting its eerie shores, guides can be hired to transport the tourists, although many local boatowners refuse to visit the island out of superstition. And, is it any wonder that they refuse? After all, it’s probably the spookiest toy land on the planet.