The Haunted Map

When: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 6:00–8:00 PM
Where: Anderson Seminar Room, #271 (2nd floor), Gates Center (CSE2), University of Washington, 3800 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA

Meetup link:

https://www.meetup.com/maptimesea/events/316191870/

The Haunted Map: A Cartographic Journey Through the European Folklore Behind Familiar Halloween Costumes

Join Maptime Seattle for a spooky cartographic exploration of the origins of some of the most popular Halloween costumes! We'll explore cartographic concepts such as color theory, typography, and visual hierarchy as we map the origins for mythical creatures such as the Headless Horseman, Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, and more! We will combine spatial data, photos, text, and other layout elements to produce an eye catching static map. Some experience with QGIS will be helpful for this Maptime session, and all geospatial data, fonts, and other required materials will be made available for download one week before we meet.

Thank you to The Taskar Center for Accessible Technology (TCAT) at the University of Washington for providing the meeting space for this Maptime session!

Agenda:

• Introduction to MaptimeSEA/ Code of Conduct (10 mins): We'll let you know about MaptimeSEA, upcoming GIS events, and the behavior we expect from you during this tutorial
• Introduction to color theory, typography, visual hierarchy, and the creatures we'll be mapping (15 min)
• Haunted Map Tutorial (1 hr 15 min)
• Wrap-up (10 minutes): Final thoughts

What to Bring:

• Your (charged) laptop
• Anything you need to be comfortable sitting in a chair for 2 hours!

How to Prepare:

• Data Download: Please download this zip file containing data, fonts, and the completed map we'll be working on together
• QGIS Installation: Installing QGIS is super straightforward! Just follow their instructions to download the version that matches your computer's setup (Linux, Mac, or Windows). Any long-term release (LTR) of QGIS version 3.16 or newer should work (but we'll have people on hand to assist if not).
  Matt will be using version 3.44.15 for the tutorial. Here's the link to get started: https://qgis.org/download/

Who Should Attend: Anyone interested in cartography, design, and the supernatural! Although some prior knowledge of GIS and QGIS is beneficial, our workshop is designed to be informative for both enthusiasts and those new to the field.

About the instructors:
👤 Matt Stevenson is a consultant specializing in cartography, spatial analysis, web mapping, and GIS project management. With twenty-seven years of experience, Matt works primarily with government agencies and non-profits focused on conservation and restoration. He is also enthusiastic about monsters, ghosts, cryptids, and European folklore.
After the meeting: We will head to a brewery close to the venue to talk about all things mapping and meet fellow GIS enthusiasts! Feel free to bring a map or two that you'd be willing to share-- we love to see them😊