The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham claims to be one of the most haunted locations in Great Britain. Scores of highwayman, murderers and thieves were subjected to public hangings from within its walls. Many modern visitors to the site in Nottingham, now a museum, claim to have witnessed spooky goings-on from flying orbs to strange smells and rattling keys. Now, a couple has stepped forward claiming to have photographic evidence of a supernatural being haunting the former dungeon. Christine Spice visited the old prison and courtrooms with her partner Denyer earlier this month and took snaps of what she describes as "an eerie mass of white, like an evil male figure." The figure is pictured behind a second apparition, which appears to be a small child in some form of period dress, captured on Christine's mobile phone camera. Ms Spice, from Herfordshire, said: "Denyer and I went on one of the museum's guided tours. "We are both very spiritual people, and could sense quite a lot of spiritual presence around the building. "We went to visit the pits and immediately I became very agitated and sensed something really bad and evil. "I told Denyer I thought we should leave as it was affecting me. I could sense the danger and my breathing and heartbeat became faster - I felt very scared. "We could smell a musty, rotting smell and was very uncomfortable. I then became so freaked out that I ran out. "The feeling of evil was so overwhelming. Once outside we looked at the photo and could see a white glow like a huge threatening aura." There has been a court at the Galleries of Justice since at least 1375 and a prison since 1449. It is the only place in Britain where criminals could be tried, convicted, and sentenced. Some executions were even done at the entrance of the building. The Galleries contains the original cells, dungeons, two courtrooms, and several medieval caves, where the photo was taken. Christine said that after she calmed down, they continued looking around and spent some time looking at all the ID photos taken of prisoners displayed on the walls. She said: "It was in this room that someone pulled my hair. I turned around expecting to see my brother but there was no one there," she said. "We could sense spirits all over the building and I would definitely describe the place as being very haunted." Tim Desmond, chief executive at the museum, said: "The staff at the museum are quite used to experiencing the supernatural on the site, not surprising as it was a place of punishment since the Middle Ages. "What is interesting is now that people have camera phones we are receiving actual images of what they pick up. Even if you are a sceptic it is very difficult to refute the unusual sights."
The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham Ghost Photo
Ghosts Use Cell Phones to Contact Living
A paranormal expert in Britain has claimed that ghosts are trying to contact the living through mobile phones, with the number of mystery calls attributed to them rising by 43 percent in the last four years. Phil Hayes, a spectre investigator from Paranormal Research UK, believes a third of all haunting are now through mobile phones. "There is evidence to suggest that ghosts can use phones to communicate, with reports of people receiving phone calls from deceased relatives," the Sun quoted Hayes as saying. According to him, the calls often feature heavy static and the voice sounds faint and distant, and nine in ten show as "withheld number" or "000000000000" on caller ID. Statistics show two thirds of all paranormal phenomena feature sounds, with just 20 percent being actual sightings of ghosts and 15 percent based on smell. The study by Tesco Mobile revealed Paranormal Research UK have seen a 70 percent upsurge in paranormal evidence in the last year due to people using their phones. "We'd recommend those brave enough to capture any spooky sightings should MMS or email their pics to the paranormal society for investigation," Lance Batchelor, CEO of Tesco Mobile said. "Keep your camera phone on the highest quality resolution setting and use the recorder to capture the noise of any spectral sounds," he added.
America's Top 10 Ghost Tours
TripAdvisor Releases their Top 10 Ghost Tours of the USA
1. Hair-Raising Harpers: Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Self-proclaimed as “America’s oldest ghost tour,” this terrific tour has been running for more than 40 years. Brave travelers are invited to journey through Harpers Ferry’s historic “Lower Town,” to visit Hog Alley and other dwellings where past tragedies have left sauntering spirits.
2. I Ski Dead People: Park City Ghost Tours, Park City, Utah
Discover which apparitions inhabit local hot—or rather, chilling—spots in this famous ski destination, known also for its former days as a mining town (and its ghosts of miners gone by). Tour-goers often catch a glimpse of “Lizzy,” the apparition who frequents the Imperial Hotel, while ghoulish miners from yesteryear have been spotted sipping a cold beverage at the No Name Pub, formerly the Alamo.
3. A Risky Ride: Hearse Ghost Tours, Savannah, Georgia
This dark and daring tour passes through the old streets of Savannah in an authentic hearse, which formerly transported corpses for more than 15 years. Fearless travelers are invited along for the ride of their lives, to learn about the grisly ghosts that live in some of the city’s most beautiful homes and cemeteries.
4. Macabre Market: Market Ghost Tour, Seattle, Washington
In the Market district of Seattle lies the city’s first mortuary and a dilapidated graveyard, offering countless tales of terror. Spirits remain amongst these ruins and are often seen throughout the Market Ghost Tour, while photographs taken at the sites have been known to include mysterious phenomena, such as glowing orbs and even the ghostly face of a man.
5. Quick and the Dead: Tombstone Ghost Tour, Tombstone, Arizona
True to its name, the city of Tombstone provides ghost stories galore. Travelers can follow fearless tour guides through the dark streets of this “Wild West” town, as they recount bone-chilling stories about the spots where cowboys and deputies once battled.
6. Spooky Surprise: Providence Ghost Tour, Providence, Rhode Island
Come nightfall, travelers are invited to follow the murky glow of a lantern and brace themselves for some spooky surprises on the Providence Ghost Tour, while exploring the secrets of this New England city. Based on research and historical documentation, this tour—which takes thrill-seekers to the scenes of many horrific deaths—will likely instill fear in the bravest of souls.
7. Seeking the Supernatural: Old Bisbee Ghost Tours, Bisbee, Arizona
Stroll through the atmospheric streets, stairways, and alleys of this 125 year-old town, and tour-goers may catch a glimpse of one of Bisbee’s infamous ghosts. Lingering residents include Julia, a “Lady of the Evening,” Nat the Miner, who owed money and paid for it with his life, and the Lady in White.
8. The Big Spooky: New Orleans Ghost Tour, New Orleans, Louisiana
Over the course of two terrifying hours, this walking tour escorts the living to several of the Big Easy’s top haunts, for ghost-spotting gluttony. The route includes a visit to a haunted bar, where paranormal sightseers can enjoy a refreshing break and some spirited fun.
9. Horrifying History: Chattanooga Ghost Tours, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Led by storytellers and actors, this tour will entertain, educate and send chills down travelers’ spines. The hair-raising itinerary includes a stop at the Sheraton Read House Hotel, where the ghost of Annalisa Netherly has supposedly resided since the 1920s, following her murder at the hands of her husband in room 311.
10. Smoking Specters: The Original Ghost Tours of Catalina, Catalina Island, California
Travelers can enjoy the eerie ambiance of Avalon, a small village that was established above a burial ground, on this spine-tingling tour. The ghost of Zane Gray, a local legend of Catalina, has been seen enjoying a cigarette along the Via Casino walkway; when approached, he disappears—leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke.
“With Halloween just around the corner, travelers can enjoy some spine-tingling thrills and hair-raising encounters on these memorable expeditions,” said Karen Drake, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Offering unique destinations, colorful history and lively tales, these tours offer a fun and festive way to enjoy the season.”
*In Canada I recommend the Fort George Ghost Tour in Niagara On The Lake, it is true to the history and hauntings. Other ghost tours in the area, including ones offered by Haunted Hamilton and Burlington Ghost Walks are dissapointing and are often referred to as pieces of 2nd grade fiction and outright lies.
Top 10 Haunted Homes in the U.S.
Winchester House
Location: San Jose, Calif.
Notable ghost: Sarah Winchester
As one of two homes in California sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department as being haunted (the other is the Whaley House, below), the magnificent Winchester House stands alone as perhaps the most bizarre haunted home in the U.S. It was inspired and designed by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, founder of Winchester rifles. Legend goes that Sarah was deeply affected by the deaths of her daughter, Annie, in 1866 and then her husband, William, in 1881. Sarah consulted a medium who instructed her to build a house to ward off evil spirits. Construction on the Winchester House started in 1884 and continued for 38 years — until Sarah's death in 1922.
Sarah reportedly held nightly seances to gain guidance from spirits and her dead husband for the home's design. What resulted was a maze-like residence full of twisting and turning hallways, dead-ends, secret panels, a window built into a floor, staircases leading to nowhere, doors that open to walls, upside-down columns, and rooms built, then intentionally closed off — all to ward off and confuse evil spirits.
Lizzie Borden House
Location: Fall River, Mass.
Notable ghosts: Andrew and Abby Borden
Who killed Andrew and Abby Borden with an ax on the morning of Aug. 4, 1892 in this Fall River, Mass., home? To this day, no one truly knows. Lizzie Borden, the daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby, became the prime suspect and eventually, the subject of a popular children's rhyme.
Andrew was a widowed cabinet-maker and had two daughters, Lizzie and Emma Lenora. In 1865, he married Abby Durfee Gray and then in 1872, he bought the home so he could be closer to the city's downtown district. Reports say the Bordens were not a loving family unit and the stresses of step relatives created much tension in the house, which were only escalated by the Borden girls' fears that their father was bequeathing his assets and property to the stepmother's side of the family. Lizzie was indicted for the crime, and then acquitted by a jury. It was the trial of the century. She and her sister eventually moved to a home on French Street, and the murder home is now a bed-and-breakfast where Andrew and Abby are said to still roam.
LaLaurie Mansion
Location: New Orleans, La.
Notable ghosts: Victims of Madame LaLaurie
Horrific stories of torture and abuse inflicted on slaves who worked in this house were reported in the 1830s and the abuser was said to be Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite of great wealth and prominence in New Orleans. Delphine and her husband, Dr. Louis LaLaurie, would host elaborate parties at the house, but soon, stories of vicious cruelty emerged. In one tale, Delphine was whipping the child of a slave when the child broke away and ran to the roof, falling to her death. But the turning point came when a fire broke out in the mansion and when help arrived, they witnessed horrific scenes of punishment and torture inflicted on the slaves. Delphine fled, never to be seen again.
The home has undergone many changes and owners over the years, with one of the most recent owners actor Nicolas Cage. Cage said of the LaLaurie house, "You know, other people have beachfront property; I have ghost-front property." Unfortunately, Cage lost the property in a foreclosure auction.
The White House
Location: Washington, D.C.
Notable ghosts: Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln
It makes sense that a home this old and with so much history has a lot of ghosts. Abigail Adams, wife of second president John Adams, is considered to be the "oldest" ghost in the White House since she and John were the first to live in the big, drafty home that was still unfinished when they moved in on Nov. 1, 1800. She was known to hang her laundry in the East Room and is still "spotted" there to this day. But perhaps the most notable ghost is 16th president Abraham Lincoln, who reportedly had psychic powers and even anticipated his assassination days before. Many former presidents, residents and heads of state have seen Lincoln or felt his presence throughout the White House, including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who fainted at the sight of him.
Other famous ghosts include Dolley Madison, who stands watch over her Rose Garden; seventh president Andrew Jackson has been heard laughing in the Rose Bedroom; third president Thomas Jefferson plays his violin in the Yellow Oval Room; ninth president William Henry Harrison haunts the White House attic; and British soldiers are seen walking the hallways.
Franklin Castle
Location: Cleveland
Notable ghosts: Babies crying
Finally, a haunted home that really looks haunted. Complete with a tower, turrets, balconies, stone outcroppings, gargoyles, wrought-iron fixtures and fences, this imposing, Gothic-style Franklin Castle is said to be Ohio's most haunted home. It was built in 1860 for Hannes Tiedemann, an immigrant from Germany who became a wholesale grocer-turned-banker. Depending on who you believe, Tiedemann was either an evil tyrant who had a hand in mysterious deaths that occurred in the home between 1865-1895 — including the deaths of three babies — or he was a decent and hard-working man, but faced unfortunate circumstances. There have been many owners of the home including a German singing society and a church group.
Presently, it is owned by an Internet businesswoman who wanted to renovate the home, turn it into a B&B and hold "haunted mystery weekends" — but a fire in 1999 derailed her plans. It is rumored that Franklin Castle will be listed soon. In the market for a haunted house? Amenities include sounds of footsteps, babies crying, and doors slamming … and no one's there. How many agents dare to appear for this broker's open house?
Sprague Mansion
Location: Cranston, R.I.
Notable ghosts: Amasa Sprague, Charlie the butler
One of Cranston's most prosperous families, the Sprague family, owned Cranston Print Works, a textile mill that was the first to make calico prints and help pioneer chemical bleaching. When William Sprague died in 1836, he left the business to his two sons, Amasa and William II. Amasa concentrated on the family business while William II focused on politics, serving as a U.S. Representative, governor and U.S. Senator. On Dec. 31, 1843, Amasa was found shot and beaten on the road between his textile mill and his mansion. A man was hanged for the crime, but later found to be innocent. The true killer was never found. The Sprague family's fortunes eventually faded and the Sprague Mansion changed ownership many times until the Cranston Historical Society saved it from demolition in 1967.
Hauntings of the mansion most often observed include Amasa in the wine cellar and a spirit thought to be "Charlie the butler" descending the main stairway. Legend goes that Charlie's hopes and dreams of riches were dashed when his daughter did not marry the wealthy homeowner's son.
Chambers Mansion
Location: San Francisco
Notable ghost: Claudia
In the prestigious Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco is the Chambers Mansion, which was built in 1887 and named after its first owner, Richard Chambers, who was a silver mine tycoon. Legend goes that Chambers lived here with his two nieces who hated each other. When Chambers died in 1901, the nieces inherited the mansion. One reportedly bought the house next door and moved in while the other sister, Claudia, stayed. Claudia reportedly loved pigs but met her fate one day when she was nearly cut in half from what her family called a "farm implementation accident."
Ghost expert Jim Fassbinder, who conducts haunted home tours in San Francisco, "claims that an insane member of the Chambers family, who was kept in the attic, chased Claudia downstairs into the Josephine room and killed her." The mansion was eventually converted to the Mansion Hotel in 1977, where celebs such as Barbra Streisand, Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams stayed. Many guests have reported strange occurrences while staying there.
Myrtles Plantation
Location: St. Francisville, La.
Notable ghost: Chloe
Take an historic old, antebellum plantation home from 1796, surround it with trees draped with Spanish moss, and set it in voodoo-rich Louisiana and you have the perfect setting for ghosts. But, you need mayhem and history to generate ghosts and there are lots of both at the Myrtles Plantation. In 1808, Clark Woodruff took charge of the plantation from his deceased father-in-law, Gen. David Bradford, where he kept things running along with his wife, Sara, and three kids. Legend has it that Woodruff also took a special liking to a slave he owned named Chloe. But Chloe was immensely jealous of Woodruff's family and baked a birthday cake filled with poisonous oleander leaves. Woodruff's wife, Sara, and two of their children died. Chloe confessed, but fellow slaves retaliated, hanging Chloe and dumping her body in the Mississippi.
Lots of other natural deaths occurred in the home, but the only other murder was when plantation owner William Winter was shot and killed in 1871 while standing on the front porch. He supposedly staggered inside, dying on the 17th step of the home. Myrtles Plantation is also reportedly built on the site of an old Indian burial ground and during the Civil Warn Union soldiers ransacked the home. While it is hard to separate fact from fiction, popular sightings of ghosts around Myrtles Plantation include the large mirror in the home that contains the spirits of Sara Woodruff and her children, ghosts seen around the 17th step and, of course, Chloe who is outside, tending to her plantings. The house is on National Register of Historic places and is now a bed and breakfast.
Stranahan House
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Notable ghost: Frank Stranahan
The Stranahan House was one of several structures built between 1893-1906 along the New River in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by an enterprising young man named Frank Stranahan. Frank arrived in 1893 to operate a barge ferry across the river and was the first non-Indian to live in what is now the center of Fort Lauderale. Soon, this prime location spawned other businesses for Stranahan, including a trading post, post office, bank and hotel. He became a powerful land owner in the area and soon, the Stranahan Trading Post became well-known. He married school teacher Ivy Cromartie and built her a home right on the New River in 1906, the Stranahan House, which still stands today as the oldest remaining structure in Broward County. Frank and Ivy were considered Fort Lauderdale's First Family.
This is also where Stranahan's story turns grim. He suffered from depression and his mental health could not endure a hurricane that devastated his businesses, or the financial effects of the Great Depression. Stranahan committed suicide on June 23, 1929 by strapping a large iron gate to his ankle and throwing himself into the New River. There are many reports of Frank Stranahan's ghost in the Stranahan House, as well as the ghost of Ivy Cromartie. Other ghostly presences include six family members and the apparition of an Indian servant girl near the back of the home. The Stranahan House is now open to public tours.
Whaley House
Location: San Diego
Notable ghost: "Yankee Jim" Robinson
In 1849, as news of the Gold Rush broke, young Thomas Whaley moved from New York to California and opened a hardware store in San Francisco. Arson destroyed his business in 1851, so he moved to San Diego — the present day Old Town San Diego — where he set up general store businesses. Always the entrepreneur, he also started a brick-making business and used those kiln-fired bricks to build a granary. Then, in 1857, he built an adjacent two-story Greek Revival brick building where he and his wife, Rachel Pye, lived. It was considered the "finest new brick block in Southern California" by the San Diego Herald, and cost $10,000. The walls were finished with plaster made from ground seashells.
The site of the house is also where gallows once stood and where "Yankee Jim" Robinson was hanged for attempted grand larceny. Whaley reportedly witnessed the hanging, but was not fazed by it, since he bought the property a few years later, removed the gallows, and built the Whaley family home on the site. Shortly after moving in, heavy footsteps could he heard throughout the house "by the boots of a large man." Whaley concluded it was Yankee Jim, whose spirit is alive and well two centuries later. Two later tragedies occurred in the house: the Whaleys' second child, Thomas, Jr, died at 18 months of scarlet fever and their fifth child, Violet, committed suicide in 1885. The home was designated a California State Historic Landmark in 1932 and is open to public tours.
An aside: Thomas Whaley had some prominent family history: His grandfather, Alexander Whaley, supplied George Washington with badly needed muskets during the American Revolution's Battle of White Plains and his mother, Rachel, made some shrewd real estate deals including buying "Sheeps Meadows," which was used as grazing land in New York City. It is now known as Central Park.
But, wait. Where is the Amityville Horror House?
Amityville Horror House
Location: Amityville, N.Y.
Notable ghost: None
We saved the least haunted home in America for last, but felt the need for inclusion because it is a notorious home that was the scene of a horrific murder in November 1974. The Amityville Horror House is perhaps the most "commercialized haunted house" in America. It is where 23-year-old Ron DeFeo, Jr. killed his mother, father, two brothers and two sisters with a rifle as they slept in their beds. The Lutz family purchased the home in 1975 for $80,000 but left after 28 days in which they described many supernatural events occurring such as slime oozing down walls, strange odors, moving furniture, swarms of flies in the dead of winter, and slamming doors, to name a few.
Soon a best-seller was born, "The Amityville Horror: A True Story," which also subsequently generated nine movies. In reality, the Amityville story was more fiction than fact. DeFeo's lawyer, William Weber, admitted that he along with the Lutzes "created this horror story over many bottles of wine." After the Lutzes moved on, several families have lived in the home for decades each and have expressed nothing horrific occurring. As a matter of fact, the home was just recently sold to a couple who report that the only thing scary about it are the people who come gawking.
Travelocity Names Top Haunted Hotels in America
With Halloween just days away, travelers bent on spooking themselves should consider planning a trip to a haunted hotel. Travelocity’s editors picked six of their favorites in the US.
Historic Anchorage Hotel, Anchorage, AK
The intimate size of this 26-room hotel lets guests get up close and personal with the property’s reported 32 spirits in residence. Ghosts include a woman in a wedding dress, a laughing little boy and girl and, most famously, John 'Jack' Sturges. Jack was the first Chief of Police and was shot with his own gun in an alley behind the hotel in 1921. His murder has never been solved and he is said to haunt the hotel to this day.
The Homestead, Hot Springs, VA
Built in 1766, The Homestead is one of America’s oldest resorts. Ghostly encounters include staff members being approached by a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes and being asked for the time. Legend has it that in the early 1900s, a woman was set to be married at The Homestead. On the day of her wedding, her husband-to-be, nervous and having second thoughts, told her to stay in their room while he ran out for a moment. He left the hotel, never to return again. The story goes that the bride became so distraught she took her own life. Now, her sprit roams the resort asking guests and staff for the time, still waiting for her groom to arrive.
Hotel San Carlos, Phoenix, AZ
Though the Hotel San Carlos has hosted many famous people including Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Mae West, its most famous guest is the one said to still be residing at the hotel – though she died more than 80 years ago. Leone Jensen was an actress who leapt from the rooftop in 1928 and guests have reported a woman's shape floating through the hallway and up the stairs that lead to the roof.
Hotel Jerome, Aspen, CO
The iconic Hotel Jerome’s 120-year history includes a resident ghost known as 'water boy.' Legend has it that in 1936, a 10-year-old drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool. The family stayed in Room 310, which overlooked the pool, on that fateful visit. Throughout the years, many guests and hotel employees have encountered the ghost of the small boy. He is always soaking wet and will not speak, leaving behind only wet footprints. The haunting always occurs near Room 310.
Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, LA
In 2003, the International Society of Paranormal Research spent several days investigating Hotel Monteleone and, while at the hotel, the team made contact with more than a dozen spirits. The hotel is also said to be haunted by a little boy named Maurice, whose father died on a trip to New Orleans and whose mother died shortly thereafter. The speculation is that the ghost of young Maurice sometimes roams the halls searching for his parents on the 14th floor where they were staying at the time of his father’s death.
Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, CA
The Queen Mary is recognized as one of the most haunted locations in the world, some say with as many as 200 spirits. Reports of ghostly encounters include figures dressed in period clothing walking through the halls or the sound of a little girl laughing coming from the empty swimming pool. Hotel guests and Queen Mary staff have reported flickering lights and whispers from inside empty hotel rooms and claimed sheets were pulled from the bed by unseen forces.
NEW BOOK: Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture.
About 68 percent of Americans believe in the possibility of the paranormal, according to the authors of the newly published book "Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture."
Baylor associate professors of sociology Dr. Carson Mencken and Dr. Christopher Bader, along with Joseph Baker, co-authored the book about paranormal beliefs in the U.S. The book is geared toward a general audience.
"Anyone can read it and everyone should read it," Mencken said.
The book examines who tends to believe in the paranormal and how pervasive paranormal beliefs are in society. The book also researches paranormal theories but does not confirm or deny their validity.
"The book is about the believers of the paranormal, not whether or not it is real," Bader said.
Mencken and Bader began their work on this book in response to the realization that by looking at existing research, no one knew who paranormal believers were.
"Research was a mess," Bader said. "It was old and no one had done a random sample. There were good studies done about whether Methodists or Presbyterians believe, but not about the average American."
Mencken said a lot of media stereotype paranormal believers as uneducated, unemployed alcoholics.
"We were surprised to find in our research that the people who believe in the paranormal fit none of those stereotypes," Mencken said. "We discovered that those that held unconventional beliefs were of a respected position."
Mencken and Bader hope that readers will walk away from their book with an understanding of what sociologists do, and how pervasive the paranormal is in society.
"Roughly two-thirds of people believe in the possibility of one paranormal item, which includes astrology, UFOs, psychic abilities, Atlantis, Bigfoot, ghosts and haunted houses," Bader said.
People from more conservative religious traditions tend to be less willing to believe in the paranormal than those from more moderate traditions, Mencken said.
"People who are more moderately religious tend to believe in the paranormal," Bader said. "If you are not at all religious, or highly religious, it is not likely that you will believe. Someone who attends church once a month is much more likely to believe in the paranormal than someone who attends church on a weekly basis."
While researching, the authors found that it was not difficult to find paranormal believers due to the large number of organizations devoted to the unconventional beliefs.
"Something that has changed in the paranormal over the decades is the level of organization," Bader said. "Texas has several Bigfoot organizations and Waco has a ghost hunting club."
The two professors went on a ghost hunt in the fall of 2007 and brought along a few graduate students of sociology, including Andrew Whitehead.
Whitehead said spending time with the ghost hunters and learning about their experiences and how they hunt ghosts was an interesting experience when he was new to learning how to study society.
"I didn't see or feel anything so I can't speak to whether or not ghosts were there," Whitehead said. "But I was surprised to remember how it felt when I was a kid and I was discovering my grandparents' attic and it's all new and exciting. Going into the haunted house with the ghost hunters, I had the same exciting rush."
Whitehead said he can't recommend going ghost hunting, because he wasn't actually hunting ghosts but watching the hunters. He said that spending time with ghost hunters is always exciting.
Bader said there are fliers at Ninfa's in downtown Waco about weekly ghost tours that are offered if anyone is interested in experiencing the paranormal this Halloween season.
The book is now available in bookstores and online.
What Will Happen to Bertie Hall?
With a lack of funding and support the entire collection of doll houses and dolls were auctioned off this year and the home known as Bertie Hall has an uncertain future.
Today, the historical house remains empty.
Since 2001, when I first visited, the house has been a subject of great interest to paranormal investigators. Prior to my visit, the curator had several psychics do readings on the home. All the psychics and investigators came to the same conclusion - Bertie Hall is haunted.
To me, it was one of the most interesting haunted locations I have investigated and I have returned often to conduct investigations and research.
But what will become of Bertie Hall? Who will the city lease it too and will future paranormal investigators be welcomed?
Here is an article from the Niagara Falls Review:
Doll houses on auction block
By JOHN ROBBINS , REVIEW STAFF WRITER
Historic Bertie Hall won't sit vacant for long, predicts Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin.
"We look forward to getting a new tenant in there -- one that's in keeping with our heritage," Martin said Sunday. "I'm sure there will be lots of people who will be willing to take over the building. We'll be going through a process starting immediately so we can have it up and running for the first of the year."
Since 1983, Bertie Hall has been home to the Mildred M. Mahoney Dolls' House Gallery.
The gallery, which was home to one of the largest and finest collections of antique miniatures in the world, once attracted 4,000 people a year.
But the gallery fell on hard times in recent years and was forced to close.
On Saturday, contents of the gallery were auctioned off with proceeds to be distributed to charity in keeping with the provisions of the late Mildred Mahoney's will.
Hundreds of items were up for grabs, including some pieces that are more than 200 years old.
The oldest doll house in the museum dates back to 1780 and was owned by six generations of the same family.
Total proceeds raised through auction haven't been tallied yet, but auctioneer Don Plato said he was pleased with how the sale went.
"For a niche market sale it was good," said Plato.
Buyers who came in person for the sale travelled from as far away as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
"We had (absentee) bids from California, Maine and Florida over the phone," said Plato.
The highest selling item was a doll house that sold for a cool $11,000.
"It brought more than I thought it would, but then there were some that I thought would bring more that brought less," Plato said Sunday evening. "Now, I have to deliver it to Massachusetts," he added with a chuckle.
Martin himself couldn't resist the urge to pop by the sale for a little while to see how things were going.
"It looked to be a good crowd," said Martin.
"It was a beautiful day for it. I don't know what the end results will be, but it'll be interesting to see what took place. There were some priceless pieces on display there."
Bertie Hall was built in the Greek revival style in 1835.
The property has been owned by the Niagara Parks Commission since 1981.
The Town of Fort Erie leases the building for a nominal sum.
Originally a residence, Bertie Hall was an important stop on the Underground Railway, which helped fugitive slaves from the U.S. make their way to freedom.
From 1828 to 1865, it is believed there was a tunnel located in the basement that served as a main entry point for freedom seekers.
"Since this all happened, I've had preliminary discussions with individuals who are interested in doing some things there. We'll go through the process and see what the proposals are to ensure the fact that from the black history aspect it's important to include that with it as well."
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