One of the many haunted buildings on the property of Sanatorio Duran. Photo by Erin Morris www.delauravida.com. Perhaps the best-known location for paranormal activity is located within the shadow of Irazu Volcano. Some 38 miles from San Jose, near Cartago, is the Sanatorio Carlos Duran. Driving from Cartago, as you head toward Irazu, follow the road to the left which heads to Prusia and you will find it there. Dr. Duran felt that the location and the climate would make a perfect place to treat patients stricken with tuberculosis and leprosy and so, in 1915, he built the hospital.

 Throughout the years, the sanatorium/hospital was transformed from a medical facility to an insane asylum and, for a time, also served as an orphanage. However, the Colossus of Costa Rica, as Irazu is known locally, decided in 1973 that Dr. Duran’s hospital had run out of time. The 1973 volcanic eruption forced the hospital to close once and for all-at least for the living.

 Residents in and around Cartago have long reported spectral encounters throughout the hospital grounds. Ghost Hunters International, a spinoff of the popular Ghost Hunters show on the American SyFy channel, made Dr. Duran’s sanatorium one of two Costa Rican locales that were investigated. Encounters range from sounds, feelings of sadness, shadow images, and items being tossed out of the patient’s rooms. One of the more persistent stories is that of an image of a nun who is seen on the grounds. Perhaps she is tending the sick in the next world, much as she did in this one.

Inside the haunted walls of Las Ruinas, Cartago, Costa Rica. Photo by Erin Morris www.delapuravida.com. The town of Cartago is also home to a famous ghost tale. In Parque Central, Cartago, you can visit Las Ruinas de la Parroquia -a spot where churches, of one type or another, have stood since 1575. Legend has it that in the 1800s, a young priest fell in love with his sister-in-law and had a scandalous affair. The affair was discovered by his brother, the mayor, who killed the priest in a jealous rage. Soon after the murder, the original church was destroyed during the earthquake of 1841. It was then rebuilt and almost immediately after completion, it was destroyed again in the quake of 1910. An earthquake continually halted all attempts at reconstruction of the church, prompting the townsfolk of Cartago to give up on reconstruction, deducing that the grounds were evil and haunted. Although only the outer walls of the building remain, visitors tell of a headless spirit who continues to roam the church grounds.

 The other site, which the Ghost Hunters International team investigated, is San Lucas Island.  Though inhabited by various indigenous groups since roughly 1000 A.D., the island is best known for its infamous prison. Prior to its construction in 1873, under the orders of Tomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérre, it was used by the Spanish as an internment camp for natives who were subsequently killed at the site of their ancestor’s burial grounds.

 During its tenure, San Lucas had a reputation as both one of the most dreaded prisons in Central America and as the final destination of some of the most horrific criminals in Costa Rica. Murderers and rapists were intermingled with political prisoners and, as might be expected, many perished. There are countless stories of torture and of the suffering of those sentenced there. Among the many ghostly encounters recorded is that of a nurse who was reportedly raped and killed by the prisoners while she was treating them. It is said her ghost can be found in one of the holding cells which has two drawings of a woman-allegedly made with her own blood.

 San Lucas is now a national park and there are several tour companies offering the adventurous the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the ancients and of the ghost hunters.

 For those seeking a more inviting location to check out the paranormal, a visit to the beach at Playa Grande is recommended. Rumored to be an ancient burial and ceremonial site of one of the long forgotten tribes who lived in the region, Ticos and non-Ticos alike have reported various ghostly encounters. At the very least, there is the sun, the sand, and the ocean which can certainly compensate for a lack of paranormal activity.

 Costa Rica also has its’ own version of the banshee. Although she is known throughout much of Central and South America, La Llorona (the Crier) has a unique Costa Rican identity. Maria, (the Crier’s name) apparently got involved with someone while she was married and had his child. In despair, she is said to have thrown the baby into the river before taking her own life. She wanders the length and breadth of Costa Rica, usually near water, looking for her lost child and crying a warning to those thinking of having an affair.

 Ghost hunting in paradise? Why not? It’s just another facet to explore in this green and beautiful land of Pura Vida

 Source http://thecostaricanews.com/paranormal-pura-vida-haunted-spots-in-costa-rica/5854

The 64ft-high ride was initially in an area called Monk’s Walk – a footpath linked to the nearby ruins of 1,400-year-old Chertsey Abbey.

But staff reported ghostly sightings, including the headless holy man, and an uneasy feeling they were being watched.

Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, called in paranormal investigator Jim Arnold. He got extreme Ouija board readings and ghostly images in photos of the site.

He added: “We felt the only explanation could be an ancient burial ground was being disturbed, prompting the paranormal activity.” Storm Surge has now been moved to another area of the park.

Source www.thesun.co.uk

 of a baby that died at the Skirvin hotel as legend goes. The legend says that a mother jumped from the hotel floor while holding her baby. The Skirvin crying baby could be more real and strange than you would have ever thought.

A year ago, the New York Knicks basketball team were battling a losing season that had virtually everything going wrong from them, even claims that they couldn’t sleep because of the Skirvin crying baby ghost in their room.

In January 2010, the team were set to battle the Oklahoma City Thunder. So they stayed at the Skirvin Hilton, a hotel long noted for alleged paranormal activity.

In the 1930s, a woman jumped to her death at the Skirvin Hotel while holding her baby in her arms, claims the legend. Eddy Curry told the news at the time that he stayed on the 10th floor the night before his Thunder game. That’s the same floor the woman alleged jumped with her crying baby. Curry said he had to switch to Nate Robinson’s room because he couldn’t sleep. Other players say they couldn’t sleep that night and heard ghosts like the baby all night long.

One NBA player told the New York Daily News at the time “I definitely believe it…the place is haunted. It’s scary.”

THE SKIRVIN’S STRANGE PAST…AND PRESENT

This beautiful, grand hotel was built during 1910-1911. by oil and land development entrepreneur, the always well-dressed, proper William Balser Skirvin. William and architect Solomon Layton created a most luxurious, deluxe hotel on the land that he owned at 1 Park Avenue and Broadway. William Skirvin originally wanted a 6 storied building. However, the plans were changed, adding an additional 4 floors, at the recommendation of his architect Solomon Layton, who designed the Oklahoma City Capitol building,

Impressive woodwork, high ceilings and the best of materials and craftsmanship surely does create a high-end, classy hotel. “Malakoff bricks for the exterior, ornate marble for the lobby, and rare woods for paneling” were some of these high quality materials. The hotel had its own gas pipeline to the building, three wells to provide for its water supply, and its own electric plant. These extras allowed the hotel to have its own laundry facility and cooling system. Air conditioning, running water, telephones and private baths in all of the rooms, and a large, 500 seat ballroom were some of the amenities offered to its guests.

A wide range of people enjoyed their stay at the Skirvin Hotel. Being close to the State Capitol building brought in a wealthy clientele, who could afford the price of admission, and enjoyed the perks of the place. Also, other clientele reflected the “frontier character” of Oklahoma, an up and coming state. Indians, ranchers, and drillers were also welcomed.

A new 12 story wing was added to the hotel in 1926. Because of the new oil boom in 1928, $3 million dollars worth of improvements were made to the hotel. By 1930, all floors of the hotel had 14 stories, creating 525 rooms and suites, plus additional features making better use of the hotel, and providing more opportunities for income. While it was a while before the suites on the 14th floor were ready for guests, the rooftop Venetian Room and Restaurant & cabaret, located in the middle wing was up and running from the start, and was very popular.

An additional $75,000 was spent in improving the lobby. It was “doubled in size, furniture was reupholstered in floral designs, specially designed Gothic lanterns costing $1,000 each were suspended from the ceiling, and hand-carved English fumed oak was added to the walls and doors.”

During the prohibition years, The Skirvin Hotel provided a safe room for private drinking for its guests; a perk they were never busted on by the authorities, who had bigger fish to fry.

During WW 2, the hotel suffered some decline, and lost some of its luster. When William Skirvin died in 1944, The Skirvin Hotel was sold to Dan W. James, who spend the next 10 years investing money in its upkeep and making improvements. In 1963, Mr. James sold The Skirvin Hotel to Chicago investors, which was the beginning of a period of struggle for this hotel. This hotel passed through several owners, who did their best to keep the place going in the right direction.

In 1979, The Skirvin Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which gave it some protection from developers. The Skirvin Hotel was in need of major renovations in 1989, but there were not enough funds to accomplish this, so this hotel was closed, and remained so until it was purchased by Oklahoma City in 2002. In 2004, The Skirvin Group began restoration and renovation efforts, in partnership with Marcus Hotels and Resorts, and funded mainly by a financing package developed by the Oklahoma City, City Council. This huge restoration project, costing millions of dollar,was finished on time and within budget. This newly restored, grand lady of a hotel reopened on March 2007, as The Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

The Hauntings

During the prohibition years, high class “social escorts” perhaps made their way to the Skirvin Hotel, past the main desk to service gentlemen guests. This hotel was so large it would be hard to know what was going on in all 224 guest rooms, and outside entities probably invaded with ease, as William Skirvin welcomed everyone, in the spirit of hospitality. As an unintended consequence of one such encounter, a young woman met her end in one of the rooms.

Sometime during the 1930′s after all the floors were 14 stories, it is said, perhaps by his enemies, that W.B. Skirvin himself had an affair with a young maid, and a pregnancy resulted. To avoid the scandal and the ruination of his name, the legend says that W.B. Skirvin held the maid captive on top of the 14th floor, before and after her pregnancy. The distressed young woman supposedly would scream and bang on the door, but no one would help her out of her prison. The maid eventually went mad, and jumped out the window with her baby in her arms. The one flaw in his dastardly tale is that by 1930, William would’ve been a pretty old man to be chasing the maids around the bed. He was born in 1860, which means he would’ve been in his 70′s.

This may be just a libelous story, but it is true that a maid did jump from the ledge with her baby, perhaps suffering from a combination of postpartum depression, abandonment by her lover and a sense of hopelessness in her life.

Manifestations

Cries and screams of a woman are heard.

Strange noises and items being moved by an unseen presence have been reported.

Female entity of the young prostitute:

Male guests of the Skirvin Hotel throughout the years have reported hearing a disembodied female voice propositioning them.

On occasion, this female prostitute appears in the bathroom when an unsuspecting male is taking a shower.

One male guest reports that he woke up with this amorous female entity in his bed! I bet he made a quick exit!

Entities of the maid, known as Effie by the staff, and her baby girl.

A maid’s cart, with no person attached to it, has been seen rolling up and down the halls of the hotel.

Her apparition has been seen, wandering up and down the hallways, trying to find some peace, as suicide seldom brings relief from the distress of life.

Her apparition has been seen standing a distance from the window she jumped from. One witness saw her run to the window, like she was going to go out, and then fades into nothing.

The cries of the baby sometimes keep female guests awake.

**********

Another Version of the Legend

A rich oil tycoon, W.B. Skirvin, after much coaxing from his daughter, built the Skirvin Hotel in 1910 in Oklahoma. His goal was to have the best place for locals and travelers to bed down or just visit on a daily basis. It was a very elaborate hotel with over 10 floors, expensive bedding, cutlery, drapery, and lighting fixtures. In fact, it was one of the first places to have air-conditioning.

However, things went bad for the popular oilman, at least on the down-low, as he was said to have gotten a young employee pregnant. His mistress was only referred to as Effie by her co-workers, but she was never seen after she became pregnant. After all, the rich man had a reputation to keep up.

Soon after Effie became pregnant, her lover ordered her to remain holed up in one of the hotel rooms. It is said that Effie became so depressed and angry from the manner of treatment, she took her baby and jumped from the window of the hotel. Although they both died from the fall, the Skirvin crying baby and Effie continued to haunt the hotel for many years.

Prior to the hotel’s closing in 1988, visitors reported that they could hear the voice of a woman and see a naked ghostly figure of a woman walking around. At night, the sounds of a baby crying could be heard throughout the Skirvin Hotel.

This was taken from Phantoms and Monster and is copyright by the articles owner

PARANORMAL organisations

from around Australia have called on Wollondilly Shire Council to renew the operating licence of Picton Ghost Tours.

The licence is under review because residents complained about the tours.

Several locals living near the “haunted” Mushroom Tunnel say they believe noise and recent incidents of vandalism will cease if the Ghost Tours are shut down.

Picton Ghost Tours co-owner Jenny Davies said many different organisations had asked if there was anything they could do to help.

“I hope it makes a big difference,” Mrs Davies said. “Maybe the council will see that we have a lot of support. I think the more support we get the better.”

Mrs Davies said there would be a meeting with the council and residents some time, but that a date for this was yet to be set.

She said she sympathised with the residents who had complained, but said local youths and not Ghost Tour clients were causing the problem.

The owner of Jason Ghost Hunting, Jason King, said knowledge of the Mushroom Tunnel at Picton was growing among foreign tourists interested in paranormal activity.

“People are not just coming from Sydney to the tours,” Mr King said.

“They are coming from worldwide. I have had people from Canada and the US tell me their stories on my website.”

Mr King said the tunnel was an important asset for the Picton community as well as for the paranormal community.

Paranormalist Peter Adams said he had had strong experiences in the tunnel.

He said he had been overtaken by spirits the last time he visited and had collapsed and been unable to get up for about 10 minutes.

Mrs Davies said this often happened on the tours.

The tours were started in by 1999 by Liz Vincent, the mother of Mrs Davies, who, with her father, John Vincent, kept running the ghost tours after Mrs Vincent died in 2009.

Mrs Davies said the tours were her mother’s legacy and that she was trying to keep them going for her and her town, and for the paranormal community

This was taken from WollondillyAdvertiser and is copyright by the articles owner

– the two freaky weeks leading up to Halloween.  And although a connection between increased paranormal activity and “All Hallows Eve” has never been proven, what better time of year to bring awareness to the Paranormal Field? 

As such, please enjoy this little series of posts on fiendishly freaky places to visit in New England over the weeks leading up to Halloween.  I hope you get a chance to drop in for a scare! 

And while we’re on the subject, are you, or anyone you know, experiencing paranormal activity in your home and would like some answers?  If so, please remember that our group, the Paranormal Research Association of Boston, conducts FREE, confidential paranormal investigations, using science as our main tool of discovery. 

The Bridgewater Triangle

No location in Massachusetts summons up a greater sense of the Unknown than the Bridgewater Triangle.  You’ve probably heard of the Bermuda Triangle, but this area in the Southeast region of Massachusetts is known for its own brand of paranormal phenomena.  The triangle is cornered by the towns of Abington, Rehoboth, and Freetown, and contains the historic Bridgwater State College, and mysterious Hockomock Swamp. 

Paranormal claims range from various cryptid sightings to abnormally frequent encounters with unidentified flying objects.  But I want to focus on the activity associated with a more appropriate phenomenon : ghosts. 

Bridgewater State College 

Thanks to our friends over at The Shadowlands for a great summary of paranormal activity at the Bridgewater State College.  Many of the residence halls on campus are supposedly plagued by paranormal activity.  The fifth floor of Shea-Durgin hall is purportedly haunted by a poltergeist who likes to stack chairs and soda cans, while room 228 is said to be occupied by the spirit of a murdered female student.  In addition, Wood Hall and Tillinghast halls are supposedly haunted by other students who met untimely fates.

But student residences are not the only locations with purported activity.  The Campus Centre Auditorium is said to be the haunt of a ghost named George, who likes to play with stage lights and musical instruments left in the orchestra pit.

Ghost Hitchhiker on Route 44
Our friend Courtney over at Haunt Jaunts has an awesome account of this ghostly phenomenon. 

People often report seeing a ghostly man with red hair and a plaid shirt hitchhiking on Route 44 between Sekonk and Rehoboth.   In one account, a woman reports seeing a man matching that description who suddenly appeared in the middle of the road.  After driving her car straight through the ghostly figure, she stopped the car to investigate.  Purportedly, she found no evidence of anyone in the road.

Hockomock Swamp

Termed “The Devil’s Swamp” by early settlers, its name actually means “the place where spirits dwell”.  Witnesses report seeing ghostly lights and spheres of energy hovering through the shadowy forests.  Within the area, several Native American burial grounds attest to the spiritual nature of this hallowed land.

Whichever location within the Bridgewater Triangle piques your interest for a freaky encounter, please make sure to obtain proper permission before stepping foot in any of these fiendish locations

This was taken from Para-Blog and is copyright by the articles owner

the now defunct Essex County Hospital Center campus in Cedar Grove — which housed and treated psychiatric patients from 1896 until its final closure in 2007 – has been slated for demolition. In a news conference this afternoon, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. will join with officials from K Hovnanian to discuss the details of the plan. The County Executive requested that K Hovnanian remove the abandoned buildings because they had become “safety hazards and eyesores in the community,” according to a press release.

Formerly known as the Overbrook Insane Asylum, the facility has been a source of eerie fascination for many, and the site of ongoing alleged paranormal activities.

The subject of TV shows Ghost Adventures

 and Ghost Hunters in 2008, the 90-acre ground is said to be haunted. According to Weird New Jersey, which has written extensively on the hospital’s history, Overbrook suffered a major catastrophe during the winter of 1917. The failure of the hospital’s boilers during particularly cold weather resulted in the death of 24 patients in 20 days, with patients freezing to death in their beds. The New York Times featured the tragedy  on December 21 of that year.

Watch the video above by Baristanet’s special reporter on creepy places, Wheeler Antabanez, and then tell us if you believe in paranormal activity. Is it just a sad old eyesore, like the county says, or is it haunted. Or both.

We put the question to you, Baristaville: Once the building comes down, where will the ghosts go?

This was taken from Baristanet and is copyright by the articles owner

being filmed in Nottinghamshire, England, seems to have brought to life some peculiar paranormal events.

On the very first day of shooting the Director, Philip Gardiner, found his mobile phone ringing even though it had been turned off. The actress, Layla Randle Conde was stood before him in a scene and yet when Gardiner looked at his phone it was Layla calling him. Her phone was in her bag some distance away.

Following this was a rapid succession of batteries draining instantly, more mobile phones playing up, car alarms going off, photographs of bizarre light effects, kettles constantly turning themselves on and dials on cameras working as if they were in the Twilight Zone.

The events were so regular that it inspired some of the cast to actually return to the set during the night to hold seances where they reported strange feelings and an evil presence.

“It’s a fascinating experience even if you don’t believe in the paranormal because we we’re actually filming a horror movie. It’s as if fiction is coming to life and in all honesty I didn’t mind because it has brought an extra edge of tension to the filming.” Said Gardiner.

The movie, being filmed on location at one of the UK’s most haunted sites

is already drawing attention from the world of paranormal research with one expert saying that it’s one of the biggest “events” in years. Set to be released in 2011 following a festival tour, the film is produced by Reality Films and has been written by the Director, Philip Gardiner, who wanted a completely different approach to his film.

“I didn’t want to copy Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity. I’m aiming at classic British horror in the vein of the very best Hammer House. We have so many scary scenes that the editing is going to be hard work, but the location, cast and even the music are just so perfect that I am totally enthused by the whole thing.” Said Gardiner.

Title: The Stone: No Soul Unturned
Written and Directed by Philip Gardiner
Starring: Andrew Gough, Nik Spencer, Layla Randle Conde, Sarah Dunn, Dap C, Corjan, Simon Dulay, Wes Dolan, Suzy Deakin, Jo Jo Shaw, Tony Rotherham.

This was taken from MovieVine and is copyright by the articles owner

 at the parlour tea table, steps away from where nearly 80 years ago Henry Breckon’s body lay prepped for burial.

The air was still and hot. The house was silent, the room dark. Genier waited, alone, for something to happen.

Then he felt it. A tug — an unmistakable playful pull — on his left shoulder.

He jumped out of his chair and looked around. The room was empty.

His mind calculated. “Was it the wind? Maybe I moved slightly,” he thought.

“But none of it made sense,” he says. “Because I was just sitting there, not moving at all.”

No one knows who or what haunts Spruce Lane Farmhouse,

 a sprawling Victorian home nestled in a thick of century-old maple trees in Oakville’s Bronte Provincial Park. But that’s where Genier comes in. He’s investigating the house’s haunted status with his team at the Southern Ontario Paranormal Society.

Genier is one of a slew of investigators the park has brought in over the past year to collect evidence of paranormal activity for their summer ghost tour. The television show Ghost Trackers even recorded an episode at the farm.

Built in 1899, the Spruce Lane Farmhouse was home to the Breckon family — Henry, his wife Margaret, and their children Christine, Alice and Gordon — until the 1950s.

Some think the haunting presence is Henry, who died in 1931. Nothing is known about his death except that his body was laid out in the front parlour for a days-long wake.

But those who know the house best believe it’s haunted

 by a friendly presence; perhaps, Andrew Cirtwill suggests, the energy left behind by guests who lived at the farmhouse or visited when it was rented throughout the 50s and 60s.

“I feel safer here than most places,” says Cirtwill, who is costumed in a fake mustache and full Victorian suit he made himself.

Cirtwill is the park’s natural heritage education leader and summer ghost-tour guide. As he leads Star reporters through the house, he points out rooms and items of ghostly interest.

There’s the smoking room door people say opens and closes on its own. Some visitors, on separate occasions, have felt like a servant was following them around. Whispered words, footsteps and children’s laughter has been heard in various parts of the house.

Many people say they’ve felt an energy or presence they just can’t explain.

Cirtwill, 28, remembers experiencing an overwhelming sense of guilt when he returned to the house one day after having taken apart the dining room table to prepare for a special event.

“It was like someone or something was really mad,” he says. “Once the table was back together and looking like before, it was almost like it was appreciated.”

Since then, Cirtwill says he talks to the house. He says hello when he enters and quietly lets the house know if he’s doing anything unusual.

“I came in today and said ‘look pretty, because we’re going to have some pictures taken,’” Cirtwill says, laughing.

His fellow tour guides — Victoria Cirtwill, his wife, and Cathy Entwistle —grin and nod in agreement. They speak to the house, too.

Non-believers might scowl at such behaviour. And many would claim Genier’s shoulder-tug story is the result of an overactive imagination.

But Genier prides himself on being a skeptic because he says it’s a job requirement in the ghost-hunting business.

“I think it’s healthy to be skeptical because if you’re not you’ll think everything is a ghost,” he says.

“Ninety per cent of claims that people have are easily explainable,” he says.

Genier, 41, works for an independent film company when he’s not tracking ghosts. When he’s called to investigate a house he learns everything he can about the stories attached to it and then visits the house to conduct an investigation. His team observes, records video and tries to collect Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) — recordings of voices and sounds that can’t usually be heard by the human hear.

Believers say EVP is how spirits try to communicate with us.

 Non-believers say it’s just a trick of the mind or electronic interference.

At the Spruce Lane farm, Genier’s team collected EVPs of what they say sounds like children laughing and people murmuring and speaking — those recordings will be played throughout the park’s summer ghost tours.

Genier says Spruce Lane was a landmark in his ghost career. He had never been physically touched during an investigation before. Genier isn’t saying there is no explanation for it — he’s just saying he doesn’t have one.

“You sit there and you go to yourself what could that be?” he says. “It just makes you think: Is there something going on?

“And that’s what I want to know.”

This was taken from thestar.com and is copyright by the articles owner

on her menu board as she had done every day since Feb. 19 when a man behind her whispered, “What are you doing?”

Pierce turned around. No one was there.

She dropped the marker and ran into the back kitchen.

It wasn’t the first instance in her restaurant that she can’t quite explain, so she called in the professionals at Ghost Hunters Inc., a group of Pennsylvania residents who investigate paranormal activity.

A team of eight Ghost Hunters investigators will spend Saturday night attempting to contact the spirits Pierce believes are present throughout her restaurant.

Pierce bought the Riverfront Bar and Lounge at 338 S. Front St. in Wrightsville in
November 2008. She gutted the top two floors and remodeled the first floor where the bar is. Since then, she’s noticed strange things happening.

“Right before we opened, I came in to make sure the fridges were conditioned,” she said. “I walked into the kitchen and heard loud, organ music coming from the bar. I looked out in the bar and it stopped.”

She has also heard bathroom stall doors whipping open

and shut, but stop when she walks into the bathroom. And then there’s the walking and mumbling the barmaids have told her about — sometimes when the bar’s empty.

“I do believe,” Pierce said. “I don’t know if I’d call them ghosts, but I believe there’s something out there.”

Abel brothers: Pierce, a real estate agent for 17 years, was curious about the building’s history. She collected anything she could find to give her a glimpse into the past. Neighbors from the block had given her pictures of the building, one of which she hung out in the bar area.

The picture is from sometime between 1890 and 1920, Pierce guessed. It’s of some men standing in front of the bar, then called Abel Brothers Storefront.

Pierce pulled paperwork from York County and discovered the Abel brothers — Samuel, Milton and Albert — owned the building and sold beer, ice cream and milk. In 1937, they petitioned to sell beer, sandwiches and light lunches.

The picture of the brothers, secured by a picture hanger, constantly falls,

Pierce said. But it doesn’t fall to the floor and break. It falls straight down, onto a ledge.

Allen Phillips, the founder and lead investigator of Ghost Hunters Inc., examined the picture and the hook. He said it’s impossible for the picture to fall the way it does without breaking.

“Someone has to physically pick it up and place it on the ledge,” he said. “We’re thinking (it’s the Abel Brothers).”

Hunting: Phillips started the ghost hunting service in 1974 with his brother and best friend. To this day, it’s still just a hobby. The investigators all have full-time jobs and don’t charge a fee to their clients.

“We want to get evidence that there is life beyond the grave

 and to debunk any other kinds of sounds,” Phillips said. “We do scientific research in a paranormal world.”

The group did a preliminary investigation Wednesday night and said they found heavy activity throughout the building. Investigator Scott Wise said he could immediately feel a presence as he walked up to the second floor.

“I just felt, like a heaviness, then it lifted up,” he said. “It’s all over.”

Saturday, the group will split up into teams of two on each floor. They will use tools to attempt to contact the spirits during the four-hour investigation. An electronic voice phenomenon tool will record a spirit’s response to the investigators’ questions. The recorder can replay any noise.

The electromagnetic field detector will indicate if there is a spirit in the room. On a scale of 0.1 to 50, 50 indicating the most activity, the investigators said the Riverfront Bar and Lounge exceeded the scale during their preliminary investigation Wednesday.

“I kept it to myself until the barmaids said they were hearing things,” Pierce said. “I just want to know I’m not hearing things.”

Pierce will be part of the investigation Saturday. She said she doesn’t want skeptics to write her off as crazy and encourages people to experience what she has.

“They have to come see for themselves I guess,” Pierce said. “Just come here and hang out.”

This was taken from yorkdispatch.com and is copyright by the articles owner

The area is such a hot spot that Jumpin Gene Simmons (not KISS Front man) the co-writer of Tim McGraw’s hit song, “Indian Outlaw” wrote a song in 1964 entitled, “Haunted House.”

A little known fact that also lends itself to the possibility of paranormal activity is that Tupelo was used as a hiding spot for members of the Mafia. According to Dexter Babin, a life long student of the Mafia, “Although the group, “Dixie Mafia” wasn’t a member of the Kosa Nostra. It was actually an association of criminals with different backgrounds.”

Even just being criminals, the possibility that murders were not in the group is small. Murders tragically end lives shortly and lead to the possibility that some paranormal researchers believe lead to ghostly phenomenon.

One of the paranormal hot spots is “The Lyric Theater,” a historic landmark that is still being used to this day. The story of particular interest, at least to enthusiasts of the paranormal is the tornado in the 30s that leveled the town. According to Tom Booth, Executive Director of the Community theater “The information about the use of the Lyric during the tornado that occured on April 5, 1936 is true.”

Many sites have reported that the dead and dying of Tupelo were brought to the Lyric. Surgeries were performed by using the popcorn poppers to sterilize the instruments.

Local legends say that the theater is still haunted to this day. Probably the best time to visit the theater, if you want this kind of experience would be during the annual “Haunted Theater” event in October

This was taken from allvoices.com and is copyright by the articles owner