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Paranormal Museum in New Orleans

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10:00 am
February 10, 2010


Buffy

Investigator

posts 93

I visited Haunted Mortuary Museum in NO last year.  It claims to be actively haunted and monitored 24/7 with various types of ghost hunting equipment.  I believe the "Ghost Lab" crew made a visit to this place when it first opened.  It had a lot more museum stuff when I visited.  They had an exhibit going of supposedly haunted objects. For example, a kid's toy piano (non battery operated mini baby grand) that was found in the middle of debris from a house that was demolished from Katrina in 2005.  This piano was supposedly playing by itself as if haunted as it sat stand alone on top of the debris untouched.  The museum had "ghost hunting" equipement that you could pick up and move around, but was also bolted to the table by a chord. They had ouija boards, tarot cards, a seance room equipped with a fake seance experience, and a haunted basement experience to test fear levels.  I am the type who believes in the paranormal and they even told us that the activity was pretty strong that night, but even with all this, I didn't really experience anything out of the ordinary.  The only thing I found to be pretty creepy was one part of the basement where they had it decorated as a horror flick embalming area, which is where the embalming room originally was when it was a mortuary.  The whole basement was decked out to be "creepy" but came across as a B-list horror film so not really frightening, except this one room just felt weird. My friend that came with me screamed while jumping claiming that something just touched her leg in this area and looked and sounded truly frightened.  I thought she had just brushed past the curtains despite her fightening experience. However, even before her experience, I REALLY wanted to get out there, but can't tell you if it was the poor cheesy horror flick decorations that creeped me out or something else. When we were leaving, we were talking to the clerk and he asked us if we experienced anything and none of us really did.  I just asked where the most haunting areas were and one of the rooms was the basement embalming room, which is were I felt creeped out. He also showed us a picture that was taken when they were remodling the place and it had a little ghost girl peering over the banister. It wasn't taken with a digital camera and it looked very authentic, but hey, they are in the business of the paranormal so it could be faked without seeing the negatives. 

All I want to know is, where is their evidence? If it is monitored 24/7, you would think that they would be showing the world all that they are finding, yet you don't hear a peep nor is any evidence on their website. Does this mean they haven't found anything? At least when DT found the Yeti print or GA had the moving ghost at the Washoe Club, they had it on the news. Like I said, I can't tell you if what I was "feeling" was truly paranormal or not, but I am leaning towards the not as it was a battle of my mind hearing what the clerk had said about the strength of the paranormal activity and the Halloween decorations. Here is the link for all of you to check out. http://www.hauntedmortuary.com/  If you have even been to the place, let me know what you thought or what you think in general of providing hard evidence of the paranormal if obtained.

10:41 am
February 10, 2010


Learjet

Australia

Lead Investigator

posts 1122

If this place had any significant paranormal activity, why bother with the decorations? One would think they would only be needed if there wasn't any activity, otherwise they just contaminate the scene. Sounds as cheezy as the background music they play on GH.

OD'd on EMF

5:49 pm
February 10, 2010


Buffy

Investigator

posts 93

I agree with you Learjet because why have fake ghosty's if the real thing exsists?  They claim to have the decorations in the basement because they have this "fear experiment" that they conduct.  Set up are things that are meant to scare people and then they use the data to "measure fear."  How they measure this fear, I have no idea, but I do know there are cameras everywhere so maybe based on the number of screams and horrified facial expressions? Laughing  We were asked if we wanted to participate in it and we did not.  I was already losing my voice from being Mardi Gras so no more screaming for me. Smile   The embalming room was the last part of the experiment, yet the decorations were not behind curtains like other objects. The curtain that I thought brushed up past my friend's leg housed what look liked a demon ready to pounce. I guess it would pop out on unsuspecting victims.

Everywhere else felt like you were in a museum of paranormal stuff.  They even had the Pumpkin Head from the movie "Pumpkin Head" and a ouija board that you could try yourself, but I did not b/c real or not, those things give me the creeps! We did partake in the fake seance, which was beyond pathetic. The table moved, dry ice came from the ceiling, and a fake "ghost" appeared in the mirror.  I would be interested in going on their investigation just to see what, if anything happens, or at least review their 24/7 data.

3:03 am
February 11, 2010


Revenant

Hopelessly Locked In A "Fear Cage"

Lead Investigator

posts 1393

Buffy said: "For example, a kid's toy piano (non battery operated mini baby grand) that was found in the middle of debris from a house that was demolished from Katrina in 2005.  This piano was supposedly playing by itself as if haunted as it sat stand alone on top of the debris untouched."

Untouched…except for the mouse or roaches in it at the time.

This is the first thing that jumps to mind when I hear of a ghostly piano playing by itself.  PS featured this once.  Their reaction?  Call in Lorraine Warren the demonologist, place a binding spell on it, take the piano out of the home, take it to a warehouse, take an axe and destroy it, consecrate some ground and bury it.  It was so absurd, I swear, I couldn't have made up anything funnier…Laughing

Buffy also said: "They claim to have the decorations in the basement because they have this "fear experiment" that they conduct.  Set up are things that are meant to scare people and then they use the data to "measure fear."  How they measure this fear, I have no idea, but I do know there are cameras everywhere so maybe based on the number of screams and horrified facial expressions?"

A "fear experiment?"  Without heart monitors?  Without retinal scans?  Without monitoring brain activity?  Really?  Hmmm…perhaps the experiment is to determine the amount of people who actually buy into the ruse that an experiment in fear is actually being done?  Those tricky psychologists…Tongue out

"Skepticism is not a position, it's a process." -Dr Michael Shermer

5:36 pm
February 15, 2010


Stephen

San Jose, CA

Admin

posts 589

During last October's New Orleans trip, I hiked out to the museum from center city. It was a totally spur-of-the-moment decision– after chatting with some forum members here and hearing about the Ghost Labs episode, I decided this place was worth a visit, so I started walking.

Unfortunately, this meant that I didn't have a chance to check the hours the place was open. I figured that, since it was a museum, it should be open in the afternoon. Of course, the word "museum" is used extremely loosely here. When I arrived (after having walked for a couple of hours) I found the place shut up tight. (If any webcams picked up an unearthly wailing then, it was not paranormal– or at least no more so than anything else I do.) I took a few pictures and poked around slightly, but the place wasn't due to open for hours.

From the outside, I got the impression of a school Haunted House gone commercial. The architecture was interesting, and I got some good photos of the building's gargoyles. The atmosphere didn't seem at all disturbing to me, although as a skeptic I'm probably not that sensitive to such things. :)

On the way back to the hotel, I saw something that's had me thinking about it ever since. Someone had written the words "THINK THAT YOU MIGHT BE WRONG" on a piece of cardboard and nailed it to a telephone pole. Good advice, if you ask me.

Stephen the Friendly Skeptic

9:02 am
February 16, 2010


blinddog

Special Agent Zombie Elimination Agency

Moderator

posts 857

Stephen sez,

Someone had written the words "THINK THAT YOU MIGHT BE WRONG" on a piece of cardboard and nailed it to a telephone pole. Good advice, if you ask me.

Ah yes, the old epiphany on the road to Damascus scenario.
I too have had similar revelations, both chemically and alcohol induced, while within the confines of the 'Big Easy'.

Double tap to the head. Don't become Undead.

11:48 am
February 27, 2010


Buffy

Investigator

posts 93

Yep, they have hours that start later in the evening and end later at night to create the spooky ambiance!  Where's sheety? We had to leave by 11 or midnight, but we went and walked around in the cemetery that is right next to the building. 

But Stephen, you missed the opportunity to test your telekinesis abilities, and play with a ouija board or test your ghost hunting ability with their EMF reader or even have your "aura" read by this arcade game like machine or see the Chucky doll! Smile 

Also, while I was in NO, I went on a ghost tour and someone actually did dress up in a sheet and walk on the balcony while our tour was coming by to one of the "haunted hotels".  It was pretty funny!  I snapped a picture of it so I guess I caught a real ghost! Smile

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