Is Fresno's Chandler Airport haunted?

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a person who has an office at Fresno's Chandler Airport and is researching the history of the place. In the e-mail I was told the place had several ghosts in it and was asked if I would like to meet and investigate. I had heard stories for years that Chandler was haunted, but was never given any details so I jumped at the chance to visit.

A brief history on the airport before I delve into the paranormal part of it. Chandler Airfield started unofficially after World War I when pilots would land on an empty field owned by then State Senator Wilbur Chandler and his wife Edna. For several years the Fresno Chamber of Commerce tried to pass bond measures that would allow them to purchase land for use as an airport but with no luck. In 1929 the Chandlers gave 100 acres of their farm to the city to be used as an airport and in November of that year the airport was officially dedicated and soon after several buildings were erected to service the airport. In March of 1930 the airport received a famous visitor when Charles Lindberg and his wife landed at the airport and were greeted by a crowd of over 20,000.

In 1936 construction began on a terminal building and was designed in what was called Streamline Moderne (an architecture style popular in the 1930's). Planes flew in and out of Chandler daily (except during World War II when it was used as a military base) up to 1947. At that time airlines refused to land at Chandler anymore saying that the runway was too small and the amenities of the airport couldn't service the new type of aircraft coming out. For the most part flights ceased to occur at Chandler and most traffic was diverted to the newly built Fresno Air Terminal.

Though Chandler isn't as busy as it used to be, it still does see some traffic. The old terminal building now is the administration building for the airport. Of all the buildings there, this is the one that received the most foot traffic over the years as it would be the place passengers would enter to board their flights or the first thing one would enter after exiting a plane upon landing.

And it seems some of those that passed through its doors have never truly left.

The staff that works there have seen a variety of phenomena, but it seems the main terminal area is where most of the activity takes place. One of the workers has seen several figures emerge from a wall near where you would buy tickets, only or them to walk across the room and then vanish oblivious to the fact that he was observing them. Others have seen a figure of an older man in the old control tower (which is on the second floor of the administration building) staring out onto the field as if he's watching invisible planes taking off and landing. And still others have reported while they were outside of the building, seeing figures moving inside and upon entering the building finding it to be completely empty.

The main terminal isn't the only area that has activity. There is a restaurant that is adjacent to the terminal area (same building) and from what the staff told me it is active in its own right. They have heard voices late at night while they were closing, yet there was no one else there. Even more interesting is that several of the kitchen staff were cleaning up one night when they heard a rattling noise. They looked to the direction to where the noise was coming from and saw a plate wobbling across a counter top until it fell over the edge and onto the floor. This was late at night and there was no aircraft or any other vehicles in the vicinity that could have caused this. And interestingly enough the plate didn't break when it hit the floor.

It's hard to say what could be causing all the activity here. Given the age of the place and the countless number of people who passed through its doors it's possible that some have decided to stay here even after death for whatever reason. This is a place I definitely need to visit again. Not just to investigate, as this does need to be done, but to interview all the witnesses as well. The stories I heard briefly were interesting and definitely need to be documented. From there the history of the location needs to be researched more. Not just from a paranormal point of view, but a historical one. I didn't even know Lindberg had landed there until I was told. It makes me wonder what other secrets the airport is hiding just waiting to be uncovered.

Is a local Selma museum haunted?

It's said that if you visit the Selma Pioneer Village, located in the small town of Selma, that you can hear ghostly noises and sometimes see shadowy figures in the trees at night.

The Selma Pioneer Village started in 1980 when local resident Art Gonzales began collecting historic Selma area buildings. These included a Queen Anne style home, St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church, a railroad depot, the Unger Opera House, a doctor's office and the very first school house in Selma. There's also a large collection of ag equipment and tools as well other antique furnishings including toys and medical equipment.

The paranormal stories stem from an over night stay at the park. One witness claimed to have heard strange noises that sounded like spurs jangling while they were there late one night, but upon investigating they couldn't find where the noises were coming from or who was making them. Later that night they begin to hear what sounded like children laughing and when they went outside to see who was there, shadowy figures were seen darting from tree to tree. Another witness claimed to have heard noises coming from the area where the dutch ovens (very large, heavy oven) were at. But when a flashlight was shined on the area, there was no one there.

So that leads to the question, who or what is causing these strange incidents? Given the fact that most, if not all the buildings are over 100 years old there is a good chance that a spirit may have formed an attachment to one of them. And as far as I know, not all the buildings were originally at the same location, but were relocated there. It's a theory among paranormal investigators that when a rumored haunted spot has any work done to it, or even moved as in this case, that spirit activity increases due to the disturbances going on. Could the fact that some of the buildings aren't in the original location have awakened any spirit that was attached to them and now they make their presence known to anyone who visits the village?

Another theory is that it's a residual haunting, that the sounds of spurs and children laughing (remember there's an old school house there) are just a replay of events that happened over a century ago. For whatever these sounds get played over and over and as the years progress get fainter and fainter as the energy dissipates.

As for what really is at the Selma Pioneer Village, it's hard to say. But the rumors of it being haunted have persisted for years as a friend of mine, who has lived in Selma all her life, told me she heard it was haunted since she was a kid. So it definitely wasn't some random incident and there is definitely something there if it's known to be haunted.

The Barn Theater in Porterville said to be haunted

The Barn Theater in Portervile, CA

Image courtesy of the Porterville Ghost Society

About 16 miles east of Tulare is the small town of Porterville. Located on the Tule River at the base of the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada and was founded sometime in the 1820's. The town has a long history with a rich culture and tradition. One of those traditions is The Barn Theater. And if story is to be believed, it's said to be haunted.

The Barn Theater was founded in 1948 by Peter Tewksbury, who would later find work in Hollywood, and was originally in a barn that belonged to a Annie Smith who supported the local arts. Sometime in 1952 a new addition was added onto the barn and it's what currently is there today. The theater has had many an actor come through it's door over the years (including Ann B. Davis who played Alice on the Brady Bunch). But it seems that not all have left as several strange occurrences have been reported throughout the years.

People have reported feeling an audience in the room even though the theater was empty. According to the Porterville Ghost Society, others have reported hearing clapping and laughter as well as seeing shadowy figures.

Like many a haunted theater, it seems that some of its patrons linger on after passing from this life. Could the allure of the stage and still draw them there? Or was this where they were most happy and for whatever reason choose to remain here instead of moving on to the next plane of existence? It's hard to say really, but there is definitely a presence there that has been felt over the years.

Source: Porterville Ghost Society - The Barn Theater Investigation.

Porterville Memorial Auditorium rumored to be haunted

The Porterville Memorial Auditorium is said to be haunted by

the ghost of a little girl.

Photo courtesy of Reverbnation.com.

In the small town of Porterville, on the campus of the local high school, lies the Porterville Memorial Auditorium. Inside the building is the Frank "Buck" Shaffer Theatre, named after the school's long time band director, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a little girl.

No one knows who she is, but it's said that she was playing up on the balcony one day when she tripped and fell over the railing and died. Now it's said that if anyone is near the railing that she will appear and play tricks on them to get them to fall over the edge and die just as she did.

Inside the Frank "Buck" Shaffer Theatre. You can see the balcony

where it's said the little girl fell from to her death.

Photo courtesy of Reverbnation.com.

Another story says that backstage in the left wing near where several portraits are hung up on the wall, that their eyes would follow you as you walked by them. Whether this is some sort of paranormal activity or an optical illusion isn't know but still interesting none-the-less.

Are the stories of the little girl on the balcony true? It seems that almost every theater has its own ghost, like it is a prerequisite or something. It is interesting to note though that if you look at an index of haunted places throughout the county, theaters seem to be at the top of the list (bars and taverns run a close second). Why is this? Some paranormal researchers theorize that ghosts somehow feed off of people's emotions. What better place to experience the gambit of emotions; from happiness, sadness, and anger, than a theater? But perhaps the little girl is a vengeful spirit, upset over her untimely fate and tries to lure others to suffer the same fate as her.

Lodge in downtown Lemoore said to be haunted

Oddfellows Lodge in downtown Lemoore which is rumored to be

haunted. Photo courtesy of Waymarking.com

In downtown Lemoore there is an historic two story building that is said to be haunted. On the bottom floor there is a barber shop, a pharmacy as well as several real estate offices. But on the second floor, where the local Oddfellows Lodge is located (a fraternal society with its roots in England) is where most of the paranormal activity has occurred.

Every Halloween the local drama club sets up a haunted house attraction in the Lodge. Apparently some of the former residents aren't pleased with this as they have made themselves known in several different way. Shadowy figures have been reported seen throughout the second floor and others have reported seeing figures wearing old fashioned clothing (possibly from the late Victorian era) wandering around at night. There are also temperature changes that manifesting as both cold and hot spots. Other witnesses have also reported being filled with a dreadful sensation after being in the building for some time and have the urge to leave as quickly as possible. Once someone heard a deep male voice telling them to "leave us to rest" and others have reported to see strange green and red lights on the roof late at night.

So what are the cause of all these strange occurrences? The building was constructed in 1904 and surely has seen its fair share of inhabitants. Could former members of the lodge still be lingering around where they once met, upset that someone else is in their space now that is doing something that isn't lodge related? Or any of the previous inhabitants, upset that the Halloween attraction is being put on? Or is it just part of the Halloween attraction itself? Stories made up of supposedly real ghosts to add a bit of flavor to the attraction to get more people to come? It's really hard to say. Though a visit may be in order come Halloween to see if the attraction is still open and the stories of the hauntings are indeed true.

Visiting the ghosts of Alcatraz Island

I've been busy with Weird Fresno lately. First last week I traveled down south to ride the coasters at Magic Mountain and to explore some of the legends associated with the place. And then later that week I ventured to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. A place where some say it's one of the most haunted places in the United States.

The only way to get to The Rock is by ferry (though I imagine back in the day robbing a bank would get you there). After a twenty minute or so ride we docked at the island and after were briefed on safety rules by a park ranger. After that we were allowed to freely roam the park for as long as we liked.

After briefly touring the grounds I decided to head to the building that housed the cell block (the area where the prisoners were held) and where most of the activity takes place. I have to admit I had some preconceived notions about the place given what I had read and seen on TV.

I had assumed the cell block would be a large, dark and depressing place. But when I first walked in, it really wasn't that. Sure I had goosebumps that I was at Alcatraz, but as I started to look around I noticed how much light was in the building.

Obviously it still had an air of sadness to it being one of the toughest prisons ever in America, but I guess I had just hyped it up in my head to be this desolate place that time had forgot.

The shower area where it's said that you can hear the ghost of

Al Capone playing the banjo.

That being said I headed into the cell block and entered the shower room where you can pick up the audio tour devices. This location is one of the known hot spots of activity. It's said that when notorious mobster Al Capone did time in Alcatraz he received permission to practice his banjo in the shower area as he was afraid he would be attacked if he practiced in the prison rec yard. Now it's said that you can sometimes hear banjo music coming from the shower area, even though it's not part of the audio tour. Interesting side note to this. Several years ago my mother and sister went to Alcatraz on a field trip for school. They didn't ask me about any of the ghosts at that time and I didn't really think of telling them the stories I knew. As both my mother and sister were in the shower area they both heard banjo music and thought it was part of the audio tour but still heard it when the removed their headphones. It was only when they told me what happened later on that I told them about how Al Capone was said to haunt the area.

The laundry area which is next to the showers.

After exiting the shower area I entered the main cell block. From 1934 to 1963 there were 1545 inmates here (some were repeat offenders) and some of the more famous inmates were Al Capone, Robert Stroud the "Birdman of Alcatraz" and George "Machine Gun" Kelly among others. The cell block had 4 sections, blocks A, B, C and D. Blocks A, B and C were general population where Block D was used for isolation. Visitors to cell blocks A & B have claimed to hear moaning and crying coming from the area even though it wasn't part of the audio tour nor were there any visible signs of where the sounds could be coming from. At cell block C it's said that a visiting psychic came across a spirit that went by the name of "Butcher". According to prison records a Abie Maldowitz was murdered in C block and he was a mob hit man who was known as Butcher.

This isn't the only spirit that resides in cell block C. In 1946 three inmates, Bernard Coy, Marvin Hubbard and Joe Cretzer, were killed in the utility corridor in cell block C during a failed prison escape. When the island became a park night security guards have sometimes heard unexplained clanging sounds coming inside from the utility corridor. The guards would open the door to the corridor to see what was making the noise but find nothing. Upon closing the door the noises would start back up again.

The access door to the utility corridor on cell block C. This is where

three inmates died after a failed prison escape attempt.

The final area to have paranormal activity is cell block D, the isolation ward. Alcatraz was already known for housing the most difficult prisoners, ones who were trouble at other prisons. But the ones who were difficult at Alcatraz were placed in isolation. Upon entering this cell visitors have reported feeling what they could only describe as a "raw coldness" and some sort of intensity that filled the cell. Visitors weren't the only ones to feel something strange in 14D, some of the park rangers have reported about the strangeness that seems to encompass the cell. One stated that the cell always felt cold, even colder than the other three isolation cells. They went on to say that even when the cell block was warmed by the sun and temperatures would reach around 70 degrees, 14D would still be so cold that you would need a jacket in there to be warm.

The door on the right is the entrance to the infamous 14D

There's a story that sometime in the 1940's a prisoner was locked up in 14D and was heard constantly screaming throughout the entire night that there was a creature with glowing eyes in there with him and that it was trying to kill him. The next morning when the guards went to release the prisoner they found him strangled to death in the cell. But it gets even stranger. When the headcount was done the next day, the guards counted one too many prisoners. Some of the guards claimed to have seen the dead convict in the line, but would disappear after only a few seconds.

Photo taken from the interior of 14D looking towards the outside.

As I wandered Alcatraz I snapped many photos, hoping something would appear on camera. Unfortunately there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, not even the obligatory dust orbs. As for trying to do any voice recordings, I gave up on this as soon as I saw the large group I was with. That and all the reflective surfaces made any possible EVP virtually impossible. Going here I knew that an actual ghost investigation wouldn't be realistic (is looking for ghosts ever realistic?), but I had hoped for a bit more than just some picture taking. I know Alcatraz does offer a night tour, but I don't know how much less crowded that would be, if at all. Plus there's nothing to say whatever ghosts are there will come out at night as opposed to the day. But I definitely know the creep factor would be way amped up. That alone might be worth the admission.

It's hard for me to say if Alcatraz is truly haunted. I didn't go there looking for ghosts specifically, more of to experience the place and legends. Definitely was an experience though. Looking at all the cells, and realizing that men spent years in something smaller than my apartment bathroom was an eye opener. Plus I was AT Alcatraz, everyone knows about it and at least some of it's history. For all of the places I have explored in the past year, Alcatraz has to be the coolest. But if the stories are true about Alcatraz, it seems that even though it's no longer a working prison some of the prisoners still are imprisoned there.

Furniture store in Turlock rumored to be haunted.

Minerva's Furniture in downtown Turlock

Photo courtesy of Google Streetview.

Usually the stories I write about on here are local legends I either find somewhere on the internet, in a book or from someone's first hand account. Rarely do I find any news articles on anything paranormal related, and when I do it's rarely taken seriously. So while researching a legend in the town of Turlock, I came across this article of a haunted furniture store that was ran in the Turlock Journal back in October 2010.

The article talks about how when Carlos Sandoval, the owner of Minerva's Furniture moved his store into it's current location back in 2008. As he was moving he would notice apparitions moving in the back hallway and what sounded like metal pieces being banged together in the back warehouse. Apparently the back warehouse used to be a blacksmith's shop and some of the original equipment is still there.

Eventually Sandoval decided he wanted to know what was going on and invited a local paranormal group in to investigate. The investigation occurred on Aug. 14, 2010 and a photo of a black shadow was taken in the main building as well as several EVP recordings were done. Then in a January investigation another EVP was recorded in the basement, this time of a growling like noise.

Though these things were unable to be debunked, the investigation group was still not ready to determine Minerva's haunted. But Sandoval isn't so quick to agree. He says there are still mysteries in his store and there is something not normal there.

Full source: Turlock Journal

Author: Maegan Martens

How legends get started

Disclaimer: Please do not enter any of the locations mentioned in this article without permission from the owners. These places and those like them are considered private property and entering them without the owner's permission is trespassing. You will be arrested for this and will make it harder for serious investigators to do their job.

Is this old abandoned house haunted? Given it's

appearance it has to be right?

See this house? Would you believe me if I told you it's haunted? Why wouldn't you, look how creepy it is. And it's abandoned so it has to be haunted right? Wrong.

The house in the photo is th Craycroft house on Palm Avenue, just south of Herndon. It was built in 1927 by a Frank J. Craycroft who invented a brick that had great insulationg properties that were perfect for the summers and winters here and decided to build his home from this material. Unfortunately tragedy struck two years later when a disgruntled brick mason shot Craycroft who then died from his injuries several months later. This part is known to be true as the story was retold in Valley's Legends and Legacies Vol. III.

Given the story of the death and the appearance of the house (fenced off and in a state of decay) it's easy for an urban legend to take seed and grow. People passing by the house and not knowing the history of it might assume it's haunted. They then mention it to someone else and that person may say they heard it was haunted from someone else. These are how urban legends get started. Same with Kearney Mansion. People assume since it's an old historic building that it HAS to be haunted. And somehow a story like the one where anyone who sees the ghost of Mrs. Kearny dies gets started and is perpuated through the years. Hell even I've been guilty of believing this. When I was in high school I was told there was this cemetery out in the country in Madera that the church had been burned to the ground by satanist and they performed ceromies in the now abandoned cemetery. Of course I believed this as a friend of a friend who in turn had heard it from someone else. Of course none of this was true, but given the nature of the cemetery and the stories I was told it was easy to believe it was.

My point in all this is don't always believe what your told. But that doesn't mean the story still shouldn't be told. Urban legends are just part of our area's folklore. And that's what I've been doing with Weird Fresno lately, telling the folklore stories and urban legends of the area. I'm not trying to prove anything (I'm not that arrogant to think I can where others haven't). I used to love the story but got so caught up in being an investigator and in trying to prove ghosts exist that I forgot what orginally interested me in the paranormal. It was the stories.

So next time you hear a place is haunted or a monster was seen in those trees behind the park or that a UFO laned in a pasture and killed a few cows, don't automatically assume it's true. Just take the story with a grain of salt and look into the story to see if the claims can be verified. And of course pass it on to me so I can add it to the ever growing list of stories in Fresno.

Is Fresno High's Royce Hall haunted?

There have been rumors for years that Fresno's Royce Hall, which was built in 1922, is haunted. Stories have been told over the years of a janitor that fell to his death sometime in the 1930's. There have been reports of hearing whistling in the lobby when there is no one else around as well as seeing a shadowy figure on the north stair case. People have also claimed to see the janitor at an upstairs window, staring down at them as they walk by.

There have also been reports of an uneasy presence being felt in the teacher's lounge while others have heard footsteps and the sound of keys jingling in the stage area late at night. As the witnesses walked further they heard whistling and the lights flickered. Having heard of the stories already, needless to say they quickly got the hell out of there.

It's hard to say if these stories are true or not, as it seems that almost any school with an auditorium seems to be haunted. Still, there are so many different stories that have the same elements there may be some truth behind it. Whatever the case may be, the stories definitely add to the folklore of Fresno.

Is the Fresno Memorial Auditorium haunted?

The Fresno Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Fresno

There are rumors that the Fresno Memorial Auditorium, in downtown Fresno is haunted. Stories have been told since the early 1980's that one of the rehearsal areas was haunted.

Built between 1935 and 1936 and hosting everying from Broadway plays and musicals, concerts, and even the 1956 California Democratic Convention (the fact that a Democratic convention was even held in Fresno is weird enough given the staunch conservatism of the area), the auditorium was one of Fresno's most significant cultural facilities for over three decades until a new convention center was constructed. At that time changes were made to the auditorium and the most significant was a 500 seat theater (the original auditorium had rooms for 2000 people on the main floor and 1500 on the balcony). The new theater now occupied roughly two-thirds of the orignal space and the rest was used for rehearsal space.

It's this rehearsal area that is rumored to have some sort of paranormal activity. Not much is know really about the space except that people feel uneasy when they enter the rehearsal area. Perhaps there is some unseen presence that is there watching those that rehearse. Honestly it's hard to say and if I added anything more it would be pure speculation.

I believe the auditorium is open during the day. Perhaps I'll take a quick trip downtown one day and see if there is any truth to the rumors.

Was the old Save Mart in Chowchilla haunted?

There are rumors that the old Save Mart in Chowchilla was haunted. An employee stated that when she used to work there late at night she would feel some sort of presence watching her as she cleaned up the aisles. Sometimes she would also feel the same presence following her when she went into the break room. And another employee who worked the day shift also felt something watching him, but only when he was in the break room.

When the store was finally closed and no one in the building, people outside would report seeing someone walking around the store after midnight. Also, shadowy figures would be seen late at night, once again when the store was closed.

Some customers would also report that they would hear whispering voices around them, even when no one was near enough to make any sound.

The building was closed sometime before 2008 when a new Save Mart was built on Robertson Blvd. As far as I know the new building has no paranormal activity. As for the old building, it is still closed and is not in use. One has to wonder if the ghosts still wander the building, unaware that there is no one else there?

Is Hanford's Calvary Cemetery haunted?

The entrance to Hanford's Calvary Cemetery

There have been stories for years claiming that the Calvary Cemetery in Hanford, CA is haunted. No one really knows when or where these stories originated. Rumor has it that the cemetery is open late every Friday and tourists come to see the mausoleum as this seems to be the center of any paranormal activity.

People have spoken of sensing some strange type of entities in the mausoleum when they first enter, almost as if someone or something is watching them. Others have claimed to hear voices when they are in the mausoleum, though they cannot discern whose voices they are or what they are saying.

The mausoleum where most of the activity occurs

There have also been sightings since the 1960's of a woman dressed in a white dress circling the mausoleum late at night. No one knows who she is, if she is interned in the mausoleum or she wanders the grounds for some other reason.

Whatever is going on here, it must be something for the stories to have lasted for so many years.

Haunted whorehouse in Wyoming

Is Lusk home to one of the longest running whorehouses in Wyoming? Some say yes, some also say that its haunted.

Mary Ada Fisher followed the gold boom west from Ohio, and found herself in the town of Lusk the year was 1919. Mary changed her name to Dell Burke, set up a tent, and started taking customers. Soon she had enough money to rent a house and bring in a few girls; it seemed Dell was on her way to bigger things. It was only a year later she bought a large house, painted it yellow and took in even more girls.

Dell entertained most of the town's prominent citizens, her house offered the best steaks in Wyoming, danced to a live orchestra, played billiards and card games, and drank the finest booze around. It was not until in 1978 that the last paying customer visited the Yellow Hotel. Dell fell on the sidewalk in front of her house a year later and broke her hip. She spent the next few years in a hospital care center until she finally passed away in 1980.

The Yellow Hotel now sits vacant, a little run down the bright yellow paint fading in the hot Wyoming sun. Visitors to the house claim feeling a bit strange and overwhelmed while in the building. Some have even reported the smell of perfume floating through rooms seemingly following you around the house. Outside the house residents claim to have seen lights and hear music coming from the house long after Dells death.

My question is this. How come Fresno doesn't have a haunted whorehouse? I don't investigate anymore, but this might change my mind.

Original story can be found here.

Ghost hunters investigate spirits at Manteca bar

A bar in Manteca claims to have special "spirits", but they can't be found on the menu.

The owner of Finley's Bar and Grill has always felt like someone was with her even when she was alone. Debora Finley says she's seen glasses fall and a dark figure lurking in the bar. Customers and employees have gotten so spooked that some of them left and never came back.

Ghost Research Investigators of the Paranormal came to search for answers. They took pictures of the bar and rooms using night vision. They found a white speck and an orb in some photos they took. They claim it was the ghost trying to manifest him or herself.

The investigators also used tape recorders, and claim a faint sound on the recordings says "I'm right here".

"I was so scared my knees were knocking. I couldn't make them quit." said Finley "As soon as she asked 'Would you give us a sign?'" the pans would fly off. It startled them and it startled us."

The bar building has been around since 1903, but Finley says she doesn't know the history of the building or who might be lurking.

Click here for a video on the story and here for the link back to the original article.

Hanford's haunted Bastille

Do the spirits of inmates still haunt this old prison in Hanford?

Located in downtown Hanford, Ca is a rather unique brick building called The Bastille. Built around 1897 it served as the Kings County prison until 1964 when the building was condemned following the discovery of the sheriff office's ceiling strewn upon his desk and surrounding floor area. With the unexpected "cave-in" came additional inspection of the old structure. A new and much larger sheriff's office and jail were soon constructed about one mile to the west on Lacey Boulevard and the original prison was closed.

Over the years the building has been home to several restaurants and nightclubs. What's interesting is that there have been reports from the cooks in the kitchen of some unseen presence trying to frighten them. Pots and pans would be moved and the cooks felt like someone was always watching them. Other reports of a heavy presence in the old solitary confinement chambers (now converted to individual dining areas) and there are rumors after a new set of stairs were built leading to the restrooms, they appeared to become old and frail.

The Bastille at night.

Could some of the prisoners who died here over the fifty plus years still be roaming the building, claiming they are innocent and are trying to get anyone's attention? Or perhaps there are other spirits still there who were angry for being imprisoned there and are still making their feelings known after death? Unfortunately The Bastille is currently closed as the restaurant that was in there closed for business. Eventually another business will open up in there. Will they experience the same things as others in the past? Or have those ghosts of The Bastille finally become silent after all these years?

Ghost girl appears in Chilean video

In Chile, a woman named Cecilia Muñoz went on a ghost hunting expedition to a building that is notorious for reports of a ghost of a little girl that is said haunts the basement level of the building.

Cecilia and her mother decided to make a visit and do some amateur ghost hunting of their own. Given that there was no real activity captured the first few hours, her mother suggested that she go down to the basement with a group of children. The mother theorized that if there was a ghost of a young girl, then the ghost would feel more comfortable around children and possibly make an appearance.

What follows next is a video that shows three young men and a young girl being recorded throughout a basement. In a split second on the film, it’s claimed that the ghost of the girl makes her appearance.

In this frame, you see one of the young men walking, right to his side you see what appears to be a little girl wearing a dress. You can see her wearing black shoes and white socks.

According to the witnesses, she was not accounted for in the group. The only other female in between the young men was not wearing a dress at that time.

Here is a brief translation of what is being said in the video:

Cecilia: One day we were sitting here in the house, doing some sketches and we decided to take a camera to the place to see what happened.

Male reporter: The group decided to record in the most solitary place of the building. The basement.

Cecilia: Because it’s said that a little girl haunts the place. The security guards all have said to seen her while making their routine runs.

Cecilia’s Mother: We would usually go by ourselves to record in this basement. We would take two cameras. One was left on one end of the hall, the other, on the other side. We never captured anything for awhile. This day, when she (Cecilia) went to drop off a friend, told me that she was gonna take advantage of being around the building and record for a bit. It occurred to me to tell her to go down, but with some kids. If there is a ghost girl around, then the fact that there are kids near by, she might make an appearance.

Cecilia: I got the camera, started walking around with NightShot. I was just walking around and recording. Holding on to one of the young man’s arm. Just walking and recording. We didn’t see anything. Once I got in the car with my sister, I asked her to review the tape. She then says: “Tati (nickname) I see something, I see something!” and then the battery dies. So we get home and I shout Mom! Mom! we got something. We plugged it up to the TV and there we saw it.

Male reporter: Astonished, Cecilia reviewed the scene over and over. Behind 2 of the minors that were investigating the basement, there is an faint apparition of a girl that no one had seen in that moment.

Cecilia: You can tell that she is taking some footsteps. There is a hand that you can make out here. She takes a few steps and you can see that she is carrying a shoe or a sweater on her arm.

Young man: I was walking this way, and then you can see her appear behind him. It appears near that wall.

Young girl: The little girl was dressed in white and had on a sweater.

Link to the original story can be found here.

Is the Chowchilla library haunted?

Is this library haunted by a man who died in a fire here years ago?

Several years ago, in a rural town in northern Madera County called Chowchilla, the local bowling alley caught fire and the entire structure was gutted. After investigating the cause of the fire, it was determined that the start of the fire was in the kitchen and soon spread to the rest of the building. Unfortunately the cook was caught in the fire and was unable to make it out and perished in the flames.

Soon after that, the building was remodeled and became the new home of the Chowchilla branch of the Madera County Library system. Where the kitchen was is now the check out center and there have been reports of people feeling the heat of a fire. A few witnesses have even reported seeing a man standing in the area wearing an apron and carrying a spatula. One wonders if this is some sort of replay of what happened here, the event so traumatic that it left some sort of "psychic" imprint on the location that people see from time to time. Or perhaps the cook is still here, ready to work even though the kitchen that took his life is now long gone.

Landowner sells haunted building to get rid of ghost.

In an attempt to decrease the eerie noises emanating from the dilapidated dredge, the private landowner sold part of the California land that the Dredge rested on. The purchaser agreed to move his part of the dredge to Australia immediately. The unsuspecting purchaser was not aware of the ghost sightings and loud banging noises that accompanied the Tuolumne Dredge's history.




The proposed haunted dredge.



The California man later found the ghostly apparitions refused to part ways with his portion of the dredge. Alarmingly, the sounds grew louder, especially the knocking coming from the pipes. The other part of the dredge that was dismantled, transported, and resurrected took longer than expected. When the Australian man finally completed the project, he immediately called the California man with reports of the dredge's spooky haunt and loud banging pipes. The Californian has abandoned the dredge due to fear of what he saw (but won't talk about!) and let the weeds grow around it. Instead of the weeds, the woods have taken it over. The other part of the dredge in Australia has been worked to restore its original condition. Both owners have been unable to solve where the mysterious sights and sounds are originating.

The original story can be found here.