Hands-on Paranormal Activity in Orlando
Okay, hands up if you’ve seen those Paranormal Activity movies. Keep ‘em up if you’ve ever wanted to investigate the paranormal.
Yeah, me too.
And even if you didn’t put your hand up, I hope you’ll find this entertaining.
Whenever I visit a city where there’s a haunted hike, ghost tour, or anything remotely spooky, I jump — to the front of the queue that is. So when I learned about the ghost investigation tour offered by American Ghost Adventures, up I signed.
I met Robert, my guide, and the other intrepid ghost hunters for the night outside The Dessert Lady (which gets points for its awesome desserts, and its equally awesome poster below) in the Bumby Block on Church Street in downtown Orlando.
Since the tour is divided into two parts – one part historical account of paranormal activity in the area, and one part hands-on ghost hunting — we strolled through the downtown Orlando core first to get acquainted with the spirits. And since it was also St. Patrick’s Day, we encountered plenty of folks who were getting acquainted with spirits of an entirely different sort.
Before we heard stories of spooks and anecdotes of apparitions, Robert – trying to determine our baseline knowledge of the supernatural – quizzed us on the three types of hauntings.
Only the 10-year old kid on the tour came anywhere close to getting them right.
They are, according to Robert:
- Residual Haunting – usually due to some sort of trauma, it only appears at the site of the original haunt and cannot be interacted with.
- Haunting of an Object – occurs when a spirit becomes bound to an object, usually when the object was extremely important in the person’s life.
- Intelligent Haunting – the only genuine haunt, this type of haunting can be interacted with.
At the moment of death, the human body instantly loses 21 grams. Some believe that this is the weight of the soul. Some believe that those 21 grams also carry intelligence along with the soul. And if the soul hasn’t moved on to the next world, it sticks around in this one. That’s the notion behind an intelligent haunting.
And that’s what we’re hunting for tonight.
Orlando’s Paranormal Activity History
Our first stop is outside the Rogers building on West Magnolia Avenue, site of an English Gentlemen’s Club back in its day, and said to be haunted by its namesake Gordon Rogers, and his wife as well. Gord favours making appearances from the second story window, while his wife – clad in white — wanders through art exhibits in the first floor gallery.
Across the street a building from the 1970s stands on the site of Orlando’s first cemetery. Workers in this and previous buildings on the site claim to have had ladders moved or even pulled out from under them.
In another, a spirit fond of practical jokes makes light bulbs vanish and appear in strange places – like an unopened case of beer.
This is all very well and good I think. And Robert weaves a captivating tale. But it’s the hands-on bit I’ve come for. So when we head back to Church Street Station and the site of our paranormal investigation – Ceviche Restaurant and Bar – I’m pumped.
The building next to the entrance to Ceviche was once the Strand Hotel – one of the seedier places to lay your head in old Orlando, and the city’s first unofficial brothel. Southern gentlemen could be found here doing very un-gentlemanly things. And when those things resulted in unwanted offspring, the same gentlemen would send their goons to “take care of” the ladies and their progeny.
It’s these spirits that haunt the building today.
The Paranormal Activity Investigation
We waltz past the diners digging into their paella, and head on upstairs to get a tutorial on how to use an EMF (electromagnetic field) meter. Originally designed to pinpoint faulty wiring inside walls, paranormal activity experts maintain the EMF meters detect the energy emitted by otherworldly entities as well.
After the briefing, Robert lays some Maglite flashlights around the room. Apparently the spirits here like to turn them on when they are in the mood to communicate. It seems a little hokey, but he maintains four of the lights were turned on just three nights before.
Tonight we would not be so lucky.
The room is spooky as a graveyard. There’s a chill in the air, and the minimal lighting coupled with the dancing shadows gives an electric feel to the whole experience.
Robert implores the spirits to give us a sign if they are present.
Nothing.
We wander around the room with EMF meters as dim as our hopes.
And still nothing.
After 20 minutes or so, Robert decides to pull the plug. The spirits are not playful tonight. Or perhaps they’re out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Who knows.
We head across the street to the Bumby Block building to take one last stab at it.
Robert gives us the lowdown on the paranormal activity here – the spirits of children call this place home. He lays a Maglite on the stairs and we wait for a sign.
But it appears they’re not home tonight either.
One member of the group picks up what Robert calls an “orb” in a few of their photos. I think it’s the flash.
But then again, maybe it isn’t.
Have you seen any paranormal activity in your neck of the woods?
I was in Orlando as part of the Aeroplan Welcome Aboard Event – an exclusive flight for Aeroplan members/CIBC Aero cardholders. Aeroplan members can redeem their miles for a growing number of “experiential rewards” – check out what’s available in the Aeroplan online catalogue. The paranormal activity investigation tour was provided by the folks at American Ghost Adventures.
We have a ghost tour or two here in Annapolis, MD – any historic town does of course. Since I’ve lived in Williamsburg, St. Augustine FL, and Annapolis I think I only need to live in Boston to get my “Historic Cities” Girl Scout Badge. The expensive part is the SEAL team I keep on payroll to shoot me if I ever even look at a piece of pewter.
I’m going to a glass blowing seminar (with WINE!) next month though. I’m a little concerned about the SEALs on that one. Stand down soldiers, there’s booze.
Glass blowing or glass emptying? I believe there’s a huge diff.
I have never been on a ghost tour and while I’m not sure I’d see anything either I would be willing to give it a shot.
They are a lot of fun. I’m sure it would be even more fun though when you see something.
Even though it freaks me out, I am a sucker for scary/ haunted places.
Me too — I love getting the crap scared out of me!
Last year, I had the chance to do one through one of the “most haunted places” in America, Bonnie Springs, Nevada. Sadly, I didn’t do it (something about it being late at night and really costly …) But, I would love to do it!
You should — ghost tours are a hoot!
I went on a ghost tour in York because my employers at the time figured it would be a good team building exercise. I was terribly cynical about the whole thing, but actually ended up having a great deal of fun because the guide was hilarious. Didn’t see any actual ghosts.. although we drank plenty of excellent beer.. so that was alright
Spirits of any kind are welcome.:)
These topics always fascinate me. I admit, I’m super skeptical, but since I can’t explain everything I’m open to suggestions! Interesting the 21-gram thing, I had no idea.. I’ve been to a Ghost Tour in Dublin, which is also a pretty mysterious place. I didn’t see anything actually, but others swore they did..
I think the Dublin ghost tour would be awesome! Very jealous you got to do it!
I’ve never been on one but always wanted to. Though I’m sure I’ll be scared to bits, still I think it’s a trip. Haha
It’s a grand way to spend the night.
“At the moment of death, the human body instantly loses 21 grams.”
What… what?! Really??
I really don’t believe in ghosts, but I’d probably still be a scaredy-cat on one of these tours. =P
It was Dr. Duncan MacDougall who came up with the 21 grams theory — he literally weighed people at the time of death…
From Wikipedia…
In 1901, MacDougall weighed six patients while they were in the process of dying from tuberculosis in an old age home. It was relatively easy to determine when death was only a few hours away, and at this point the entire bed was placed on an industrial sized scale which was apparently sensitive to the gram. He took his results (a varying amount of perceived mass loss in most of the six cases) to support his hypothesis that the soul had mass, and when the soul departed the body, so did this mass. The determination of the soul weighing 21 grams was based on the average loss of mass in the six patients within moments after death. Experiments on mice and other animals took place. Most notably the weighing upon death of sheep seemed to create mass for a few minutes which later disappeared. The hypothesis was made that a soul portal formed upon death which then whisked the soul away.
Never done one of these, but I’d certainly give them a try!
Ghost tours are a hoot! You should give it a try one day.
Sounds like fun! Not sure I believe that I’d see/hear anything, but I guess you never know right? And sometimes half the fun is in suspending your disbelief and just going along for the ride!
Suspension of disbelief is key indeed.
Too bad you didn’t get any “evidence,” but it still sounds like a really cool tour! Part history lesson, and part spooky adventure. Sounds like fun!
It was a pretty good way to spend an evening. Would have loved to have seen some evidence too though…
You’re freaking NUTS. I would never do anything like this lol!
What?!? I figured you guys would be all over this! Tsk, tsk…
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I’m still stuck on the Dessert Lady…ate there when my family and I last went to Orlando in 2010, and it’s totally my type of place!
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It was indeed pretty appetizing.
If I was there, and one of those lights turned on, I would probably pee my pants. Just saying
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I think that would be classified as normal activity.