In 2009, I was at the peak of my investigative career, and I had an idea that would revolutionize the industry. After so much time with massive amounts of paranormal investigation data and evidence, I thought, “What about a museum?” I also thought, “Someplace where we can house evidence and experiences.” After numerous conversations and map checking, my wife, Brandy, and I decided on Gettysburg, PA. We packed our bags and moved from the beaches of South Carolina to Gettysburg, where I already had family. In September, I put together plans for the International Museum of Spiritual Investigations, or IMSI. Brandy and I walked around town, and wouldn’t you know it! There was a place for rent on Baltimore Street. We contacted a real estate agent, and after a walk-through, we fell in love with the place. It felt as if the building itself welcomed us with open arms. It was a done deal!
On December 1st, 2009, my wife Brandy, and my cousins Chris and Christina, all signed the business paperwork to open the museum. It was an exciting time! We signed the lease agreement with the property on Baltimore Street and moved in February 2010 with a March 1st grand opening. The day we opened the doors a woman named Mary was the first to walk through the door! She soon became an integral part of our investigation team and is still one of our friends and investigators that keeps us in the loop with everything going on.
March 1st’s grand opening was an instant hit! We had mostly all of the rooms that had some displays and exhibits. Honestly, when I look back at those beginning photos, it looks so sparse compared to what the museum became.
We were even featured on the front page of the Evening Sun newspaper in Hanover, PA.
Then on opening day, the local news WGAL8 out of Harrisburg, PA, dropped by and did a story.
It was a fantastic day for the paranormal research field and the start of the first-ever museum on the subject in the world. We also did investigation workshops at the museum, which was a 210-year-old house at the time, dating back to the 18th century. We were incredibly successful in the Shadow Session workshops or, as we later called them, Night at the Museum of Spirits events.
During the battle, it was owned by a doctor and served as a field hospital and refuge for civilians in the battle.
Having seen so much history, the museum did not disappoint in terms of data and evidence, which is why there will be several follow-up case files at this location. We had the most haunted bathroom in the world! For those familiar with the hi-jinks of our spectral residents, I know that gives you a nostalgic giggle. This was because our bathroom was a portal location, which we believed was a conduit for spirits to travel.
The basement was incredibly creepy, and we had so many experiences of footsteps above in the museum when nobody was around. Similarly, the sounds of heavy footsteps were often heard coming from the second floor of the building when no mortal human was present there. Also, we had a small group of ghostly residents who actually became team members and even friends. It was interesting, and more to come in other case files!
In April 2010, a participant took these photos in the basement.
We had another small room off the bathroom and basement entryway. This small room had a little girl spirit that would often transition through. We also experienced a lot of electrical interference in the doorway leading into the hall.
The backroom, as we called it, was interesting, to say the least. We had so many encounters that I cannot go through them all in a single case file. We had everything from visual sightings, electrical interference, touching, smells, and interactions through the equipment (i.e., ghost box). We met Mike, Seth, Peter, and Steve, who resided in the spirit realm in the museum. These ghostly guys liked to party and were very protective of us.
The front side room is where we heard so much activity, from doors slamming to walking around. We also had visual sightings on a weekly basis of a female in the room walking into the back kitchen area.
The kitchen area in the back was full of sounds, bangs, slams, and talking on occasion. While a kitchen during modern times, it is thought that it had been the examination room for the doctor during the Civil War era due to the fireplace and its proximity to the room that once had a private entrance. In those days, the actual kitchen was separated from the home in an outbuilding in the backyard. It was one of the creepiest locations when we locked up for the evening. The museum was the most active location that I have ever investigated. There are a ton more stories to tell from the museum, but you are going to have to wait to read more 😊.