Author: chelseyadmin

Every year, a million people visit Mackinac Island, a small patch of land nestled on the edge of Lake Huron, hovering between the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. The island, which covers 4.35 square miles, was once home to a flourishing Odawa settlement around 900 AD. Many local indigenous tribes considered the island to be a sacred place, and served as a gathering place to honor Gitche Manitou, the Great Spirit. Viewed as holy land, many local tribes buried their chieftains on the Island once they perished.

The small, yet promising island gained the attention of European settlers during the 17th Century. An outpost was constructed on the island, and eventually became the primary hub for the Great Lakes Fur Trade.

A BLOODY PAST

As the American Revolutionary War shifted into high gear, British troops took advantage of the island’s strategic position and constructed Fort Mackinac. The island and fort stood witness to two different battles during the War of 1812, and was claimed as U.S. territory soon thereafter.

This small but charming island did not become a popular tourist destination until late into the 19th Century. Many couples and families select Mackinac Island as their summer vacation spot due, in large part, to the historic architecture seen throughout the island–which has been well preserved and restored over the last few decades. Thanks to its historical significance, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark, and is forever frozen in time as a picturesque, antiquated town.

But there’s much more than meets the eye at Mackinac Island. As this historic city grew in popularity each summer, so did strange events and encounters of a supernatural variety. Tourists began to experience phantom cold spots scattered through the island–even in the height of summer. Soon after, reports of disembodied voices, even apparitions were being reported all over the island.

THE MACKINAC SOLDIERS

But why is this small island so haunted? One has only to look to Mackinac’s tragic and violent past to find the answer. Once considered a very sacred island to the Odawa tribes, many indigenous bodies were buried on the island…and were not relocated when European settlers claimed the territory for themselves. Do these indigenous spirits still roam the island in the afterlife, haunting those who have violated such holy land?

In addition to these burials, many soldiers fought on Mackinac Island during the Battle of 1812. British soldiers ambushed Fort Mackinac, taking American soldiers by surprise–a battle which marked the first conflict of the war. A secondary battle took place in 1814, now known as the Battle of Mackinac Island. The conflict was bloody and over a dozen American, British, and Native American men lost their lives as a result. Many tourists and island employees alike believe these soldiers continue to haunt the island to this day.

As if ghostly soldiers and dead chiefs weren’t terrifying enough, other supernatural entities have become known throughout the island, each with their own morbid tale…

THE MORAL RE-ARMAMENT BUILDING

The Moral Re-Armament Building is considered one of the most haunted hot spots on the entire island, thanks to a very active ghost who enjoys toying with the living. Many people suspect the ghost is a former student of Mackinac College. Completely besotted with his girlfriend, legend has it that the young man met her nearby and asked if she would marry him. The young man was shocked and heartbroken when his girlfriend refused him on the spot. Overcome with grief, the young man wandered into the nearby woods and committed suicide.

The young man ended his life in the woods in February, but his body was not recovered until the following July. His death was ultimately ruled a suicide, but many people now question the validity of this conclusion. Did the man truly commit suicide, or is it possible foul play was involved?

Visitors of the Moral Re-Armament Building have reported hearing disembodied voices whispering uncomfortably close to their ears, along with the eerie sensation of being watched whenever they were in the building. Employees claim the young man has a penchant for messing with mail…along with pretty ladies nearby.

THE GRAND HOTEL

Vast and beautiful, it is impossible not to notice The Grand Hotel when approaching Mackinac Island. In fact, many people visit the island with the hopes of staying in this specific hotel. But many employees and regulars are convinced the hotel is haunted. Paranormal activity all began when a large construction crew started to build the hotel’s foundation and uncovered human remains in the process.

The Grand Hotel was a quick success on Mackinac Island and required expansion. The extensive construction plans required that the inhabitants of the island cemetery be moved for the hotel stables.

Employees suspect these “disruptions” in the past have caused the spirits to awaken once more and haunt the beautiful hotel. Staff members frequently report hearing disembodied footsteps following them around at night, while doors are known to open and close on their own. One ghostly gentleman, who always adorns a top hat, has been frequently spotted seated at the hotel piano, while other guests have encountered a woman in a Victorian era dress crawling into their bed in the middle of the night. Some, less fortunate, guests and employees have also encountered a large black mass, which seems to enjoy rushing at the living when they least suspect it.

MISSION POINT

Mission Point has been featured on several paranormal television shows and is said to be the home of a ghost named Lucy.

Lucy was visiting the island with her parents when she grew suddenly, violently ill. Legend states that her parents left Lucy on the island to tend to business matters in Detroit, but the young girl perished before their scheduled return. Now, Lucy haunts the Mission Point building and is often seen on the balcony, incessantly calling out for her mom and dad.

FORT MACKINAC

Given the island’s history with war, it is not hard to believe that several spirits haunt Fort Mackinac and make their presence known to visitors every year.

Tourists have reported capturing supernatural orbs in their photographs while touring the Fort, especially in the Guard House. While exploring the Fort’s hospital, some guests have even seen apparitions of phantom limbs out of the corner of their eye.

Phantom babies are often heard crying in the Office Apartment Quarters, along with furniture that seems to move all on its own, and dead children can frequently be heard playing and running around the Officer’s Stone Quarters located at the Fort.

AND MANY MORE….

From The Perry Hotel, to Fort Holmes, to the Old Presque Isle Light, there are numerous haunted locations on Mackinac Island. In fact, over one hundred individual ghost reports have been officially recorded at Mackinac, making it one of the most haunted locations in the state of Michigan.

Capitalizing on the hair-raising activity, Mackinac Island now offers a paranormal-based tour, where numerous locations are discussed and experienced after dark. Do you dare to explore this ghost-riddled island for yourself?

The Amityville Horror is a haunting tale that has captured the attention of paranormal enthusiasts and skeptics alike. The story is centered around the infamous Amityville house, located in Long Island, New York, which has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and movies over the years. The Amityville house has become synonymous with horror, but what is the truth behind this eerie tale?

The Amityville house gained notoriety in 1974, when six members of the DeFeo family were brutally murdered in their sleep by their eldest son, Ronald DeFeo Jr. The murders were a shocking and tragic event that left the entire community reeling. DeFeo was eventually convicted of the murders and sentenced to life in prison.

The house remained vacant for over a year after the murders, until the Lutz family moved in. The Lutzes claimed that they experienced a series of terrifying events during their short time in the house. They reported seeing strange apparitions, hearing unexplained noises, and feeling a general sense of unease throughout the house.

The family eventually fled the house in the middle of the night, claiming that they could no longer bear to live there. They’re story caught the eye of Jay Anson, who was an American author. Anson was born in New York in 1921 and began his writing career as a copywriter for various advertising agencies. He later turned his attention to writing novels and non-fiction books.

Jay first learned about the Amityville house from an article that appeared in Newsday, a local Long Island newspaper. The article detailed the experiences of the Lutz family, who had moved into the house after the tragic murders of the DeFeo family.

According to Anson, he was immediately intrigued by the story and saw its potential as a book. He contacted the Lutz family and began conducting interviews with them, as well as with other individuals who had been associated with the house.

Anson spent several months researching and writing the book, which was published in 1977. The book was an immediate success and quickly became a bestseller. The story of the Amityville house and its alleged haunting captured the public’s attention and became a cultural phenomenon.

The success of the book led to a number of movies based on the Amityville haunting. The first movie, “The Amityville Horror,” was released in 1979 and starred James Brolin and Margot Kidder. The movie was a hit at the box office, grossing over $86 million worldwide. The movie followed the basic plot of the book, with the Lutz family moving into the house and experiencing a series of terrifying events. Over the years, there have been a number of other movies based on the Amityville haunting, including a remake of the original movie in 2005. There have also been numerous documentaries and TV specials about the house, all of which have helped to keep the legend alive.

But the hauntings have been (and continue to be) heavily debated among paranormal investigators, spiritualists, mediums and occultists. Take, for example, Hans Holzer who was a renowned paranormal researcher who investigated the Amityville house in the 1970s. Holzer had a long and distinguished career as a paranormal investigator, and he wrote over 120 books on the subject.

Holzer was one of the first investigators to look into the Amityville haunting, and he visited the house on several occasions. Holzer believed that the house was indeed haunted and that the Lutz family had experienced genuine paranormal activity.

Holzer’s investigation of the Amityville house was chronicled in his book, “Murder in Amityville,” which was published in 1979. In the book, Holzer described his experiences investigating the house and his interactions with the Lutz family. Holzer’s investigation focused on the history of the property and the surrounding area, as well as on the alleged paranormal activity that had been reported by the Lutz family.

Holzer believed that the negative energy left behind by the murders had created a “psychic residue” in the house, which had attracted malevolent spirits. He also believed that the Lutz family had unwittingly stirred up the spirits when they moved into the house, which had resulted in the intense and terrifying paranormal activity they reported experiencing.

Holzer’s theory that the haunting was linked to the murders appeared to be supported by other investigators who had reported similar phenomena in the house. For example, in 1979, a team of paranormal investigators led by Ed and Lorraine Warren also claimed that the haunting was linked to the murders.

And if you follow the paranormal, you’ve no doubt heard about Ed and Lorraine Warren, a husband and wife paranormal team whose stories have been told in movies such as The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Devil Made Me Do It.

The Warrens spent several days in the house, conducting interviews with the Lutz family and investigating the supposed paranormal activity. They claimed to have found evidence of a demonic presence in the house and to have communicated with the spirits of the murdered DeFeo family.

One of the most famous pieces of evidence that the Warrens claimed to have found in the house was a photograph that showed what appeared to be a ghostly boy peering out of one of the windows. The photograph became one of the most famous pieces of evidence of paranormal activity at the Amityville house, and it has been the subject of much debate over the years.

The Warrens also claimed to have experienced a number of paranormal phenomena during their time in the house, including strange smells, cold spots, and unexplained noises. They believed that the house was one of the most haunted places they had ever investigated, and they continued to speak about the Amityville haunting for many years afterwards.

However, like many aspects of the Amityville haunting, the Warrens’ findings have been the subject of much controversy. Critics have accused the Warrens of being frauds and of fabricating evidence in order to support their claims of paranormal activity. Some have also pointed out that the Warrens had a vested interest in promoting the Amityville haunting, as it helped to promote their career as paranormal investigators.

In fact, the last two owners of the Amityville house have claimed that there is no paranormal activity in the house whatsoever. In an interview with Newsday in 2010, the then-owner, Brian Wilson, stated that he had never experienced any paranormal activity during his time in the house. He went on to say that the house was “just a house,” and that the supposed hauntings were nothing more than a hoax.

The current owner of the house, however, has had a different experience. He has been so fed up with onlookers and paranormal enthusiasts coming to the house that he had the house remodeled to no longer resemble the way it did in the 70s, when word of the supposed hauntings got out. This has not stopped people from coming to the house, however, as the legend of the Amityville haunting still persists.

So, what is the truth behind the Amityville haunting? While it is impossible to say for sure, it is clear that there are many skeptics who believe that the hauntings were a hoax perpetuated by the Lutz’s in an attempt to be released from their mortgage, which they couldn’t afford.

The legend of the Amityville house has become deeply ingrained in popular culture, and that it continues to fascinate and frighten people to this day. While the truth behind the supposed paranormal activity may never be known, it is clear that the legend of the Amityville house will continue to endure. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there is no denying the power of a good ghost story, and the Amityville haunting is one of the best.