Just in time for Halloween, a new attraction is giving the Sunshine City something it has never had: a museum devoted entirely to the paranormal.
The Museum of Haunted History is opening in a historic St. Petersburg bungalow, where ghost hunters, history buffs, and the plainly curious can examine antique dolls, paranormal investigation equipment, and artifacts tied to unexplained encounters.
The centerpiece may be Irene’s wedding gown. Museum curator Dr. Brandy Stark says the dress is believed to be haunted by a bride who died in the 1990s, shortly after her wedding. According to the story, she died in a car on the way to the reception.
The team behind the museum says the building itself has produced its own mysteries. Members report capturing what they believe are unexplained voices inside the bungalow. Stark says they have also experienced cold spots, detected activity on REM pods and electromagnetic field (EMF) meters, run spirit box sessions, and recorded electronic voice phenomena, or EVPs. The team also reports seeing placards move on their own.
Whether those experiences point to the supernatural is left to each visitor to decide. The museum makes no demands on belief, and Stark says it is not meant to be a traditional haunted house. Her goal is an experience that is historic, educational, and entertaining, and that treats the subject seriously without telling anyone what to think.
Stark says she is curious what will happen in the doll room, where the collection could “bring a whole new set of personalities into the mix.”
Early interest has been strong, Stark says, and the team plans to expand the collection and add more paranormal experiences. Guests can already take part in paranormal investigations at the museum.
The question for the skeptics, the believers, and everyone in between is simple: Would you spend a night investigating the unexplained?
To learn more about the Museum of Haunted History and how to experience it for yourself, visit Spirits of St. Pete.
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