#Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park

[temperanceofsleep]

nothing//nowhere//no one

[trashbintoys]

I really need to visit Lake Shawnee abandoned, haunted amusement park

[kj-at-your-fingertips]

The vanguard of a Rainbow of Halloween... draped in black and red...

sources: neondreams2145, ghostpyre, casketbound-archive (deleted post) at Lake Shawnee abandoned amusement park, Stavros Stamatiou's From A Raven’s Dream series, Nona Limmen via drugsandrainydays, wzroko, Cram and Ill Sung's Flirt With Death (Play For Free) album cover, bookphobe, Berserk (1997)

[randomtimes-com]

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, the abandoned amusement park built on a site with a dark history.

The skeletal remains of the little Lake Shawnee Amusement Park create an eerie atmosphere, which is appropriate, given also the site’s dark history. In fact, long before the amusement park was built, this was the site of a well-documented conflict between white settlers and the Indigenous Shawnee people. Hostorically, it was the late 18th century when Mitchell Clay moved his young family West…

[thatsnotcanonpodcasts]

Six Million Dollar Corpse

With the release of IT: Chapter Two, Braydon and Belinda decided to cover haunted amusement parks/carnivals. They discuss Kings Island in Mason Ohio, a 364 acre amusement park where the land has seen over 100 deaths. Following along with Lake Shawnee Amusement Park which was once an ancient burial ground for the Native Americans. Belinda also tells the true tale of Elmer McCurdy and how his mummified body travelled from carnivals to movie sets for over 60 years!!

EPISODE NOTES:

We start off with Belinda talking about Elmer McCurdy. He was a shot and killed at the age of 31 in 1911 after robbing a train in Okesa, Oklahoma. After his body was left unclaimed at the local funeral home, the undertaker took it upon himself to embalm the corpse and set him up for display. Visitors could see him if they put nickel in his mouth. In 1916 a traveling carnival came into possession of the corpse and had him for the next 6 years until they sold him to Louis Sonney and his travelling Museum of Crime. But after Sonney passed away the mummy was put into storage for the next 15 years.

Then his claim to movie fame came about when Elmer's body was used in the movie She Freak in 1967. In 1968 he was sold to Spoony Singh, the man who started the Hollywood Wax Museum. After a terrible windstorm knocked over the display in Mount Rushmore and broke fingers and toes off, Singh sold him to The Pike in Long Beach, California. He remained in the "Laff in the Dark" ride as a prop until a crew member from "Six Million Dollar Man" tried to move him. McCurdy's arm fell off and the police were called. He was finally laid to rest in 1977 with concrete on top of his casket. He will never go on another rollercoaster again.

Braydon starts off the spooky-coaster with some hauntings on King Island. In the 1800's the island had an ammunition factory but an explosion had caused around 100 deaths, possibly more. The amusement park was then built in 1972 and is the 10th largest in the world! The park features over 100 attractions, 14 rollercoasters and a 33 acre water park. But, in 1991 three people died in the same day. Two security guards were electrocuted to death in a pond and a drunk lady fell 20 metres to pavement and died upon impact when riding the Flight Commander. The park also features an Eiffel tower where a drunk man climbed to the top and then fell down the elevator shaft and again, died upon impact. He now haunted the tower and is called "Tower Johny."

Johny isn't the only ghost. There is a little blonde girl between the age of six and nine, she's dressed in a blue dress and can be seen running in the car park. Her ghost is called "Tram Girl" because she runs in front of oncoming trams and stops on the tracks forcing the tram drivers to stop immediately. "Racer Boy" is an apparition that can be seen before or after sunset. He haunts the Racer previously known as the "Shooting Star" at Coney Island where the ride was bought from. The are reports of a boy falling out of the cart on the ride and being crushed to death on the tracks by another on coming cart. The Racer Boy is believed to be that young man. To make things worse, Kings Island also has a cemetery called "Dog Street". There are graves there dating back to 1803. The park is still active today.

Why stop at 2 stories? Belinda talks about Lake Shawnee Amusement park that was abandoned in 1966. Though the park is open for tours during October and can be book for private events, it is not in operation and everything is grown over. The land was once the scene of a horrible event the massacre of the Clay children by the Shawnee Native American tribe who scalped two of their victims. Though the Clay men killed some of the natives in retaliation, they still executed the third Clay child by burning him at the stake. The farm owned by the settlers was sold off some years later to Conley T. Snidow in the 1920's. He then built the park with with circular swings, a ferris wheel, a water slide, a dance hall, a speakeasy and opened up the pond and swimming whole complete with canoes.

The park had seen about six deaths but closed after two young children had died there. A young girl riding the circular swings was killed instantly when a truck backed into the path of the ride. Her ghost sometimes appears and she is still wearing the pink ruffle dress she was wearing but now its covered in blood. ON another occasion a young boy was swimming in the pond when his arm got caught in a drain and he drowned to death. The park was bought 20 years after being closed and the current owner says he can hear children's laughter, footsteps and the swings moving. When approaching the swings there seems to be cold air around them but a warmth inside the seats. A man can be seen sitting on the ferris wheel quite often though it would be impossible for anyone to get upn there. A visitor has even been locked in an old ticket booth even though it can't be locked.

If you wanted to follow us on social media, we can be found on: Facebook, and on Instagram You, Me, and a Poltergeist, Braydon, Belinda

CHECK OUT ALL THE OTHER PODCAST ON TNC: THATSNOTCANON.COM

[travelsinstaffordshire]

Lake Shawnee | Abandoned Theme Park | West Virginia | USA | HD

[angrycrabeyes]

 via  Gridllr.com   —  gridlify your Likes!

Nature befriending an old ferris wheel at the abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia. (The park lasted from 1926 to 1966.)

[conradscrime]

The Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park

October 08, 2021

In 1775, a man named Mitchell Clay, Mercer County’s first white settler and his family made their home on the land that the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park would be on 150 years later. However, Mercer County was home to a Native American tribe and Mitchell’s settlement began a violent turf war between the two. 

In 1783, a group of Shawnee Native Americans murdered Mitchell’s son, Bartley and daughter, Tabitha. The Native Americans took the third child, Ezekiel and burned him at the stake. Mitchell Clay, along with a group of white settlers decided to seek revenge on the Native Americans and murdered several of them. 

Over 150 years later, a man named Conley T. Snidow purchased this land and turned it into an amusement park that started in 1926 and ended up in business for 40 years, before shutting down in 1967. Conley had built a swing set, a ferris wheel and had opened up the pond for swimming. 

The current owner, a man named Chris White, whose father, Gaylord White bought the amusement park in the 1980′s, claims that during the park’s time they would rent out wool bathing suits for 15 cents and there was also two water slides and multiple diving boards for families to enjoy. 

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park also had a speakeasy and a dance hall. With lots to offer, this place was extremely popular in the summer time for children and adults to have fun. 

However, many tragedies struck Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, including the death of two boys who drowned - one in the lake which wasn’t meant for swimming, and the other in the pond which was meant for swimming. Another little girl died accidentally in 1966 when a truck delivering drinks backed into the swings which she was occupying at the time. Chris White says this was the reason that the amusement park closed, though other sources claim it closed due to failing an inspection. 

There is supposedly 6 deaths that occurred while the amusement park was opened for 40 years.

Gaylord White, who is now deceased, but had worked at the amusement park as a youth, had bought the park in the 1980′s and re-opened it for a few years. The White family had brought in a ferris wheel and had accidentally found the original swings that used to be in the park. The White’s also added some paddle boats, bumper boats and a stage. 

The amusement park’s reboot was short lived, ending three years later when insurance rates forced them to close it down again. In the early 1990′s the White family made a discovery. Chris said they were bulldozing when they came across some artifacts such as arrowheads and pots. They got a team from Marshall University to come out and take a look, where they eventually discovered multiple children’s graves, where experts believe there are at least 3000 bodies buried there. 

Many believe that a bad flu went around, and in order to save the tribe, many left the area leaving behind the elderly and kids, which is seemingly who many believe these remains belong to. 

Given the tragic history of the place, it is not hard to believe that many think the abandoned amusement park is haunted which has gained much attention to it. The Whites began giving tours during the week of Halloween in the 1990′s, which then attracted ghost hunters, even the discovery channel filmed at the park. 

One incident that happened was when an investigator had gotten stuck in one of the old ticket booths. Apparently she was screaming for help and was pushing on the push door but it wouldn’t open. 

Chris White also said his dad had an encounter with the little girl who had lost her life on the swings in 1966. Gaylord White had been mowing the field when he felt a weight on his shoulders. He turned around and saw a little girl from the swings wearing a ruffled dress. 

It has also been reported that the wooden swings will creak and you can feel a warm presence on the seat, supposedly being the little girl. Another report claimed that the little girl appears with blood on her dress, and as long as she’s looking at you, you are unable to move. 

Some visitors have reported hearing footsteps, mysterious chants, and children. The amusement park has been featured as one of the most terrifying places in America, as well as one of the 10 most haunted places in the world. 

[littlefeather-wolf]

LAKE SHAWNEE AMUSEMENT PARK

(PRINCETON, WEST VIRGINIA) ... ADDRESS: 4213 Beckley Road, Princeton, West Virginia 24740 USA ... Lake Shawnee Amusement Park was established around 1920 by Conley T. Snidow ... The amusement park was abandoned in 1966 ... This amusement park is called “The Cursed Park”, and for good reason ... On the amusement park grounds, archaeologists discovered a massive Native American grave complete with several artifacts ...Thirteen bodies were discovered on the property, though archaeologists believe the number could be upwards of 3,000 ... Many people attribute a curse to the mass grave, which could explain the six deaths that occurred in the amusement park during its years of operation, including a six-year-old girl being hit by a truck on the swingsets in the last photo ... The current owner, Gaylord White II, says even he’s experienced strange unexplainable sights, feelings, and especially sounds ... In 2005 while filming the popular ABC show Scariest Places on Earth, the entire crew, including one psychic, refused to set foot on the grounds at night, saying that the “spiritual energy [was] too strong,” and claiming to have heard drums and chanting.... ✊

[myhauntedsalem]

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park Rock, WV

This abandoned amusement park was said to have been built on an ancient American Indian burial ground in the 1920s. it was also the site of the massacre of the Clay family children. A few deaths took place at the amusement park while it was open, and it eventually shut down in 1966. Then in 1985, the park reopened after Gaylord White bought the land and returned the park to its glory days. It only stayed open for a year, and the paranormal activity on the grounds was quite apparent. Witnesses reported seeing a young girl who died on the swing ride, her ghost would wander around in a ruffled pink dress, covered in blood. The sounds of Native American chants have also been heard echoing through the trees.

[bridogradiliste]

Abandoned rollercoaster. An amusement park in Lake Shawnee, West Virginia, USA.

[freakscircus]

nick and i are making plans for an eventual west virginia roadtrip to the trans allegheny lunatic asylum but also billy bob’s wonderland and the lake shawnee abandoned amusement park. i’m glad he indulges these bizarre interests, especially the urge to go see billy bob and the rock a fire explosion

[theparanormalperiodical]

The Terrifying TRUE Stories Of Native American Burial Grounds And 7 Haunted Burial Sites That You Gotta Hear About feat. why this trope should be 6-feet-under

In 1966, the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia was abandoned.

First opened in the 1920s, 6 tragic deaths - including the drowning of a child - forced the closure of the park after 40 years.

But in 1988 it was discovered that those who had met their demise at this supposedly cursed theme park were not alone.

13 other bodies were discovered during an archaeological dig at the site. 

Most of them were the remains of young children.

Local research and the evidence of the archaeological dig only confirmed the tragic story to what lay beneath the fairground:

A Native American tribe - the Shawnee tribe - lived there until 1775 when settlers first arrived. Mitchell Clay was one of them, and built a farm that often resulted in clashes with the locals. 

In 1783, the tribe killed his children and even burnt one of them at the stake. Clay got his vengeance in a similar murderous manner.

The current owner has reported a wide range of paranormal activity he believes can be traced back to the bloody history it's built on, from cool breezes passing through the seat of swings and moving them despite there being no wind, to frequent sightings of a small girl in a pink dress splattered with blood.

Could this be just another story of a haunted or cursed Native American burial ground? And what is it about these burial sites that is quite so spooky?

*rolls sleeves up*

October is finally here.

But just as much as I’m desperate to get hella-Halloween and unleash my inner crone, I thought it best to dive deep into some of the most spook-tastic tales and tropes haunting our streaming platforms.

And one of them is the Native American Burial Ground - or, as everyone on the internet loves to call them, ‘Indian Burial Grounds’.

*eye roll*

But that’s the thing:

The name of the trope is just as ignorant as the trope itself.

So, What Is The Trope?

By disrespecting or disturbing a place where Native Americans are buried, you unleash spirits of awaken long dormant curses… Basically you piss off the dead, and shizz gets paranormal.

Wow what an innovative concept it’s not like anyone has thought of that before wow

The interest in the trope took hold in the 1970s and 1980s, and emerged on our TV screens with a cult classic: The Amityville Horror (1979).

This long-winding and totally-overdone film series will have you convinced that this house was built on the site of a bloody religion mission by Reverend Jeremiah Ketchum. It was here that he slaughtered innocent Native Americans and thus created somewhat of an unofficial Native American burial ground.

Were the spirits of the tribe slaughtered here haunting 112 Ocean Avenue? 

Was this what would provoke Ronald DeFeo to murder his entire family in 1974?

*Shakes head*

The Lutzes, the family that originally experienced the paranormal activity and lived there after the DeFeo family, claimed that the house was not built on a burial site. They believed it was built on a make-shift sanitarium for Shinnecock Indians. The old, the sick, and the dying were effectively cared for here until they met their demise.

Ohhh - so it was the spirits of the Shinnecock’s that died here who were haunting the iconic house?

*Keeps shaking head*

The Shinnecock tribe probably lived on the other side of Long Island, so if the sanitarium did exist, the remains wouldn’t be underneath their floorboards. And the Montaukett Nation, the closest related to the tribe, claim that such a sanitarium didn’t actually exist.

Despite the inaccuracy of this tale, a smattering of other films have laid claim to a similar plotline.

Poltergeist (1982) and Pet Sematary (1983) pin the supernatural storyline on a haunted or cursed cemetery which is crammed full of mysterious power. And although Poltergeist is incorrectly labelled as including a Native American burial ground, it leads us to an important point:

Are Native American Burial Grounds That Spooky?

These sites are portrayed as mysterious, cursed locations protected by unknown magic. 

But the thing is, this is not true.

The indigenous population do not agree on one straightforward answer to life after death - they don’t follow one straightforward way to bury the bodies of those that have died, either.

In fact, practices are not that distinctive from other communities, and thus are comparable to cemeteries that don’t have a reputation for being cursed.

Across pre-Columbus America the dead could be buried in a number of different ways: many tribes built burial mounds that sought to replicate the social order in individual communities for some tribes, others believed the spirits of the dead had to be exposed to the elements to be released, and some placed their dead in large jars before being buried.

With 600 different Native American tribes living, breathing, and burying their dead in the 17th century, pinpointing the supposedly mysterious and, ahem, ‘savage’ rituals only an 80s film could showcase is pretty impossible.

But there is one shared experience that gives a whole new meaning to the ‘haunting’ of these locations.

These sites laid undisturbed for thousands of years prior to colonisation. In the 18th and 19th century a culture of exploration was used as an excuse to desecrate sites.

Take the Grove Creek Mound in West Virginia: it was ransacked in 1838, and essentially turned into a ‘museum’ so the locals could poke, prod, and peer at the ‘exotic’ people and rituals of Native American culture. This was unfortunately typical of Western scientific exploration.

The Spiro Mounds site of Oklahoma was even dubbed the King Tut of the West, confirming that too many burial sites have been used for such a purpose. The digging up of bones and the stealing of artefacts peaked during the 19th century as a means for scientific investigation into cranial size, intelligence, diet, and DNA of Native Americans.

The scientists' take on the bodies dug up was often displayed in museums with exhibition labels even more offensive than a slutty Pocahontas halloween costume.

A century later, in the 1970s and 80s, these issues came to a head. Native American legal groups filed lawsuits that sought to close the museum displays still showcasing these racist attitudes, and demanded the return of the remains of Native Americans.

These legal cases coincided with the emergence of the trope in Hollywood, and appeared to continue the damage that colonisation did in the first place.

The treatment of the burial sites has haunted the communities far more than the families that built their dream house on top of it.

But the other flip of the coin tells a different story.

This side of the dime extends the line of thought that disturbed the burial sites in the first place:

The urban legend of the Native American burial site is based primarily on a fear of retribution or vengeance by Native Americans for the brutal history and current oppression they still face.

Ok, Fine, The Trope Is Trash. But Could The Native American Burial Grounds Still Be Haunted?

Like most haunted locations, burial grounds are packed full of dead people. And many Native American communities will probably vouch for similar beliefs as those that believe in the paranormal.

Belief in the afterlife varies from tribe to tribe, but some of these few variants include the existence of a spirit world that can be communicated with via dreams or medical experts, the absence of the spirit world due to constant reincarnation, and the journey of a spirit to an ‘afterlife camp’ in the Milky Way.

Even within Indigenous folklore these sites could be haunted, especially when disturbed.

But any burial site can be laden with a paranormal reputation. 

So, to combat the ignorance empowering the trope, it’s time we talked about the burial sites that are haunted, whether Native American or not.

The 7 most haunted burial grounds in the USA

#1 - St Louis Cemetery, New Orleans

Smack bang in the middle of one of America’s spookiest cities is one of it’s spookiest cemeteries, too.

And with sightings of the unexplained going back 200 years, this place has cemented itself in the supernatural history books.

The reputation is founded on a number of factors from the graves and tombs that have been broken into, to the voodoo rituals and seances that have been performed here.

With three centuries of dead people clogging up the site, there’s more than enough spirits often seen taking a midnight stroll.

The most famous ghost here is that of Marie Lavue, the voodoo priestess who is both a local urban legend and a potentially-undead-celeb since the 19th century. Many have reported seeing her in the cemetery wandering through the graves. She is often seen donning a headscarf and ceremonial clothes. It is disputed whether she is a ghost, however, as rumour has it she was brought back to life by a voodoo spell.

You might also spot Henry Vignes, a tall sailor in a crisp white t-shirt with striking blue eyes. It is rumoured that he was betrayed when his family vault was sold for personal gain, and he was thus buried in the pauper’s section. It is believed he is still looking for his family’s vault for a proper burial.

Another famous spirit is Alphonse, an unknown and unexplained mystery to the locals. Allegedly the spirit of a young man, he will go up to visitors and ask for help returning home. He will then cry and disappear. He is also known to be afraid of the Pinead family vault and tells people to steer clear of it.

#2 - Resurrection Cemetery, Chicago

Turns out Chicago is home to a collection of haunted burial grounds, but the first one up for discussion is actually renowned for an urban legend.

Resurrection Mary follows the classic tale of a vanishing hitchhiker story. Since the 1930s, several men that have been driving between the Willowbrook Ballroom and the cemetery have reported picking up a seemingly ordinary young woman. She is often reported to be wearing a white dress, a thin shawl, dancing shoes, and holding a small clutch purse.

When the driver approaches the cemetery, she asks to be let out and then disappears into the darkness.

Apparently she left the ballroom after an argument with her partner one evening. Upon storming out into the street, she was killed by a hit-and-run driver. She was found by her parents, and buried in the same dress and shoes she died in. The driver that killed her was never found.

Despite this tale simply being a vague urban legend many can write off, there is some evidence that she might just exist.

In 1939, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1989 similar sightings were reporting. And in the later years many reported that they nearly hit a woman in a white dress and thin shawl; by the time they left the vehicle to check if she was alright, she was gone.

It is also believed that she burned her handprints into an iron fence around the cemetery in August 1976, at the peak of her sightings. Officials had to remove the burnt fence due to the macabre tourism growing from it.

#3 - Stull Cemetery, Kansas

In the quiet town of Stull lies a portal to hell.

We most certainly aren’t in Kansas anymore.

Just like Resurrection Cemetery, the reputation of this small burial ground is based on an urban legend that has found a certain level of infamy.

The University Daily Kansan first claimed in November 1974 that Satan himself appeared in Stull twice a year: at Halloween, and at the Spring Equinox. Oh, and that church over there, yeah, the Evangelical Emmanuel Church? It’s possessed by the devil.

To complete the vibe, the cemetery is believed to house one of the seven gates to hell.

The legend has only gained momentum over the years, and trespassers seeking a peek at the portal have resulted in sheriff office patrols around the cemetery, especially on Halloween night. It’s also branched out to include the mysterious death of their mayor from the 1850s (who didn’t actually exist) and the Pope redirecting the flight path of his private jet to steer clear of Stull.

But if you don’t happen to see Satan, you might be lucky enough to hear strange noises and experience peculiar memory lapses…

Remind me how that’s lucky again?

#4 - Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Chicago

Told you Chicago was creepy-as-hell.

With over 100 different reports of paranormal activity in the cemetery ranging from demonic entities to iconic photographs capturing evidence of the paranormal, Bachelor’s Grove is one of the most haunted locations in the world.

Reports of hauntings peaked in the 1970s and 80s and included a vast range of supernatural sightings:

There’s the White Madonna who roams the grounds during a full moon with a child in her arms.

There’s the farmhouse that shimmers, floats, and vanishes.

There’s the farmer and his plough-horse who were allegedly killed in a ploughing accident.

There are the religious monks that wander through the cemetery.

And then there’s the black dog, one of the most infamous demonic entities, which is often seen by the entrance of the burial site.

The most famous activity was captured in a picture taken in 1991, and showed a woman solemnly sitting on a grave.

#5 - El Campo Santo Cemetery, California

We now head to San Diego for a cemetery that fits the plot of Poltergeist far too well.

Some of the graves have been covered by a street and others have been desecrated, supposedly leaving the spirits restless for the last few decades.

Despite being first opened in 1849, the growing city - and the growing number of dead citizens - failed to be contained by the cemetery. A modern road actually runs right through the cemetery, over where numerous gravestones one stood.

Throughout the surrounding area supernatural activity has been reported, from electrical problems and alarms systems malfunctioning, to cars unable to start when parked by the cemetery.

The most famous activity has to be the sighting of Jim Robinson, however. He was hung on the property of Whaley House nearby and has often been seen gliding above the graves. Cold spots, orbs, and shadowy figures are also reported.

#6 - Silver Cliff Cemetery, Colorado

Many haunted cemeteries are known for their high-profile residents, whether they stay under the ground or stretch their legs in the afterlife. This cemetery is infamous for the kind of activity witnessed here.

First built in the late 19th century, the cemetery is known for the ‘dancing blue lights’ seen around the cemetery at night. Bearing a resemblance to small, white orbs or blue lantern lights, they allegedly bounce on the headstones.

The phenomenon was even featured in an edition of the National Geographic Magazine back in 1969 when first seen by a group of miners.

Scientists and skeptics alike have forged a number of claims disregarding its potentially paranormal origins. From the phenomenon of ‘wildfire’ seen at swamps and wet locations, and the effects of ‘phosphenes’ which are flashes of light perceived by the eye, an explanation is yet to be proven.

What do you think?

#7 - Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando

Allow me to set the scene:

You’re in a cemetery in the dead of the night. A full moon rises, illuminating small, stubby headstones amongst brown, rusty leaves. Suddenly you hear a laugh.

A child’s giggle, perhaps?

The chuckle is silenced by the sound of distant music. It evolves into music box tunes. The atmosphere grows thick with paranoia until you feel a tug at your t-shirt.

Many have reported such experiences at this Florida cemetery. Most of the children that passed away at the local Sunland Hospital were buried here and allegedly still haunt it today. In fact, the cemetery is typically sectioned off into ‘Baby Land 1’ and ‘Baby Land 2’ to house the infants that didn’t reach the age of 5.

Yeah, f*ck this.

***

Liked this post? Make sure you like, reblog, and then hit follow to read a new article on the paranormal every week AND hear a new real ghost story everyday.

Want to hear somethin’ spooky right now? Check out the People’s Paranormal, the online ghost stories collection crammed full of real supernatural experiences.

[don-lichterman]

Horror deaths of six children who were killed in mysterious circumstances at ‘haunted’ theme park built on burial ground

Horror deaths of six children who were killed in mysterious circumstances at ‘haunted’ theme park built on burial ground

NESTLED away in rural West Virginia lies an abandoned and derelict theme park that contains a series of chilling secrets. Six kids mysteriously died at the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park between 1926 and 1966 – an attraction built on the site of a former burial ground. 5 Nestled away in West Virginia lies a theme park that people believe is cursedCredit: Forsaken Photos/News Dog Media 5 Chilling…

[galacticfrenchfries]

Professional Scaredy-Cats

Chapter 3: Sweet Springs Sanitorium

click for other chapters :)

Charlotte

We got back to the RV after getting breakfast at a small cafe, and we began looking through some cute Polaroids that we've been taking. I tape the pictures to the wall so we don't lose them.

"We're so cute." I gush, looking at the pictures.

"Yeah we are!" Dakota cheered, putting the Polaroid camera back in his backpack.

"Oh, I was talking about Chels and I." I told him. I wasn't actually, but I like picking on Dak all the time.

"Oh wow." Tanner laughed. "So rude, Lottie."

"You'll get over it." I stuck my tongue out, then laughed at myself.

    "Anyways," Dakota glared at me. "I wanna talk about our next location for a minute."

   "Oh boy." Alex sighed.

   "Without giving too much away, I think that whatever spirits are haunting this place still have a lot of energy in them," Dakota told the group. "One of the most common experiences people have are shadow figures and unexplainable noises."

   "Nothing we haven't experienced before." I smiled confidently.

   "This location might be a little different than anything we've ever experienced before." Dakota said. "But before tonight, we're going to make a little pit stop."

   He decided to take us to a smaller, and haunted, location to get us ready for whatever happens tonight. I would much rather just go walk around a park or something, but I know that's not interesting enough to be on the show. We're going to meet with the owner so that he can share a few details about the place, but I still have no idea where we're going.

   "Welcome to the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park." Dakota said.

   We stepped out of the RV and met with the owner, Chris White. We all shook hands and looked around us at the abandoned amusement park.

   "Native Americans settled here in the 1400s, and when the first English family settled here the tribe killed two of the children on the property." Chris stated. "The third child was later found burning at the stake."

   I looked at the man with wide eyes "That's terrible, oh my god."

   He continued by telling us about more deaths that occurred on the property, and all of them were children. These kids were coming here to have a fun day, but they never left.

   Tanner and I both seem to be the most affected by this, and I think it may be because since we both have really young nieces and nephews that it hit us a little harder. I could never imagine the pain that these children and their families went through when they passed away here, in what seemed like a fun and safe place for the family.

   Once the sky got darker, we walked over to visit the children's gravestones. I walked into the open field and found some flowers to put on the stone, my way of telling these children that people are still remembering them.

   We all stood in silence reading the engravings on the stones, and I bent down to sit the flowers on their shared stone. I reached into my pocket and found a little duck that I had and sat in on top, maybe their spirits can play with it if they wanted to.

   I stood back up and felt an arm get draped over my shoulder, I looked up and smiled at Tanner with my watery eyes.

   After I placed the duck on the stone, the air around us felt calmer. Almost as if the spirits of the children realized that they could trust us and let down their barriers. At least that's what I want to think.

   "Ezekiel doesn't have a gravestone," I spoke in realization. "I wonder why?"

   "He's the one who people see all the time," Chelsea said. "He doesn't want to be forgotten."

   My heart aches at the thought of this child feeling forgotten, no child should ever have that feeling. I walked back into the field and picked a few more flowers and sat them in the grass next to the other childrens' gravestone. I searched through my backpack to look for another duck, and after finally finding it I sat it next to the flowers.

   "Ezekiel," I spoke up a little louder. "If you're here with us, just know that we are never going to forget about you. That duck is for you, and I really hope you like it."

   A sudden gust of wind blew my hair into my face, and the realization hit me that it could have been Ezekiel acknowledging what I said. I felt a small smile form on my lips before we all walked to a nearby picnic table to do our packet read.

   "Are you guys ready to find out where we're going?" Dakota asked before sitting the packet on the table.

   "Let's do it" I said.

   We all took turns reading the packet, while Alex stood at the far end of the table to record us.

   "Sweet Springs Sanitarium has a long and deadly past, and each incarnation of the property just continued adding to it's devastation." Tanner read, "The building that housed Sweet Springs had been a grand resort before it was transformed into a hospital for treating Tuberculosis."

   Chelsea took the packet to read the next section. "The land it sits on is considered by many Native American tribes to be sacred. On the third floor, a full body apparition of a woman in period clothing has been seen numerous times." Chelsea took a breath and then continued "People have been touched, including the building's maintenance manager who has felt a firm hand on his shoulder while walking the halls of this building."

   Chelsea handed me the packet to read next. "There have been a total of five owners in the past twenty years, several dying unexpectedly after purchasing the property." I paused for a second, trying to take in the information. "I would be terrified to be the new owner."

   "Me too, I would never buy this place." Alex spoke up for the first time after listening to us read the packet.

____________

After a few hours of driving, we finally made it to Sweet Springs. We got out of the RV after gathering our gear, and I finally got a good look at the property. And of course it's storming outside which makes the night so much worse.

Since the property is so big, we split into two groups. I stuck with Dakota and Chelsea, while Tanner and Alex were grouped together. We all wished each other good luck before making our way into the front doors.

I should have joined the other group, to be honest, because when Dakota and Chelsea get scared they're the biggest chickens about it. Their fear just bounces off one another and gets worse from there.

We were just walking around on the first floor when we heard a loud noise coming from the floor above us. "Woah what was that?" Chelsea asked us.

"That was upstairs!" Dakota exclaimed. "I don't wanna go upstairs now."

But of course, because it's Dakota, that's exactly what we did. We walked up the creaky stairs to check out what made that noise. As soon as we stepped out of the stairwell there was a noise from down the hallway, making all three of us jump.

"There's something down there guys!" I said, hiding behind the two of them. "I really don't wanna go down there."

"Can you shut one of those doors?" Dakota asked, pointing his flashlight to the end of the hallway. Nothing happened at first, but then a loud bang was heard down the hallway. All three of us screamed, scaring each other even more. Then another noise was heard closer to us, and my heart rate picked up even more.

   We just kept backing further down the hallway until Dakota led us to the stairs to go up to the third floor. We walked into room 3007 where several people have reported seeing a female apparition walking around and standing in the window.

   Nothing really happened in that room, but I did notice that it was slightly colder in there than the rest of the third floor. We went back downstairs to meet up with Tanner and Alex to switch areas of the building. We went down to the basement where Tanner and Alex were, and they went to the second floor where we started out. Alex told us that we were probably going to get lost down there, so I'm already mentally preparing myself for the maze we're walking into.

I already hate basements as it is, I won't even go into my parents basement when I visit. The door to the basement is right next to my childhood bedroom, so I always triple check that it's locked before I go to bed.

"I despise basements," I spoke. "I better not have to sleep down there alone."

"Same here." Chelsea agreed with me.

We walked down the narrow steps to the basement before entering what used to be the slave quarters. I looked around with my flashlight when I saw that someone had put dolls in cages hanging from the ceiling. "Why would anyone do that? What is wrong with people?"

"That's so insensitive." Dakota scoffed before walking further into the basement.

"That's like the complete opposite of what people should be doing," Chelsea added. "Especially with knowing the horrors that went on down here."

I have a bad feeling about being down here, and I don't think it's because I don't like basements. There's something dark surrounding us and I don't like the feeling it's giving me.

We begin walking into one of the rooms when we hear what sounded like a woman's voice, and it sounded full of pain.

"Did you guys hear that?" Dakota asked us.

"Yeah, it sounded like a woman's voice." Chelsea told him "What about you, Char?"

"Yeah I heard it." I whispered. "It sounded so full of pain, I feel so bad right now."

We looked back into the room when Tanners voice was heard through the walkie. "This is Tanner for Dakota."

"Go for Dakota." We waited for Tanner to speak up again.

"You're not gonna believe this dude." He said, sounding kind of scared. "We just heard a woman's voice coming from room 3007."

Chelsea and I looked at each other with wide eyes.

"No way," Dakota spoke. "I think we just heard the exact same voice!"

"How the hell?" Tanner exclaimed "How did we hear the same voice, with two floors in between us?"

We explored the rest of the basement before meeting up with the others, and we all talked about what had happened while we were exploring.

"Sleeping alone tonight is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done." Chelsea spoke into the camera.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Especially after what we've experienced already, I can't even imagine what'll happen while we're alone."

We decide to take one last walk around the property, checking out the jail cell while we're at it.

"Ew, is that snake skin?" Chelsea asked while looking at the skin that was hanging on the wall.

"That's disgusting," Dakota grimaced "I hate snakes."

I walked over the snake skin and picked it off the wall, walking toward Dakota with it. "Present time!"

"No, NO, get that away from me." He backed away from me, trying not to let me touch him. I cornered him and draped the skin over his camera and laughed at the face he made.

"You're pure evil." Alex laughed, flicking the snakeskin off of Dakota's camera.

"I hope you get the basement now." Dakota glared at me.

"No!! Please don't say that." I poured. "I'm sorry, take it back. Right now!"

Before he could say anything back, a bunch of birds came out of nowhere so I immediately ran out of the little building.

"That's karma!" Tanner laughed at me.

"I guess I deserved that." I frowned, nervously looking back at the building full of birds.

We went back to the front of the main building to pick our locations. We decided not to sleep on the third floor since there was a lot of black mold so it wouldn't be safe to sleep there. The locations that we picked are the basement slave quarters, basement hospital wing, the second floor west wing, the first floor by the big mirror, and the first floor west wing which no one had been to yet.

"We haven't explored the first floor west wing, so whoever gets that is going in with no prior knowledge." Dakota told us.

Tanner wrote the locations on the pieces of paper, then we all drew out of the hat. Tanner got the basement slave quarters, Dakota got the second floor west wing, Chelsea got the first floor west wing, and Alex got the big mirror. And of course I got the basement hospital wing.

"Just my luck!" I groaned after I realized the only option left was in the basement. "The universe is out to get me."

Tanner and I made our way to the basement. We were pretty far apart from each other, but if one of us got loud we would be able to faintly hear each other. I set up my cot in the hallway before Tanner left me alone.

I decided to speak to my camera for a little bit. "I am currently in the Basement Hospital Wing, the one place I didn't want to end up with." I layed back in my cot. "This is not how I wanted to spend my Friday night."

I sat in complete silence for a few minutes, my eyes shut because I don't want to accidentally see anything. I shot up in my cot when I heard a voice coming from behind me, and it sounded so clearly human. I tried not to freak out as I pointed my flashlight in the direction of the voice.

"Lottie?" I screamed when I heard Tanners voice come from my walkie. "Did you just hear that voice?"

"Yeah, I heard it come from behind me." I told him. "How the hell did you hear it too?"

"I don't know but I'm coming to get you," I heard shuffling on his end. "We're gonna do a sweep of the basement, that sounded human."

I could feel my heart beating faster as I waited for him to come get me. He and Alex ran in, and the look on their faces made me realize how serious this situation could be.

The three of us walked around to look for anyone who could have broken in, but we didn't see anyone.

"I really don't think you should be sleeping alone, Lottie." Alex looked at me with concern.

"No, I can do it," I assured him. "I'll be fine. And if anything happens I'll call for Tanner."

They both looked skeptical, but eventually obliged and we all went back to our sleeping arrangements.

Everything was peaceful until I heard Tanner come running down the hallway. "Who is that? Who's in here?"

I sat back up in my cot and turned to see Tanner walking in behind me. "What are you doing?" I asked with a confused look on my face.

"Did you not just hear that?" He asked me

"I didn't hear anything, Tan." I got up from my cot. "What was it?"

"I swear I just heard singing," he looked back into the hallway behind him. "I ran straight to you because I thought someone was down here."

"Well that's unsettling." I could feel a pit forming at the bottom of my stomach. "Something is definitely messing with you because it's been so quiet over here."

Alex, Dakota, and Chelsea ran down into the basement with us.

"Dude, are you guys okay?" Chelsea asked with concern in her eyes.

"Something is messing with me, Lottie didn't hear any of what I just heard and it was so loud." Tanner spoke really fast. "This thing was mocking me, and I'm pissed."

Everyone began walking out of my area "Wait what is going on?"

"We're going back to my area, we need to figure this out." Tanner, Alex, and Chelsea walked back to the slave quarters.

Dakota stuck back with me and asked "So you didn't hear anything? Only Tanner was hearing this stuff?"

"I heard the first set of voices, it was right between both of us in that hallway. I didn't hear anything aft-." I was interrupted when I heard the loudest, most human scream I've ever heard at a location.

"Holy shit." I grabbed Dakota and ran away from my area, growing increasingly scared.

"Whatever this is, it's demonic and doesn't want us down here." He said out of breath. "It wants us to get the hell out of here."

"We need to regroup, like now." Alex said, leading us toward the stairs.

"There has been slavery here, this is a horrible place." Tanner told us. "And what we just heard portrays all of the horrendous things that have happened in this place, especially in that basement."

As we were walking back outside, I gripped Chelsea's hand as she prayed under her breath. This night has affected both of us in ways that we never imagined. Before we got to the first floor we heard another bang behind us, something was still following us. I felt Chelsea's grip tighten, nearly cutting the circulation off.

"We need to calm down, I'll get my laptop and we can review the footage we've gotten." Dakota tried to calm the group, especially Chelsea and I.

We all sat around Dakota's laptop, except for Tanner who was pacing around the porch of the building. He's obviously been affected the most out of all of us, and I'm starting to get worried about him.

"Tan?" I looked over at my friend. "Are you okay? Come sit down."

"No, I'm fine." He said as he continued pacing next to us.

"It's messing with you dude," Alex said to him.

"Yeah, don't let it get to you," Chelsea told him. "That's exactly what it wants."

Tanner finally sat down next to Dakota and we all reviewed the footage together. We heard the singing that Tanner heard so clearly, and it freaked Chelsea out so bad that she had to get up from her seat to process it.

"Oh hell no," She yelled. "That is crazy."

"That's the most evidence we have ever caught in one night, holy shit." I spoke, still trying to listen to the footage that we got.

"Let's get out of this place." Alex said, getting up from his seat and gathering his things.

We all got our stuff together and headed back to the RV, and I hope that I never have to come back to this place.

____________

This episode was so terrifying! The scream, the singing, the talking, AND THE CHANTING THEY GOT AT THE END. No thank u, never again pls.

Also the way Tanner reacted made me realize just how protective he is over his friends, but he did scare me a little when he tried fighting that ghost lol

Just a reminder that this is cross posted on my wattpad and I’m adding a few bonus social media chapters over there if anyone is interested!

[bellyfatdiscovery]

Abandon Places in USA | Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, Princeton, West Vir...