Some of Rochester, NY’s favorite attractions are theoretically haunted! If you like to have a thrill while on vacation, be sure to check out these spots.
Durand-Eastman Park
Town legend, posted by town historian Patricia Wayne on the Irondequoit website, says that the White Lady haunts the park. Over one hundred years ago, a woman who lived in the area now covered by the park, lost her daughter, theoretically to a wayward man. She never was able to find her daughter, and now roams the park, searching for her, as well as other girls in potential danger. Visitors to the beach for the past hundred years have claimed to see her.
Frontier Field
Home to the Rochester Red Wings baseball team, and the annual “Fear at Frontier” every Halloween, Frontier Field has theoretically been proven to be haunted. Nothing is mentioned on the official website at www.redwingsbaseball.com, but in a press release placed on the PRWeb website, psychics J. Burkhart and Ms. Lee claim that they communicated with and photographed ghosts at Frontier Field. Photographs are found to the right of this website. You can also get more information by going to their website at www.rochester-paranormal.com.
Geva Theatre
J. Burkhart and Ms. Lee also claim that they have discovered that the Geva Theatre is haunted. Stories abound of theatre workers who have had some kind of ghostly encounter. Their photographic evidence can be found on their website. A search on the official Geva website, though, at www.gevatheatre.org, tells of no stories.
Valentown Museum, Victor, NY
The Valentown is a shopping center started back in 1879, when a railroad was supposed to be built alongside it. When funds fell through, the project was abandoned, and it is now a museum. Many believe the Valentown is haunted, and even the Sci-Fi Channel did an episode of Ghost Hunters here. Ghostly apparitions have been spotted, mysterious footsteps walk the halls, things move on their own. You can find out for yourself by going on a ghost tour. The museum is unheated, so you have to wait until the weather is a little warmer. Tourists are invited to bring their own recording equipment to verify their findings. Sign up for a tour and get a list of hints for a good experience by visiting http://www.valentown.org/ghost_tours.
Mount Hope Cemetery
Is Mount Hope Cemetery haunted? Chances are probably higher when you are surrounded by a bunch of dead people. Check it out yourself, and get a few history lessons at the same time. Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, John Jacob Bausch, Henry Lomb are among the famous people buried here. Get more information here.
The Paranormal Cooperative of Western New York
This organization is dedicated to researching potential local haunts. In the fall of 2007, they investigated Geva, Valentown, the Armory, and are working on a series called Mystic Encounters. Many of their results are not yet posted, but if you check their website regularly, you will be able to read about their findings as soon as they are available.
Meet up with ghost enthusiasts.
People who live in or near Monroe County in Western New York who wish to know more can meet with the Rochester Ghost Hunting and Paranormal Meet-Up Group, who meets monthly at the Borders in Henrietta. Sign up to receive e-mails of upcoming events by going to http://www.reparanormal.com/Hunt.htm or visit www.meetup.com.
Sources:
Wayne, Patricia. “White Lady”. (Retrieved 2-28-08) Town of Irondequoit Website. www.irondequoit.org
Burkhart, J. Rochester Paranormal. www.rochester-paranormal.org and supernaturalparanormal.com
The Valentown Museum Official Website www.valentown.org
Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery.www.fomh.org/
Rochester Ghost Hunting and Paranormal Meet-Up Group http://www.reparanormal.com/Hunt.htm. www.valentown.org
The Paranormal Cooperative of Western New York.http://www.wnyparanormal.org/joomla/
