PRISM Paranormal Investigations

MYSTERY MANOR

Omaha, NE

Ongoing Investigation

** Pre-Investigation: August 31, 2005 **
** Investigation: September 23, 2005 **

Location:
716 N 18th St.
Omaha, Nebraska 68102
Map

History:
The building was built in 1887. In the late 1800's to early 1900's, the building was comprised of four distinct apartments and operated as a bordello.

After the bordello closed, the building was bought by a family who passed it onto each other. They all lived there at one time or another. They sold the building to a gentlemen who let the building become condemned. Purchased by the present owner in 1984, the building became what it is now known as Mystery Manor. It is the oldest and most popular "haunted house" business in Omaha, Nebraska, and it packs in the crowds during the Halloween season every year.

Mystery Manor has believed by the staff to be haunted by four ghosts. The ghosts tend to taunt the staff on a regular basis. One of the madams named Grace was murdered there along with her son. The 'guardian' ghost seems to be a dark figure who protects all in the Manor. The last ghost is an uncertainty.

Paranormal Pre-Investigation

Date: 8/31/05
Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

On August 31, 2005, PRISM investigators David Rodriguez, Dan Christianson, and Trevor Redmond visited Mystery Manor for a pre-investigation of the building. An interview was conducted with Mark Sealy, the marketing & business manager of Mystery Manor. We were also given a behind-the-scenes tour of this spectacular haunted house. No anomalous EMF readings were noted and no anomalous audio was recorded during our short visit to the building.

Mark told us stories about about how on various occasions, while the manor was being renovated, strange things had happened to the power tools that were being used by workers in the building. When the workers would go on break, they would come back to find that their tools were now in the corner of the downstairs changing room, with their cords neatly wrapped up. Other stories of objects being moved around were also told to us.

While we were there, one of the emergency exit doors, which was closed and locked when we were on the second floor, mysteriously opened on its own. When we finished our tour of the building, and were coming downstairs from the third floor, we all noticed that the emergency door was now open about an inch. Nobody was in the building except for the four of us, who stayed together throughout the pre-investigation. Strange.

One other strange thing happened ...all of the photos that Trevor took were somehow erased from his camera's memory card. This was noticed as he was about to leave the pre-investigation. This isn't the first time this has happened to us.

We are looking forward to the overnight investigation coming up on September 23, 2005.

Photographic Evidence:

(Click on images to enlarge)

Mystery Manor - Office

A photo of Mystery Manor's business manager, Mark Sealy, at his desk in the office.

* Photo: David R. (Sony DCS-V3 Digital Camera)

Mystery Manor - Staff Dressing Room

A photo of everyone in attendance at the pre-investigation. None of the photos taken in this room had any orbs in them until this self-timer photo was taken and Dan asked any spirits present in the room to please appear in the photo.

* Photo: Dan C. (Digital Camera)

Mystery Manor - 2nd Floor Ceiling

An area on one of the ceilings where the body of what felt like a dead cat was found. Some of the staff went to get a garbage bag to dispose the dead cat's body, when they returned, the cat was gone. The people who stayed in that area did not hear anything move above them while the others left. The blood stain remains.

Note: The photo on the right is a the same picture as the photo on the left with the image of a cat superimposed to help illustrate how the dead cat was found.

* Photo: David R. (Sony DCS-V3 Digital Camera)

* Photo: David R. (Canon SD-100 Digital Camera)

Paranormal Investigation

Date: 9/23/05
Time: 9:00 pm to 4:30 am

Throughout the overnight investigation, several instances of high EMF spikes were noted in areas where there had previously been a zero reading. One EVP was recorded, and on three occasions, strange sounds were heard which had no apparent source.

One of those instances was in the basement, where footsteps (which sounded like many people walking) were heard from above. On another occasion, tapping sounds seemed to come from the inside of one of the walls. The third time was while everyone was in what is called the "Haunted Room", when loud bangs and a rustling sound came from one of the adjacent hallways. Upon immediate inspection, nobody was found to be in the area.