Haunted Houses

Published by FrightFind On August 29, 2018

The haunt season is upon us, and you know what that means. People will in no doubt be showing up for your amazing haunted attraction and they can’t wait to be scared out of their skin. But they may need to wait just a bit longer in that ever-growing line of haunt enthusiasts. If only they had something to keep them busy before entering the top haunt in the county. Enter the Eyebot App.

What is the Eyebot App?

Augmented reality. Bluetooth enabled and interactive. Haunt enhancement. In our opinion, the Eyebot App is a great way to entertain guests in the line. But it goes much further than that. We caught up with Bill McCoy, the Eyebot App’s creator, at Transworld.

Eyebot is an augmented reality-based app that lets it’s users find scary things on their phone while visiting your haunt. It uses image recognition as well as Bluetooth transmission beacons to detect ghosts and ghouls right on your customer’s phone.  The guest simply uses the app to scan images that you put wherever you want and the creature comes to life on their phone. Or you can purchase beacon devices that use Bluetooth to carry an image straight to someone’s smartphone.

How do I use the Eyebot App in my haunt?

Eyebot App - Augmented Reality Haunt Enhancement

Using the Eyebot App in your haunt is easier and cheaper than you think. Follow these steps and you’re on your way:

The possibilities of when and where to plant the beacons and which characters to use can create a truly unique experience that can be changed just as often as moving a beacon and merely uploading a different horror character to that spot.

The Eyebot app adds an entirely new experience to your haunt guests that will keep them coming back year after year.

Want to get going with the Eyebot App? Head over to their website at http://eyebotapp.com/

Published by FrightFind On August 25, 2018

In late April 2012, an anonymous phone call was placed to Indiana’s Department of Children’s Services in which claims of neglect and child abuse were reported against a Gary, Indiana woman named Latoya Ammons. DCS Case Manager Valerie Washington was assigned to investigate the claims reported, but nothing in her training was about to prepare her for the demonic activity to come.

History of the Ammons House Hauntings

Beginning six months prior in November 2011, Latoya Ammons, a single mother of three children, along with her mother Rosa Campbell, moved into a small and nearly one-hundred-year-old house on Gary’s southeastern side city limits. In similar fashion to the Amityville Horror, the Ammons troubles began when they moved into the home and found it was infested with swarms of black flies. Weeks passed as attempts were made to properly fumigate when the children reported seeing a shadow man moving between the bedrooms. Shoe prints from an oversized boot were soon found throughout the home.

The Ammons Demon House

As the months began to pass into 2012, mounting tension grew within the house. Fighting and destructive behavior began to occur frequently among the children. No room in the home was truly free from the constant noises caused by the children. In the basement, a dirt floor was discovered under the stairs, but that was not enough to sway Latoya and her mother from putting the washer and dryer for the household laundry down there. Mounting cold spots were known to form at an instant and then dissipate in the basement along with the rest of the home.

To combat the feelings of constant negativity, the Ammons family turned to nearby Protestant clergymen to come to the house for a blessing. Upon the finished blessing, the activity increased to a continuous loud bang, dark shadows prowling the home, and the children brutalizing one another. Police were dispatched to the home often for noise complaints, and Gary Police Captain Charles Austin, a hardened twenty plus year veteran of the force, was so shaken after one visit to the home, he refrained from further visits unless accompanied by more officers.

The Ammons Demon House

State of Indiana Intake Officer’s Report

Late April 2012, is when the call for help was made to the outside world. DCS Case Manager Washington was briefed on the case after Latoya had taken the children to their pediatrician in a weak attempt to diagnose their increasingly violent behaviors. The doctor, in turn, referred them to the local emergency room after it was reported that objects at the doctor’s office briefly levitated and were thrown against walls by an unseen force. Immediately they were taken to the local emergency room, and doctors quickly assessed the children and placed them in a psychiatric wing right there at Northlake Hospital.

While interviewing the children separately, a nurse, hospital official, and Washington herself all personally witnessed loud and aggressive growls from the middle child in particular. The other two children were reported to have unnaturally deep voices and bulging eyes within their sockets. Unfazed by the attempted psychological assessment and medical intervention, all three adults then personally witnessed the middle child walk upright unassisted against a hospital wall up to the ceiling and then backflip down behind them at a height of an estimated twenty feet!

The Ammons Demon House

State of Indiana Intake Officer’s Report

After a dizzying weekend of analyzation, medication, and mental therapies of all kinds given to Latoya, her mother, and all three children, the hospital and DCS Case Manager Washington found absolutely no evidence of abuse or mental handicap of any kind. Desperate for any answer as financial obstacle prevented her from moving to a different home, Latoya then chose to reach out to the local psychic community for clues to her ever-worsening situation. An anonymous clairvoyant visited the home, and despite burning sage and covering doorways in blessed oils, they ended up leaving and informing Latoya they could feel the presence of over two hundred demons occupying the home!

Zak Bagans goes to the Ammons House

Local news stations picked up on haunted home and stories about the situation went viral. It was not long before help arrived in the form of Father Michael Maginot, a local Catholic exorcist. Father Maginot of St. Stephen, the Martyr Church, had been tipped off by the Northlake Hospital chaplain who explained the dire situation troubling the Ammons family. After a somewhat minor blessing of the children and the home, Father Maginot gained approval for a full exorcism with permission from Bishop Dale Melczeck in June 2012. Collectively it took three full exorcisms to free Latoya and the children from the evil that had taken over their lives.


Wishing to start their lives over and away from the house, Latoya ended up leaving the home. It was purchased by another family who reported no further demonic activity. In early 2014, the unnamed owners sold the house for $35,000 to paranormal expert, Ghost Adventures host, Zak Bagans. Purchasing the home with the intent to discover and expose the notorious paranormal activity, it ended up being displayed in a highly controversial documentary, Demon House.

Published by FrightFind On July 25, 2018

Sarah Winchester, born Sarah Lockwood Pardee in 1840, spent the latter half of her life concealed under dark veils roaming throughout the grand mansion she had constructed around herself. Her odd dress and strange architectural choices were often criticized, but she never faltered as she watched her family die around her over the years. The construction never stopped as she tried to flee from the evil spirits that closed upon her and her family.

Sarah Winchester - Winchester Mystery House

After the untiling death of Sarah Winchester’s newborn daughter, father-in-law, and husband, she went looking for answers and eventually turned to spiritualists. A distraught Winchester wanted to know why her family had been so quickly taken from her. The spiritualist told Winchester that her family was cursed by the thousands killed by the Winchester Rifle. At this time, the Winchester Rifle was used all across the country and quickly became the rifle of choice for many.

The guns popularity left Sarah Winchester with quite a handsome fortune after the passing of her husband but also left quite a bit of blood on the family name. The spiritualist relaid to Winchester that the spirits killed by the Winchester Rifle took her family as recompense for all their lives lost and put a curse on her. She suggested to Winchester that she should move West and build a house. As long as she kept building, she would live forever, break the curse that hung over her family name, and keep the revenge-driven spirits at bay. Winchester heeded the spiritualist advice and moved West to San Jose, California where the sprawling haunted Winchester Mystery Mansion still remains.

The Winchester House Construction

Sarah Winchester purchased an eight-room farmhouse and began its transformation in 1886. A crew of carpenters worked in shifts so that the construction would be constant. In the 38 years of work, 500-600 rooms were constructed but due to an earthquake in 1903, the towering seven-story structure was reduced to four. The natural disaster destroyed dozens of rooms, only 161 rooms still remain open to the public. Instead of being rebuilt, parts of the mansion were blocked off.

The Winchester Mystery House

Sarah Winchester was constantly adding and renovating rooms with no clear floor plan being followed. In a small room with three doors and a trap door, referred to as The Blue Room or The Seance Room was said to be the place where Winchester would have nightly chats with the good spirits who were there to help her plan out of build the house. The following mornings, she would discuss at length with the foreman about the day’s work. As luxurious as the house was, it was built in a curious fashion.

There are doors that lead into brick walls, stairs that go to the ceiling, and a door that opens to a two-story fall into the bushes below. Apparently, all these strange architectural choices were in hopes of confusing the evil spirits that were after Winchester. The unusually narrow passageways and confusing room structures are also what make the Winchester Mystery House such a popular attraction centuries after being built.

Is The Winchester Mystery House Haunted?

Daisy Bedroom - Winchester Mystery House

The amount of supernatural occurrences also draws quite a large amount of tourists. Considering Sarah Winchester communicated with spirits every night, it’ll come as no surprise that the small, confine Seance Room has the most paranormal activity in the mansion.

The third floor, that was the servants quarters when Winchester was alive, have been said to be just as active. Guest and staff have heard voices calling their names, the sound of screws being unscrewed and lightly falling to the hardwood floor, footsteps hurrying to and fro, and a full body apparition of an old caretaker named Clyde. A member of the mansion’s staff said that Clyde can be seen shuffling along with a wheelbarrow of coal to and from where an old furnace used to be. If he notices you, he will nod politely and continue on like it’s just another day of work.

Stairs to Nowhere - Winchester Mystery House

Another member of the staff stumbled down a small flight of steps and heard a voice behind her ask, “Are you okay?” When she looked behind her, no physical body accompanied the voice. She felt a presence beside her as she picked herself up off the floor and hurried away. Numerous people have claimed to see Sarah Winchester herself, either sitting in her bedroom or roaming the labyrinth of a mansion as she did in life.

When Winchester died in her bed in 1922 at the age of 83, construction immediately came to a halt. Some say the construction stopped so suddenly that half hammered nails stuck out of the walls.

Published by FrightFind On August 28, 2016

Visiting a haunted prison is creepy enough, especially one featured in many popular TV shows and movies. But that’s just the beginning. This prison also houses one of Hollywood’s elite horror makeup artists in Robert Kurtzman. This triple threat is exactly what you’ll get when you visit the Paranormal Penitentiary in Mansfield, Ohio. With the help of Kurtzman they are transforming the Ohio State Reformatory into a monster mecca of epic proportions.

Paranormal Penitentiary: Monster Lockdown

Believe me, this isn’t your run of the mill haunted house experience. In fact, before you can enter Paranormal Penitentiary: Monster Lockdown you must first become a member of “Slayers of the Damned,” a super secret society dedicated to the pursuit of hunting, capturing, and containing the world’s worst monsters. (Don’t tell anyone though; it’s a secret.)

As you make your way through this 400,000 square-foot facility you will experience the kind of unimaginable terror usually found only in nightmares. There are monsters hiding in every dark corner and abandoned cell, while others roam the halls looking for fresh meat. What makes the Paranormal Penitentiary so terrifying is the fact that you are walking through a real prison that has housed thousands of America’s worst criminals. Many believe some of them are still haunting the halls.

Haunted Ohio State Reformatory

Ohio State Reformatory

Standing outside Mansfield, Ohio since 1834, the Ohio State Reformatory is an impressive Gothic style structure that looks like something out of Transylvania. It’s a perfect place for creatures of the night to do their dirty work. As with most prisons, violence was a common occurrence, including murder. In 1926, a correctional officer was shot to death, and in 1932, another officer, working in solitary confinement was beaten to death with an iron rod. These are only a couple of the many deaths at OSR. Today the prison is known to be haunted by many of the souls lost in the prison walls. There are even sightings of a woman walking along a pond leading to the prison, known as the Ghost of Reformatory Road.

This prison may seem familiar to you (even if you didn’t spend hard time there). That’s because the OSR has been featured in movies going back to 1976 when Harry and Walter Go To New York was filmed at the prison. Never heard of it? That’s okay. How about Tango and Cash with Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell? And you’ve likely seen The Shawshank Redemption!  This classic Stephen King story was turned into the most rented and purchased movie of 1995. It is so beloved with moviegoers that many fans take part in the The Shawshank Trail. Here you get to visit 14 filming sites from the movie and experience some of what Andy and Red did. Minus the beatings.

Robert Kurtzman - Creature Corps

Robert Kurtzman

What makes a great haunted house even greater? Robert Kurtzman, that’s who! You would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t seen his work. Kurtzman has been creating movie magic for years. Whether it’s doing makeup, writing, directing, or producing, he has been part of it all. He has had his hand in everything from Dances With Wolves and Jingle All the Way to horror classics like Wishmaster and Army of Darkness. You might be asking yourself, “Why go from Hollywood movies to haunted houses?” The truth is, Kurtzman has had his own haunted attraction for years in Ohio and decided that he’s ready for a new challenge. FrightFind had the opportunity to talk with Kurtzman about the change and pick his brain about the state of Hollywood today.

FrightFind: So how did you get involved with the Paranormal Penitentiary?

Robert Kurtzman: They came to us looking for a new feel to the haunt. Something unique. They wanted more monsters and their storyline was intriguing.

FF: When you do something like this are you constantly trying to one up yourself? Are you going bigger and better?

RK: The prison is really the draw. We are just trying to fill it with more creatures. Everything is original. It’s stuff we worked on at the studio Creature Corps as well as work from other local artists.

FF: What should we look for when touring the prison?

RK: You will see lots of cool original monsters as well as some you know. We have some unique new things like actors in walk around alien suits. You know, like the dinosaur suits that are popular now. They look really cool.

FF: Will you be dressing up as a monster too?

RK: No, I don’t do that. I will be there though, saying hi and signing autographs. It should be fun.

FF: This must be a busy time for you, with Halloween around the corner and several movies coming out. What should we look for?

RK: We finished work on Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers, which will be coming out in select theaters August 30th. Kevin is out promoting it now. We should start working on his next film, Moose Jaws, a little later. Besides that I have several other movies I’m working on. I finished up a movie called The Neighbor that will be coming out soon. I think everyone is really going to like it.

RK: I also have a film coming out in December called Bye Bye Man. This one is going to be scary.

FF: What do you think about all of the remakes and reboots we have been seeing lately? Do you like the idea of rehashing old beloved movies?

RK: It depends. I hear they are rebooting Nightmare on Elm Street. It could be really good, but if it doesn’t have a twist it isn’t going to work. I watched Ghostbusters and liked it, but it definitely wasn’t the original. I thought they did a good job casting all of those great comedic actresses. But no matter what they do, it just can’t hold up to the original.

FF: Have you had a chance to watch Netflix’s Stranger Things?

RK: I loved it! I binged watched it. I thought it was really cool. I loved seeing all of the old movie posters and catching all of the references to the classic 70s and 80s films. The music was really great too. Like I said, I loved it.

FF: One last very important question. What kind of candy do you hand out at Halloween?

RK: Oh man, we have a huge bowl of everything. Candy bars, candy corn, everything. The only thing I don’t give out are those peeps. None of that marshmallow crap!

Peeps are gross