Ghost Adventures Recap: “Palmer House Hotel”

by Kimmie Chameleon:

Ghost Adventures Recap: “Palmer House Hotel”
Original Air Date (Travel Channel): Friday October 5, 2012
Season 7 Episode 4

Location

Ghost Adventures travels to Sauk Centre, Minnesota to investigate a hotel’s paranormal infestation.

History

The Palmer House Hotel was originally opened in 1864 as the Sauk Centre House, but burned down by a mysterious fire in 1900. Ralph and Christina Palmer rebuilt the structure where it became a first class hotel and saloon for traveling salesmen.

The new owner of Palmer House Hotel, Kelley Freese, informs the crew that the basement has “an uncomfortable feel.” A stranger called Kelley up to tell her that she had a strange dream that a man told her, “It’s time for my story to be told.” This stranger also told her that her dream revealed to her that a body was buried beneath a set of stairs in the house. Kelley decided to take a large kitchen spoon and dig in this location. To her amazement, she recovered several rib bones. When she went back the next day to retrieve the bones, they were gone! The crew decides that they will set up a thermal vision camera during this interview. It is at this time that Kelley begins to feel “surrounded”. She starts to sob and the Mel Meter that Zak is holding starts lighting up. Kelley mentions a time when she was in this basement and saw a dog or wolf apparition with glowing red eyes. This makes Zak believe that this must be a demonic spirit. Zak decides to hand over the digital voice recorder to Billy Tolley to review and he is able to pick up some E.V.P.s.

Digital voice recorder: “I’m following her.”
Zak: “I want you to tell us…”

Digital voice recorder: “No.”

Zak: “There are spirits here.”

Digital voice recorder: “They’re coming to get you.”

A Bone to Pick

The crew decides to head over to the Historical Society to further investigate the history of the house. They uncover some past news articles about former owners of the house. In the 70’s/80’s one owner claimed that he would hear footsteps coming down the hall from between room 12 and 13. The man was quoted as saying, “I know there is something up there, but I can’t explain it.”

Dave Schrader, friend and paranormal investigator, arrives to share a story about a time that he investigated the Palmer House. He and two other women were walking by the stairs where it is believed a body is buried and as they were staring at the staircase, all three of them jumped when they saw a face come out of the darkness.

Aaron and Zak decide to go to the basement and continue digging in the hole where Kelley uncovered bones that mysteriously went missing. Dave and Nick set up for what Dave calls a live “shack hack” session in the Palmer House’s most active rooms, number 17. While Zak and Aaron are digging downstairs, Nick and Dave capture a truly ominous E.V.P.

Dave: “Is there any danger for any of the people here in this house?”

E.V.P.: “Zak Bagans.”

The Lockdown

A nerve center run by Billy Tolley is set up in a room on the 2nd floor. A night vision camera is placed in room 17 and also in the 2nd floor hallway. Zak conducts an E.V.P. session in room 17. When no activity is felt, Zak remembers that the supposed ghost named Lucy that haunts the room hates it when there is commotion. Zak starts ripping the sheets off of the bed and goes as far as flipping the mattress up against the wall. This disturbance creates quite a reaction because the REM POD lights up and flickers profusely. Zak then feels something touch him and hears a pop.

Aaron: “I felt that energy.”
SB-7 device: “Aaron.”

Nick then hears a growl.

Nick: “Was that you…a growling noise?”
SB-7 device: “A spirit.”

The REM POD is flashing feverishly when Aaron feels an itch on his face.

Zak: “Who is here with us?”
SB-7 device: “Goodwin”

It is at this moment that Aaron hears footsteps running down the hall. They receive no more activity in the room and perhaps the running that Aaron heard was the spirit leaving.

Billy notices the basement REM POD lights up with activity and reviews the footage. We see an orb float down the basement hallway and pass by a cord hanging from the ceiling. As it passes, the cord begins to swing and the REM POD lights up.

The crew heads down to the basement. Zak becomes very lethargic. They all feel a breeze and Aaron hears a noise in the basement hallway. It is a dragging sound followed by the clinking of glasses. In the nerve center, Billy hears footsteps in the hallway and then sees camera 2 flickers oddly on his monitor.

Back in the basement, the crew does an E.V.P. burst session.

Zak: “Is there somebody in here? We just want to talk to you. That’s all. We don’t want no trouble.”
Digital voice recorder: “Make sure they go.”

The crew can sense the feeling that something is walking up to them. Zak and Nick begin to feel pinches on their body. Zak lifts up his shirt and there is a red mark on his back where he felt this mysterious pinch. Zak and Nick leave the basement. Aaron is left there on his own. He begins to feel chills and then hears a loud thud. Zak and Nick return to the basement to investigate what the sound was and discover that a broom is the culprit. They wonder how the broom could have fallen, given the fact that when they review video captured from earlier in the evening, the broom was situated to be nearly impossible to simply fall over without force.

Quotable Quotes:

Zak: “I don’t think we’re hunting leprechauns on this lockdown.”

DarkMedia contributing writer Kimmie Chameleon was born and raised with a healthy appreciation for horror and science fiction. She currently covers Supernatural, Ghost Adventures, BBC’s Being Human, Syfy’s Being Human, and Sherlock. When she’s not out ghost hunting with her kids, you can find her stealing a moment to add to her own pieces of fiction. Follow her on Twitter @dvsduo and “friend” her on Facebook.