Hunting Ghosts with the Tennessee Wraith Chasers in Corinth MS
What are the chances that the Tennessee Wraith Chasers and I would be in the same place at the same time?
I mean, of all the places in the world our paths could possibly cross they just happen to cross in Corinth, a small town in northern Mississippi.
Weird, right? I’m there, they are there. It’s a bit like the universe shined brightly down on me for one brief moment in time.
Next thing I know, introductions are made, a dinner invitation is extended and my Saturday night quickly went from dinner at the fabulous Vicari to something much, much bigger than I ever thought possible. (By the way, it’s times like these that I’m reminded what a cool job I have and I’m incredibly grateful that I faced my fear and took a leap of faith!)
Wait, Who Are The Tennessee Wraith Chasers?
A quick introduction for those who may be unaware of who in the world I’m talking about. It’s ok- there are a lot of different tv shows and groups, so it may be hard to keep up.
The Tennessee Wraith Chasers are a group of 5 guys that investigate the paranormal. In my opinion, they are most well known for Ghost Asylum that aired on Destination America.
After three seasons of Ghost Asylum they started a new series called Haunted Towns. Now they have joined the big kids on the Travel Channel with Haunted Live.
They use science and common sense to investigate the weird and bizarre and I was about to have an up close and first-hand experience of watching them work.
This would be the first time that I’ve ever observed “pros” at work and I was really looking forward to it.
The Haunted Location: Crossroads Museum, Corinth, MS
The site of the public ghost hunt is the Crossroads Museum in Corinth, MS. The museum sits on the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
It is here that Union and Confederate soldiers clashed and fought to take control of this major transportation hub.
Two train lines, one running north and south and the other running east and west intersect here bringing supplies and troops to the South.
It was believed that whoever controlled this crossroad would win the war. Sadly, the war would rage on for a couple more years after the Battle of Corinth.
The battle would result in over 7,000 casualties.
Why the Crossroads Museum is Haunted
The terrible amount of carnage and loss of life here leads investigators to believe that this area is haunted by soldiers that never made it home.
Standing near the crossroads in the middle of the day I found it difficult to breathe. It’s almost like I can feel the weight of death and sadness pressing against my skin. It leaves me feeling a little stunned as the paranormal often does when it sneaks up on me.
Unfortunately, for me, this would be my only “paranormal” encounter during my visit, but that doesn’t mean it was the only paranormal experience.
It takes some time to shake off the sadness and not think about the sons, husbands, uncles, cousins, and friends that fell here never to return home.
It is a story that is heartbreaking for both sides and one you can learn more about with a visit to the museum.
There is also the story of a little girl that roams the museum. The story goes that she was hit by a passing train and has remained ever since.
The museum director told stories of the little girl and other paranormal experiences when I visited with her. She firmly believes that spirits continue to roam the museum.
How Two Worlds Collide–Meeting Doogie & Mike from Tennessee Wraith Chasers
The deaths, regardless of how sad, are the catalyst that caused the Tennessee Wraith Chasers to cross my path in a most unique way.
This would be the first time that I would be on site to watch celebrity ghost hunters in action. I had spoken to one of the event organizers earlier in the day and asked her if these guys were seriously legit or just really great actors for the camera.
In her opinion, she thought these guys were completely honest in their ghost hunts and wouldn’t bow down to weird, rating grab requests and definitely wouldn’t fake evidence for producers.
At dinner that evening, before the hunt, I had the opportunity to sit down with Doogie and Mike and chat with them about life and what it’s like now that the Tennessee Wraith Chasers have some fame behind them.
What I discovered was a couple of really fun guys that are doing what they love for a living. Honestly, it’s something we should all strive for in our lives.
We chatted about nothing hardcore and I didn’t take notes. Sometimes it’s nice to just talk with like-minded individuals and enjoy their company.
However, I did ask the one place they’d LOVE to investigate but can’t seem to get clearance into and that is the Tennessee State Penitentiary. I also noted one of their favorite haunted locations is the Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee.
They seemed a bit stunned and maybe a little offended that I’d never heard of the Bell Witch that they had investigated the night before during their live investigation. In my defense, there are a LOT of haunted places and I don’t pretend to know them all.
Of course, the talk turned to travel and I discovered they actually have a crazier travel schedule than I do which is saying quite a bit. Thankfully, all of us have very understanding spouses that let us pursue our happiness without guilt.
Let The Ghost Hunting Begin
After dinner, Ruth, my partner in crime for the night, and I made our way over to the Crossroad Museum to see what a Celebrity Ghost Hunt was all about. Of course, it started with a meet and greet, followed by a Q&A.
There were a number of their fans there that were thrilled to meet Doogie & Mike and were much more familiar with the show than I am. (Sorry guys, no cable at home so seldom catch the show.)
After the Q&A is when the fun began. Event attendees split into two groups and each was set off with either Doogie or Mike to investigate different areas of the museum and grounds.
Is the Caboose Haunted?
Our group headed out with Mike to the red caboose that sits next to the museum. As we all crowded inside Mike grabbed a recorder, asked the crowd to simmer down, and proceeded to ask questions in the darkness.
It was most of the standard questions, “Hello?”, “Is anyone here with us?”, “Can you tell us who you are and what your name?”, “Can you see us?”, “Can you tell us how many are in here right now?”
As I anticipated, there were no replies. Sometimes I think that too many people on a hunt diminish the chances of actually seeing, hearing or feeling anything.
After a good 30-40 minutes of no activity, we all shuffled off the train car and made our way to the crossroads.
For all my Supernatural friends out there I’m sure you know the significance of a crossroad. I’ll admit, scenes from that show kept crossing my mind. I’ll never look at a “crossroads” area the same again.
If you’re not familiar with Supernatural it’s on Netflix and I highly recommend it, but I digress….back to the ghost hunt.
Standing at the Crossroads
As we made our way to the crossroads, Mike and Doogie switched spots and Doogie led the crossroad investigation. We all gathered around the tracks and gave the spirit box a try.
Now, I will say it was a bit harder for me to hear what was happening in an outdoor setting. Our group was fairly large, around 20 people, which means 20 people shuffling around, a number of people talking, sounds from the bar down the street and just outdoor noises, in general, made it a little more complex to hear.
Doogie stood dead center in the crossroads and started asking questions. I will say that he received some interesting answers on the spirit box and if that is how you gauge paranormal activity then it would be safe to say its definitely haunted.
However, add the spirit box activity to the experience I had early in the day when it was just a couple of people at the crossroads and I completely believe something unexplained exists in this location.
Sadly, after the crossroads, we had to leave and weren’t able to investigate inside. That darn adulting, but I know me and knew if I was to make our departure time the next morning I needed to get back to the hotel and call it a night.
Thoughts On My First Celebrity Ghost Hunt
Mike and Doogie used their good ole boy charm throughout the night to win the audience and, most likely, the spirits over.
At the end of the night, we may not have recorded any substantial evidence, in my opinion, but I had a great time watching the pros work.
Plus, I have to say, it was the perfect way to end my visit to Corinth, MS, a small-town with surprises around every corner.
My cohort in crime for the evening, Ruth, was a great sport. She had never been ghost hunting before and had this to say about her experience:
“As a first time ghost hunter, I really loved hearing Doogie and Mike share stories during the Q&A beforehand. I enjoyed watching how they interacted with the spirit world once we were in the caboose and at the crossroads. What a fun night in Corinth!”
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL GHOST HUNT
- Go with an open mind.
- Do your research. Learn the history of the area you are investigating.
- Go with a friend–it makes everything so much more fun.
- Don’t provoke the spirits and NEVER EVER EVER say that a spirit can use your energy (good grief, that is danger, danger!)
- Remember, you don’t need a bunch of expensive equipment. You already have everything you need (smell, touch, see, hear) BUT if you want to take it up a level I have two fun apps to recommend. Ghost Radar (free), is supposed to locate spirits near you and iOvilus works kinda like a spirit box.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you want to join the Tennessee Wraith Chasers on a ghost hunt they have a number of upcoming events. I suggest following their Facebook events page.
If you’d like to investigate the Corinth Crossroads Museum be sure to reach out to the museum and inquire about their next ghost hunt.
I’d like to thank the Crossroads Museum for hosting my attendance at the celebrity ghost hunt!
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