Saturday, November 8, 2008

Ghost Adventures: Riddle House, West Palm Beach Florida.


There is just something about Zach Bagan that makes me root for the ghosts.

This week the team goes to the Riddle House to investigate what is supposedly a very active home. Creaking stairs, moving objects and of course, a tragic history of suicide in the attic. Part of an overall paranormally active community, visitors and locals claim to have seen apparitions, and loads of other ghostly activity.

Of course, the team takes on the Rambo attitude that has quickly become their trademark and over dramatizes the history and claims of activity. Zach Bagan's excitement is barely contained as he continues his investigation.

After lockdown, Zach explains his provocation of spirits as only directed towards ghosts who harm the people working in the building, however, that really doesn’t justify, in my mind, to walking up in the attic with a hangman's noose.

As he tied the noose to a rafter, he explains again that he is not disrespectful; making me wonder how many emails they have gotten about their approach to ghost "hunting."

So, an hour later, the group wraps up the show with nothing more than a few noises and falling objects to relay as evidence of this haunting. I am sure I would have been scared as well, after hearing the flag fall out of a corner, or undetermined knocks and echoes, and for that, I find the show continually interesting.As for Zach and his approach...I am waiting to see more. If I was a ghost, I'd beat the crap out of him.

Photo by:thelastminute Flickr.com

29 comments:

  1. I lived in Riddle House from 1979-80 when it was called Dobbs House and was a girls' dorm for Palm Beach Atlantic College. Now, I have lived in haunted houses all of my life and am a Sensitive, however, in the entire year I lived in that place, nothing more than a few footsteps on the stairs were ever heard. Of course, the college neglected to mention to us innocent kiddies and our parents that a guy had hung himself in the attic - we didn't even know the house HAD an attic! Anyway, I was almost he only other student in that house during Summer Term '80 and nothing ever scared me . .. except the toadstools that grew right out of the puke green colored carpet that squished! Dobbs House was condemned shortly after I left; I am happy to see that the house has been so beautifully renovated, but I want to spank those rude Ghost Adventure boys for yelling at my poor old former home! If I was that ghost, I'd throw stuff at them, too! I would have no fear in staying overnight in that lovely old haunted house at any time. I promise you that nothing would bother with me, other than a few "hello" noises!

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  2. Wow, really interesting! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

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  3. Thank you! I DVRed the episode because I'm from Royal Palm and am in Pensacola (eww) now and was excited to see something from home on the tv, especially something ghost related. I've never seen Ghost Adventures before (I'm a TAPS/Ghost Hunters girl) so I didn't know what to expect. They put so much drama into it!! They called Yesteryear Village the village of the dead! I've been there a thousand times and have NEVER felt creeped out there. My mom's old house on the other hand gave my sister and I the creeps and stuff happened there (paranormally). I don't know if I'm sensitive to EMF or something else or what but I've never gotten a creepy vibe from there. Thanks for backing me up.

    Oh and it made me laugh when they went to Palm beach Atlantic's campus during a thunderstorm and ran from the lightning... relax boys, it happens every afternoon!

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  4. I agree with everyone - and so glad you agree with ME!! . . .especially about the afternoon storms! Don't those guys ever watch the Weather Channel? All the locals avoid driving on any intercoastal road between 2 -3 every summer afternoon because they flood due to the "afternoon mini-hurricanes?" Why the heck were they running around in a thunderstorm anyway? Most NORMAL people have sense to get in outta the rain!

    Anyway, I can't wait to get down to W Palm to see my old dorm again! I keep re-watching the Ghost Adventurer episode (with the sound off, to block out their irritating screaming) and it brings back so many memories of when I lived there. I remember that you could stand about on the middle stairs and be able to peer into the "funeral parlor" room (TOO funny!) to see who was hanging out in there. It helped when I was trying to avoid a boy who wanted to ask me out, but I wasn't interested in. (ha!) Or, vice versa, find out if a guy that I DID like was hanging out in there. Believe me, the poor boys were abused enough by us fickle girls - they had nothing to fear from the ghost! (By the way, Whitney, I'm a "TAPS" girl, too - it's the only ghost show that has a brain!!!

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  5. I was at the Riddle House last weekend, and to be honest I was pushing my luck, Doing a little baiting. I asked over and over for a sign. When I got upstairs, still baiting, the attic door, which is locked, slammed back and forth. By the time I left yesteryear village I was not feeling well. I returned the follwing day to speak with the people wwho work there and 3 have had the same experence. Something in that house is draining. I was there, I was there baiting and I got what I came for.

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  6. I was at the Riddle House last weekend, doiing what I do best in *haunted houses*. Downstairs I got nothing. As I entered the childrens' room I was starting to feel a tad overwhelmed. My thought was scary old dolls and nothing more. I waited till everyone had gone downstairs and asked for proof that i was not alone. At that point the attic door, which was locked, began to rattle. Not from wind or rain or anyone on the stairs. when I got downstairs and asked one of the guides what that might have been. I was informed, that it happeded all the time but there was no reason for it. I left feeling drained. I am going back this weekend. I assure you there is an attic and as I have learned that spirits do aometime seek safe places to avoid the pestering living. I suspect they were in the attic the last afternnon I annoyed them.

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  7. First and for most, those guys are just asking for something to happen to them or get they're own little follower of supernatural origins that they are not going to want around. They way how they were acting was just ridicules. Yes, I understand that they are working to make a TV. show, but come on! Saying that they mean no disrespect but they won't tolerate bullies, even if they are ghost. While admirable, tell me, what are they going to do about it? Bait, annoy, and piss off the ghost until the end of their days? Not such a good plan. And putting that noose! What was he trying to prove by flaunting that thing around?
    I couldn't help but laugh when they were running around and screaming.
    Most ghost will leave the living be unless they are aggravated. While I don't agree that throwing a piece of wood at a person is the best way to handle the renovations that were going on at the house, some people are just jerks, whether its in life or death, and sometimes they just don't know how to experience themselves because not everyone can hear or see them, so they do what they can.
    Another problem I had with this show is that they didn't show any of their findings! It just ended with a bunch of grown men getting scarred. It would have been nice to see and hear what they discovered on their tapes. Especially they guy that was in the attic.
    I really do think that I’ll stick to my boys a TAPS unless I want a good laugh or two.

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  8. I also watched the show on the Riddle House.
    Ive watched this team before and also get so
    annoyed with the yelling and cussing. I only watched it again because I live in Florida and was curious. What a crock! These guys never happen to catch any evidence of a haunting.
    I'm more convinced than ever the whole program
    is staged and not entertaining in the least.
    I cant belive rhe Travel Channel has stooped so
    low as to air this stuff. Is this low budget TV or what?

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  9. I just caught what I guess must have been a rerun of the Riddle House episode last night. I watch a lot of these paranormal shows, and I actually felt this was one of the best in terms of presenting visuals and sounds that the viewer could actually perceive as it was happening. The only thing I really hate about this particular 'ghost hunting' show is the host/leader of the group, Zac (sp?), who is a complete jerk. Not only is his persistent 'calling out' daring and taunting of the spirits annoying, but he is too full of himself. He has the other two guys there, who are also witnessing things and have ideas about what to do, but he always insists on his own way. He's always shushing them when they're trying to tell him about something; yet, he himself will scream or get startled about something, and go on and one for a whole minute, saying "Did you HEAR that?! What the h--- was THAT?!" The show would be really good if he'd take a chill pill, get off his high horse, and just be quiet sometimes.

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  10. I agree with Anonymous. Zac needs to shut the H*ll up. All the yelling, repeating his "orders" three times in a row. He also needs a comb. The 'do is ridiculous. He's arrogant and pushy and alway correct.

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  11. I've always thought if these ghost shows were real they would minimally leave off the scarey music that serves as a filler. I do happen to believe in ghosts and occasionally my husband has brushes with them; however, none are sustained long enough to warrant TV shows, least of all the creepy music which freaks me out more than the ghost. Shows like this make fun of honest investigation and that angers me.

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  12. I wish they would have played the recordings. I believe these guys. i dont think its staged. stuff like this happens all the time, and they are brave enough to go lock themselves in a house with tons of supernatural activity. The show is interesting because you can tell all the things that happens scares the crap out of them. you can always see the fear in their faces. there are famous actors in hollywood i believe less than these guys. very brave. that stuff could get dangerous in ways, and by showing youre not afraid would bring even more activity from the enteties.

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  13. they catch wayy too much "evidence" for it to be real. Im a TAPs girl and they do not catch EVP"s every episode nor do they try to give the inaudible sounds a phrase. These guys are over-zealous and too lucky. They need to be more selective. TAPS all the way!!

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  14. The comments posted by those of you who have visited Riddle since my initial comments (as a former resident) were really interesting! Based on the relative calmness that I experienced during the 1 1/2 years I was there, I really feel that the ghosts have been "stirred up" since then by people like Zack who doesn't show some respect. I think the ghosts left us alone because we were just a bunch of happy college kids! We never tried to contact anything, and I kinda liked the occassional late-night footsteps that would keep me company during my midnight cram sessions downstairs in the front "parlor" room. I live in a VERY haunted house and I've found the best way to deal with benign ghosts is just not to bother each other (if you know what I mean). We laugh at the "spooky" things that happen in my house (a full bodied ghost popped up in the middle of my daughter's Girl Scout meeting the other day - we were holding it in our living room - scared the crap out of one girl, but overall, it was pretty funny!)

    Please keep posting comments! I really did love that old house and I hope I can get time to go back and visit it this summer!

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  15. I live in West Palm. Is yester-year village the old time village at the fair grounds? If so I have walked through yester-year village several sober and drunk off my ars and have never felt anything weird. I grew up on a farm in Illinois so I actually kinda like the old wooden buildings!

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  16. I dont believe in any of this s___t DEAD is DEAD, period. You either have an "overactive imagination" or you are out of your mind...GIMME ME A BREAK, get some medication.

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  17. You Don't need mask's take to much time OK zac I believe you when I have to use O2 to breathe later in life. You Guy's are full of crap still running blindly and yelling screaming like bunch of little boy's.

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  18. I lived in West Palm Beach my the first 18 years of my life (I am now 20, married with a daughter and living in California). I never heard that the Riddle House was haunted. I'm watching this episode right now, and although I prefer TAPS/Ghost Hunters International to Ghost Adventures, this episode intrigues me because it's my hometown.

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  19. I personally like ghost adventures and think that the reason they come across more activity than taps is because being with the travel channel they have more interesting locations. Regardless of what activity they find or don't find I always enjoy the history behind the sites that they choose.

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  20. I am now watching the episode, wed..April 7. I am always drawn to these shows. but always dissapointed. I agree they are disrespectful concerning things they do not fully understand. I am sure by the time I finish watching, I will say to myself...again..why did I watch this?? At least TAPS tries to disclaim the haunting stories and are honest about it.

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  21. I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I think I will leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

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  22. My name is Ashley and I have visited The Riddle House many times before, as I live in West Palm and have attended the South Florida Fair for the past 27 years. My sister -in-law told me that the house was haunted, me being a skeptic, took my camera to take pictures, basically to show her there was nothing. Well the joke was on me, my fiance who is also a skeptic was in the side garden and decided to be a smart ass and yell "Im a Ghost" and I got an orb right under his arm with a perfect nose, mouth and 2 eyes, the orb is even the color of actual skin. The other picture was a picture I took standing accross the way, just of the house its-self, when I got home I saw a green shadow like image in that picture and it was just next to the porch. At first it looked like just one of the many women who dress up in the 20th century garb during the fair. (They dress up and sit on the porch because they are scared to sit inside) When I zoomed into the green image I saw woman in a bonnet, but you can not see her face, she has no legs and is transparent. You can actually see the tree behind her!! Not to mention when you zoom in a little closer there is a man who is not green like the woman but almost black, he has a pipe in his mouth and has his hand around one of the posts of the house, like he is holding onto it. He is standin right in front of her. Then I decided to walk over to the church they have in Yesteryear Village. I took a picture standing outside and no one was in there. When I got home and looked at that picture there was a transparent man sitting in a transparent wheelchair...you cant see his face but it is extremely real and undeniable that it is ghost! Yesteryear Village is all haunted, every last building, I was a skeptic but after seeing these pictures that were taken with my normal, 4 year old Kodak Easyshare camera, I guess you could say Im not a skeptic anymore. If anyone has any clue as to where I can send these to get them published...email me, ashbeerose561@yahoo.com

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  23. I'm new to this site, this is the first post I've been to. I was searching for Zach and ended up here. Anyway, I just had to add my two cents. I love Ghost Adventures! They are entertaining and I've been hooked on watching them. Maybe they get so much "evidence" because of how they act. If these ghosts are hurting other people why should Zach, Nick and Aaron be calm and ask nicely. And I love it when they get scared. It makes me feel less like a scaredy cat when I think I hear or see something.

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  24. I'm really late to this discussion, but...I'm 31 and have lived in WPB my whole life and have grown up going to Yesteryear Village. Ive been in the house several times and although Ive never experienced anything, Ive heard many stories from people who have. I don't believe that I am Sensitive to ghost, kind of a mind over matter thing I guess. But, I do believe in them. Anyways, Ive heard from many people that work at the property that strange things happen there. My friend was there last year and she is Sensitive and she said she didn't even know of the haunting, but that as soon as she entered the house she felt horrible. She said she felt like some manly presence was trying to bear down on her. She left immediately and cried outside while waiting for her friends to come out. She said she didn't understand what had happened, but that she never wanted to go inside again. Funny thing is that while her friends were exiting, one of them shouted, This place isn't haunted! And immediately, the girl behind him fell down the front steps! She said it was as if someone had kicked her legs out! She was injured as a result of the fall and they decided to take pictures in case they needed to prove how she fell down, faulty stairs/lighting, etc. And they left. Well, looking at the picture later my friends see that there is clearly an image of an old work boot in the picture right where my friend fell. I have seen the picture and there is definitely a shadowy boot in it!
    After watching that episode and hearing multiple reports from people that I know, I definitely believe that place is haunted. Some people are just more receptive to it then others.

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  25. I didn't really like that show I can't stand any of them. I like paranormal state with the PRS crew but now Ryan is getting a little big headed ;although, he is very successful for such a young age.
    Still the entire show annoys me. I see ghost and i know proof of what exist and what is a load of crap from people who have scared them selves. I really dislike the fact that people don't get the fact that mostly when a ghost is in a house they are not trying to scare people they are trying to communicate. When they finally find some one who can at lest hear them they get excited and their emotions are in turn their energy for manifestation. think about it when you find a person who can hear and speak to you after decades of feeling isolated and alone and ignored by others you try and interact with how would you feel.

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  26. Even they haven't found concrete evidence that would prove the existence of an entity, still I commend Zach and the team for being tough enough to go out there and investigate. But, honestly, its getting a bit boring ending up with just a few noises and a little bump here and there.

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  27. What people have to realize, ghost dont act on command. They come when they want to. And yes i do believe in ghost.. I had to many things happen to me in my life time not to beleive. Ghost adventures are the best.. Ghost Hunters I useto watch I got tried of watching them reviewing there finding( seating there watching them watching there screens). If they cut that out maybe i start watching them again.

    Riddle House, Yes its haunted. Been there 4 times. I almost shit my pants.

    So u see ppl ghost come out to play when they want to.

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