About 15 years ago, the folks at the Absecon Lighthouse museum in Atlantic City had changed over to a newer, computer-based cash register system, according to Jean Muchanic, the lighthouse’s Executive Director.
Muchanic said one evening, when they were closing up for the night, one of the volunteers at the museum was having a hard time figuring out the new system and asked for her help.
She said she assisted the worker in clearing up the issue then went to walk away. She was quickly summoned back.
“She said, ‘um, Jean, can you come back here, please?’” Muchanic said. “The screen had gone completely black, and just the word ‘ghost’ was on the screen in white print!”
Spooky, maybe, but Muchanic said she’s never felt frightened while at the lighthouse.
“I’m in the camp of ‘these are all friendly ghosts,’” the director said.
Illustrating her take on things, she said one night she was cleaning up after an event, and approached a slightly ajar door with arms full of items.
“I got to the top of the stairs and my hands were full and the door opened for me,” she said. “I just walked through and said, ‘thank you!’”
Muchanic apparently isn’t alone when it comes to strange experiences at the lighthouse, and this month, you can come investigate for yourself when the museum holds its annual ghost tours.
Milton Glenn, the lighthouse’s Operations & Education Coordinator, recounts his personal experiences in a brochure entitled “The Hauntings of The Absecon Lighthouse.”
“When visitors ask me if the Absecon Lighthouse is haunted, my reply is always the same; ‘Yes, yes it is,’” Glenn is quoted as saying.
Glenn is the staff member at the organization who has accompanied paranormal researchers whenever they’ve visited the lighthouse for more than 10 years.
In his brochure, he details many encounters at various locations around the lighthouse property – mostly ghostly in nature, and mostly his own – but there’s even a well-documented Jersey Devil sighting from back in 1909 that’s associated with the lighthouse.
You’ll likely hear about all these stories and more at this year’s event, on Sat., Oct. 25, when the New Jersey Researchers of Paranormal Evidence (NJ ROPE) will be on site to lead the tours.
Tour times are at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. and include a tower climb. Visitors will also be able to hear and see the group’s eerie audio recordings and videos taken during previous paranormal investigations.
At 8pm, visitors can join the NJ ROPE team on an actual paranormal investigation using their ghost tracking equipment.
Tickets for the one-hour tours are $25, and tickets for the two-and-a-half hour ghost investigation are $50. Reservations for the tours are required; and can be made by calling (609) 449-1360.
The ghost tours aren’t the only event at the lighthouse this month, and not even the only fall-themed event.
On October 18 and 19, the lighthouse will take part in the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey. The Atlantic City spot will be one of 16 sites around the state included in the challenge, where participants attempt to visit and/or climb them all over the course of the single weekend.
Then on Oct. 23, the third annual Pumpkin Patch Festival will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Absecon Lighthouse. The family-friendly event will include games and activities for kids, snacks and more.
For more information about the ghost tours, other events or the lighthouse in general, visit www.abseconlighthouse.org.
