111 Main Street "Open House"

Chaos had beaten us to Galena.

As we all pulled into town, we all realized how much work lay ahead of us over the upcoming days. There were interviews, production meetings, equipment preparation and the usual miscellaneous last minute details which need to be taken care of prior to us beginning our investigation. As you have seen from reading my last post, the media had already informed the public that we were coming and as a result of that, everywhere we went, we met new people who were interested in what we do and wanted to know more. Interacting with people to explain and share experiences is truly enjoyable and one of the parts of the investigation that I enjoy the most. Even with the delays and unique challenges, the experience is one I will remember forever and the people I met and got to talk to were great.

When we arrived at 111 Main St Restaurant, there was already a group of people gathered along with media personnel from several newspapers. Once at the location, we began to unload all of our gear and were all amazed at the turn out and response. People kept coming. Not only were there residents from Galena, but also people who were visiting Galena while on vacation as well as people who came from out of state just for this investigation. We all knew that people were going to be there to attend an "open house" we had planned for the evening and to see us in action, but none of us were prepared for what lay ahead. As we began to set up our equipment, we all noticed that there were people just walking down the street who would come in and ask to watch. Everyone we spoke to stated that they had heard of us coming to town to do this investigation and that their curiosity had been peaked. Everyone wanted to know more, not just about us as a group but about the restaurant as well.

During the setup of the equipment, we were able to speak with all the people who came out to see us. This time allowed us to interact with everyone and gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our equipment and let them have a hands on experience with the cameras, EMF detectors and thermal imaging. We were able to explain to people how the devices worked and the people were able to actually see how the images and data were captured by us.

As a final perk, Chicago Paranormal Detectives opened the first part of our investigation to a select few. People were able to actually experience what a paranormal investigation was like. They got to stand next to us and experience the exact same things we did in the dark that night. The hair standing on end, the eerie feeling that comes over you, hearing the bumps and actually feeling the temperature drop. All of these things that we as investigators experience on a routine basis, these people were able to witness as well. A truly unique experience and opportunity for these people and one that I am sure they will never forget. I look forward to our next "open house" and hope that our turnouts only grow allowing the other investigators and myself to continue to have these one on one interactions.