The front of Eloise as we walked in. My first trip to the famed building. Cannot wait to get back.
On Tuesday night, I was invited to a ghost hunt/tour at Eloise with the band The Funeral Portrait and about 30 of their fans. Before we started, we split into two groups, one starting on the 5th floor and ours on the 4th. We went from room to room, exploring the floor with help from our guide, Lauren Banach.
George Vlahakis
One of the groups that toured Eloise Asylum Tuesday night with the band The Funeral Portrait. What a fun night!
The Funeral Portrait At Eloise Asylum
My group consisted of The Funeral Portrait singer Lee Jennings, guitarist Cody Wessinger, drummer Homer Umb, and about 15 others. This is where it gets crazy.
We made our way into a surgical room around 9:20 or so. Lauren brought out the lobotomy tools and asked if anyone wanted to clang them together. This trigger object was used to get a response, and we got a response!
As you can see and hear below, what we heard next was insane. There’s a few seconds of silence before someone starts talking. That’s when we heard it. In the background, outside the room where we were in, all of us heard screams coming from somewhere in the building. It only lasted for a couple of seconds. I was standing right next to Lee and grabbed his arm as if to allude to the fact that the other group had been startled by something.
We all stopped as Lauren radioed to the other group on the floor above us. She asked if anyone in their group had screamed or heard it. Over the radio came a definitive “No.” At the same time, I texted a couple of friends on that other tour to ask them the same thing. Their response was “Nope”.
Screams Captured At Eloise Asylum
Video courtesy of Emily Claremont from Rochester, NY
Listen carefully to around the :17 second mark.
What The Hell?!?! I have gone over this time and time again. I can’t explain what happened. Our entire group was in the room, and the other group was told not to leave their floor. Everyone in our room heard it and gasped.
What are your thoughts?
A huge thank you to Jenny, Lauren, and the staff at Eloise for another fun tour. Also, thank you to George Vlahakis and The Funeral Portrait for the invite. I won’t forget Homer scaring the crap out of me. “Paybacks” is all I have to say….paybacks—hardly a dull moment.
Nathan Rogers
The new Funeral Portrait album, Greetings From Suffocate City, drops on September 13th. It features collaborations with Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills, Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria, Eva On Fire, and Bert McCracken of The Used.
A Paranormal Investigation Of Eloise Asylum
When I found out that Darren McCarty was hosting a night at Eloise Asylum in Westland, I had to visit the place myself. I’d heard so much about Eloise that I had to see it. This was my first trip there; I will be back. More on that later.
Before I go any further, a huge THANK YOU to Jenny Hand and Danielle Boura for the invite and being such gracious hosts; those two have a passion for the paranormal and Eloise. Look for them on an upcoming episode of my Haunted Michigan podcast. They have some great stories to tell!
The Escape Rooms At Eloise Asylum
Before the investigation, I must tell you that if you go to Eloise Asylum, do the Escape Rooms! I’ve only done one other escape room, so I wasn’t sure about it. I went with a group of about 15 people, including Darren. At the beginning, they split us up into two separate rooms. We would get back together to escape the room with about 11 1/12 minutes left. Yes, I had a smart group! You can see a picture of the victorious team below!
Into Eloise Asylum
I haven’t been on a ton of “paranormal investigations,” but I’ve been on a few. There were some indications of some activity according to some of the devices, but overall, it was pretty quiet while I was there. We were hoping that there may have been a little uptick in activity with the northern lights, but it never happened. We did catch a name or two and had lights go on and off on devices, but nothing too crazy. That doesn’t mean I won’t go back… I will and am.
Below are some pictures from my fun night there, searching throughout the old building.
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The front of Eloise as we walked in. My first trip to the famed building. Cannot wait to get back.
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The warning as you make your way into Eloise. It may not be for everyone.
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Some of the architecture is so cool! This is in the main lobby when you enter Eloise.
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Some history and items found at Eloise are on display in the lobby area. It's really cool to see some of this old stuff.
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More from the lobby area. The x-rays on the right are from actual patients at Eloise. You can see them lit up on the table.
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It's always fun when I hang with Darren McCarty. Throw in a ghost investigation and I'm all in. This was before we dominated the Escape Room!
We Are The Champions!
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Here's the crew that were triumphant in escaping Eloise. That was so much fun! Everyone should do it! Kirsten Olson did a great job of prepping us for this.
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Our tour started on the 5th floor. They say the higher you go, the more activity they've found. Lauren Banach was our guide.
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Here's the first group that visited the 5th floor with Darren and myself. We stared the 5th floor in the surgical room.
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This is an unobstructed view down the hallway of the 5th floor. This is where the criminally insane men where kept. Just creepy!
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This was interested. Lauren took us into the Hydro Therapy Tub. People could get in, put on the headphones....more on that coming up.
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Another angle from the Hydro Therapy Tub. DMac wanted me to get in. I was good watching! LOL
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Darren McCarty in the Hydro Therapy Tub. This is the "Estes method" The person listens to a spirit box with noise cancelling headphones and repeats what they hear as the people in the room ask questions. The name "Gary Clark" came up in one of the sessions.
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Another look from the 5th floor.
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Our group investigating the 5th floor of Eloise Asylum. Something did make the music box go on a couple times.
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This was across from an area where multiple beds were put. There are some areas that are off limits because of safety reasons.
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Another picture of our groups. Sometimes you take pictures to see if anything shows up that you can't see with the naked eye.
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Another look down the hallway at Eloise. I can't wait to get Jenny, Danielle and Tom on my Haunted Michigan podcast.
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A creepy, lone wheelchair. I believe this was on the 3rd floor, but don't quote me on it.
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This was interesting. Guide "Ace" had people get into a bed and see if he could get any of the spirits to react. We did get some lights on the devices to come on a few times.
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My first time at Eloise won't be my last. Hoping to record an episode of my Haunted Michigan with Meltdown podcast in the future. Thank you to the great staff for a fun night!
Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history.
Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.
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