Haunted Dolls
August 7, 2026
by: Felicia Duffy
The Greene County Historical Society
It is that time of year again, folks!
We returned to celebrate the paranormal, spooky history, and everything in between with Almshouse ParaCon II. Hosted by Spirit Walk Paranormal, with help from co-host A Twins Haunting, we dove into the 2026 fall season with Greene County Historical Society and Museum’s second annual Paranormal Convention.
“From a paranormal investigator standpoint,” said Danny Strakal, photographer and videographer of Dark Hills Media and team member of Spirit Walk Paranormal, “the convention surrounds the other worldly and what the building has to offer, while also showcasing vendors and other investigation teams.”
On Saturday, September 12th, 2026, unique vendors lined the flourishing yard.
These vendors included: Spirit Walk Paranormal, A Twins Haunting (the team Nick Groff’s movie The Devil’s Mark is based on), Appalachian Ghost Girls, Archive of the Afterlife, Mountain State Mysteries, Shilap Shack, Dead is Not the End, The Muse Effect, Morbidly Dapper, Author James Richard, Special Needs 3D Prints, Northern Appalachian Paranormal Society (NAPS), The Bitter Ending, Maryland Ghost Trackers, Diabolical Whimsy, Coffeellips Art, Old Marion County Jail, The Thrifty Mountaineer, and more!
“There is a lot of build up that goes into making events happen,” said Strakal. “A ton of planning to find vendors, advertising, as well as creating graphics and reels for promotion. All that hard work and energy goes to see the actual day come into fruition. That’s the most exciting thing.”
Periodically throughout the evening, guest speakers took to the barn to share stories of their own unique historical finds and paranormal activities. Each speaker covered unique topics, however they all revolved around other worldly subjects.
“I am always a big fan of saying to myself and my volunteers that you need to ‘have the history before you have the mystery,’” Steve Hummel said, a guest speaker from Archive of the Afterlife.
He kindly donated a spooky doll to the raffle basket prizes. Hummel expressed the doll has nothing malevolent hiding within her, however she is a “charged item.” The lucky guest whose number was pulled for the raffle donated the doll back to the GCHS Museum. Now named Madelyn, she sits atop Matilda’s lap, the real human skeleton, on the second floor of the West Wing.
“With the Archive of the Afterlife, the whole goal is to help people with spiritual attacks or problems,” said Hummel. “It’s to not only entertain, but also inform people of the dangers of having these certain items that may or may not have spiritual attachments or imprints.”
Guest speakers included, but were not limited to: Jay Blackburn from NAPS talked about metaphysical sciences and how it affects the paranormal. Joel Klingensmith from A Twin’s Haunting went through his journey of the paranormal and how it led him to working with Nick Groff. Mark Covey of Mountain State Mysteries spoke of true crime cases and how they are adjacent to the spiritual world.
Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, the outside event was shut down early at 4 p.m. Vendors began packing up at 3:30 p.m. to ensure they and guests were able to drive home safely and stay dry with the several flash flood warnings incoming.
Regardless of the early shut down, over $1,200 in funds for the museum was raised. The paranormal investigation from 8 p.m. to midnight still took place.
“I always go into public investigations very happy, and they are quite different from our personal episodes we film for YouTube,” said Danny Strakal. “To me, a public investigation may be someone else’s first time and we are introducing them to a future hobby or career. It’s giving someone an opportunity who has never been on a paranormal investigation, as well as having fun with a group of people and letting them use the expensive equipment.”
Results were extraordinarily positive. The group of 33 guests were split into three groups, all conducting investigations in the Dungeon, the Women’s Ward, and the Farmhouse second floor. There was laughter, shocked gasps, and a night full of spooky discovery.
“I really hope people grasp the importance of the preservation of history,” said Steve Hummel. “Including the building itself and the residents inside. It’s a very good thing when people in the paranormal community come together to support these historical places, either by participating in conventions or renting them out to investigate, plus all of the recordings and YouTube channels to encourage viewers. It is good to aid in the preservation of these historical societies.”
The Greene County Historical Society and Spirit Walk Paranormal are looking forward to next year for Almshouse ParaCon III.
For more ways to be involved with a private investigation at GCHS, visit the Paranormal tab on our website.
Keep an eye out on October 10th and 11th for our 55th annual Harvest Festival. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., enjoy live historical reenactments, cash-winning bingo, unique raffle baskets, live music, and much more!
