Casinos, Buffets and … A Haunted Museum?
When I travel I almost always look out for an opportunity to do something spooky or otherwise horror-esque. My trip to Las Vegas this past November was no different and my oh my did it deliver! Just a few minutes’ drive off of The Strip lies a brick and mortar historical mansion that once belonged to a family of well known occultists. Now owned by Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures fame, it has been converted into a museum of the dark and macabre. The Zak Bagans Haunted Museum houses 30+ specialized rooms with their own unique and quirky claims to paranormal fame. These include:
Peggy the Doll
The Dybbuk Box
The Devil’s Rocking Chair
Bobby Mackey’s Music World
Tickets start at $54 USD for a standard tour and for an additional $32 USD you get access to the VIP tour with several exclusive rooms and a souvenir t-shirt. I decided to spring for the VIP tour and all it included and I wasn’t disappointed. Now, photography and video is strictly prohibited on the 2+ hour tour so I don’t have anything more than a few photos of the ticketing area, however the website has plenty to make for it if you’re interested in seeing what some of these items look like.
Overall, I did enjoy the tour and the extra perks of the additional rooms we got to tour, but I do have a few issues with some of the content and context for certain rooms. First, let’s start with what I did like. In most of the rooms with haunted objects, there were EMF readers and Ghost Boxes going so that if anything were to occur, the evidence would be captured. While nothing crazy happened on my tour, it was still fun to see and added to the overall atmosphere. Additionally, the tour guides really took their time to let you explore each room, ask questions about items and objects and they had such a lovely demeanor. You can just tell that they love being a part of the museum. My favorite part was seeing the adorable haunted dolls, which they allow for you to interact with by asking questions and seeing what comes through the spirit box. You can even get up close, though all of them are behind glass cases to protect them (or museum visitors).
My issues came up with the rooms dedicated to serial killers and a very specific recreation of a torture chamber with authentic items (which are far too disturbing to name here). While I can appreciate the want to examine the minds and psychology behind such horrendous acts, these two dedicated rooms felt more like a shrine to the perpetrators rather than a standard museum’s educational angle. If you do choose to go, I just warn that these two rooms are extremely graphic and there is a heaviness to it. Additionally, halfway through the tour there is a strange funhouse style room complete with killer clowns and scare actors. It wasn’t that I hated it, it just felt like it cheapened the experience a little bit towards the middle. Despite these issues that I take with the museum, I think that this tour was absolutely worthwhile and I’m glad I went. The Zak Bagans Haunted Museum is a must visit location for any paranormal or occult enthusiasts looking to bring a little ghostly energy to their Las Vegas trip.