Old Jail Museum to host haunted house

haunted house jail

Ask one of the area’s elders where you can find ghosts in McKean County and you will inevitably hear one location mentioned time and again — the Old Jail Museum in Smethport.

The McKean County Historical Society Old Jail Museum has also gained national recognition, having been ranked by Pursuits Magazine as Pennsylvania’s sixth most haunted place.

Capitalizing on that reputation, the Sons of the American Legion 23rd District hosted a haunted house at the Old Jail Museum. Admission was free, though donations were welcome and greatly appreciated. In the past, this has been an important fundraiser for the McKean County Historical Society.

“This year was bigger and better than ever,” said Lu Vandermark, museum director. “With the number of volunteers we had this year, it was an amazing production.”

The Historical Society has hosted haunted houses in the past, but they struggled to find enough volunteers. Last year, six members of the Sons stepped in to help.

“Literally within a matter of a day and a half they came in and built last year’s haunted house,” said Vandermark.

This year, 23 members of the Sons volunteered to lend a hand.

“With that number of people helping out, there were spooks and surprises everywhere,” said Vandermark. “There is not a corner folks were able to go into without something happening.”

“The donations we received from this event last year kept us going until the end of the year,” said Vandermark. “With us, money is always tight and every donation we get matters.”

“People should know that every dollar they donate goes right back into keeping the museum open,” said Bart Barton, member of the historical society.

The museum comprises the old jail itself, including jail cells and an honest-to-goodness dungeon. It was the site of many executions, including that of inmate Ralph Crossmire in 1893. His unhappy spirit is said to still walk within the cold, stone walls.

“When you are here alone, sometimes strange things happen like the lights flickering on and off,” admitted Barton. “There have been a few times that I have been here by myself and heard someone walking in the next room, but when I reviewed the cameras I was all alone.”

Vandermark has also had her share of creepy experiences during her tenure at the museum. There have been multiple times that she has lost her keys, only to find them in unexpected places the next day that she can only attribute to Crossmire.

“Sometimes it might be human error but there have been a few times where stuff happens and there is just no explanation,” said Vandermark. “You come into this building and you can certainly feel a creepy presence like you aren’t alone.”