10 Best Rated Ghost Hunting Equipment

Best Rated Ghost Hunting Equipment in 2023

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Haunted America: The Ghosts of the McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois

Tours and campouts at the haunted mansion are heightened by paranormal activity, complete with ghost hunting equipment to actively communicate with the spirits.

Many people fear the things that they do not understand and ghosts generally fall into this category, therefore those people that do fear them typically believe that they should not be allowed to exist among the living. Fortunately for the living humans that are afraid them, they need not be since the ghost will usually move on once the reason that they are here is resolved. If you are wondering what those reasons are, it can get complicated, but normally they remain in the realm of the living because of attachments to loved ones or because of a location that they felt at home or the most comfortable with while still alive. Some ghosts hang around for the sheer reasoning of watching over someone that they once cared for and they are now acting as a guardian to that person. Sadly, some ghosts get stuck or bound to a location because they do not understand that they can leave, and deeper yet, they believe that they are still one of the living.

Such is the case at the very haunted McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois, which is not only home to several ghosts, it is the home of open minded owners who have experienced lifelike physical hugs from the other side and somewhat embrace them due to the friendliness of the spirits. The huggy-feely ghost is believed to be none other than the infamous lover of lilac scented perfume Sarah Wells, a former occupant of the estate. Famed architect Lucas Pfeiffenberger built the 16-room regal mansion in the heart of the 15-acre estate in 1869 for horticulturist Henry Guest McPike to experiment and develop his McPike Grape which eventually became popular across the country.

Henry fondly referred to his property as Mount Lookout and spared no expense when it came to planting the vineyards, orchards, rare trees, shrubbery, flowers and plants all around the estate. It was a simply stunning vision to see and the family both flourished and prospered in their new surroundings. Henry died in 1910, but his family remained in the mansion up until it was purchased by Paul A. Laichinger who resided at the estate up until his death in 1945. During the time that Paul owned the property he rented out several rooms to occupants in an effort to maintain the high costs of keeping up with the estate. The beautiful McPike Mansion was considered at one time to be one of the most desirable properties in Illinois, but was by early 1950 nothing more than a statistic when it fell into a state of disrepair and eventually became abandoned.

The mansion was in need of a $50,000 roof amongst other repairs and did not go unnoticed by historians and those who possess a real appreciation for all things exquisite. The damages to the property were overwhelming and deep pockets were going to be needed to fix the McPike Mansion up to her original ornate beauty that must be replicated to the original state because it is a historical site. It was brought to the attention of George and Sharyn Luedke who were ready and willing to take on the challenge of repairs, obstacles and the many reported spirits that inhabited the dwelling, and they quickly snapped it up at auction in 1994. They immediately began renovations on the mansion and discovered along the way that the place was in fact haunted by appreciative ghosts that loved the couple for bringing the regal mansion back to her original majestic state.

Sharyn has had many encounters with the ghosts since she first walked in through the main entrance and started calling the mansion home. She has witnessed the ghost of Paul Laichinger watching her from an upstairs window while she watered plants in the yard. His apparition's stature came complete with 1940's garb which gave her the insight as to who the ghost may be. The ghost of Sarah Wells displays affection towards the new homeowners by hugging them often as if she is thanking them for restoring her home. The powerful smell of lilacs is usually the first indicator the Sarah has entered the room on the third floor. Sarah is believed to be a former occupant of the home because books with her name in them have been located and given to the new owners. The wine cellar has been a focal point for paranormal investigators as they are seldom let down by highly spirited activity in that area of the mansion. The door opens and shuts at free will without the presence of anyone being there, but the overall sense of feeling that you are not alone never quite leaves.

Ghost children love playing in the mansion and can often be heard laughing and frolicking about in their natural state of child's play. Guests are often the subject of a strange mist that surrounds and follows them room to room. Video footage of the mist brought it to light yet no rational explanation has been found as to what may be causing it or where it is coming from. Guests of the mansion have claimed to see people running around the premises, yet there should have been nobody on the property at the time of their sighting. While taking shots of the mansion, photographers have picked up several orbs located in the windows along the front of the structure. Many paranormal groups in and around Illinois have used various ghost hunting equipment from EVP's and EMF monitors to K-II meters and infrared cameras which has established that the mansion has various sources of paranormal activity going on. It is hard to debunk the obvious, and straight up catching a ghost on film is as blatant and evident as you are going to get.

Paranormal news has a way of getting around, especially to those that actively seek it out, and the Ghost Lab who features paranormal documentaries is open to all things haunted. They featured the McPike mansion on the Discovery Channel in 2020 after conducting a full investigation. The team claims to have had several amazing experiences occur throughout the night including actually being touched by ghosts. Electronic malfunctions became apparent when the team attempted to investigate the cellar with cameras and video equipment completely dying. High-tech walkie talkies with a locked down channel 5 mode as to block outside sources like truckers, etc. were interfered with by paranormal episodes featuring plenty of static and then altogether just fizzling out. Later the walkie-talkies moved on their own account to channel 6 and then 7, and again back down to 5 while the team was in the upstairs bedroom. The group summed it up as an electrical nightmare with the spirits in the driver's seat, driving all the way during the ghost trip.

Visiting the McPike Mansion: Sharyn and George welcome historians and ghost hunters to come by and chat or to take photos of the mansion. Visits to the front of the estate are restricted to 10 minutes and donations are welcome with the proceeds going towards the restoration of the mansion and the historic site.

Group Tours: By appointment only. There is a minimum requirement of 5 people per group tour and a maximum of 30. Contact Sharyn Luedke at: 618-462-3348 or call 618-830-2179 after 3:00 p.m. E-mail: [email protected]

McPike Mansion Family Campout: June 9th amp; 10th with tours, ghost hunting, fun, food and games included in the ghostly adventure. Cost: $30.00 per adult. Teens 13-17: $15.00. The night's events will include dinner, a dark session in the cellar while looking for ghosts and dowsing rods 101. For more information go to:

Halloween Campout: The 14th annual 2020 haunted campout is set for October 20th amp; 21st. Cost: $30.00 Overnight or just for the evening. Dead entertainment is the featured event of the night. Supper and breakfast are supplied and you are encouraged to bring a camera and a tent. For more information about this event go to:

McPike Store: Souvenirs range from $3.00 to $49.00 and are available at all functions. The store sells dowsing rods, plaques, a mini mansion, virtual tour cd, DVD virtual tour, Spirits Secrets DVD, sweatshirts and chimes. To purchase online go to:

The haunted mansion is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places and sadly it has fallen on the list of the ten most endangered historic places in the state with the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.

Location: 2018 Alby Street, Alton, Illinois 62002, just 23 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri.

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