Upon further inspection of some photographs taken at Shakers Cigar Bar, some customers seemed to have spotted something (or some one ) not initially visible to the naked eye.
I first got my start here as a model on the third floor during our busy season – Halloween season. I was impersonating Molly Brennan, our most famous brothel worker to ever work here. Her story has been heard by many, and it's quite memorable, but I didn't even know her story until I was up there acting as her. I didn't jump out or scare anyone in an inauthentic way, but I would saunter past them like they simply didn't exist. I was dressed in 1920s-style lingerie and a robe. I had my hair all tied up in a little bob. I was looking the part of the era, and I definitely spooked some people. Some thought I was the actual ghost of Molly! During my time doing this, I ended up hearing a lot of stories. I listened to every tour guide's narrative of the story, what they had seen, what they felt, stuff like that. I also sat in on many sessions with divining rods on the 2.0s and found that Molly is a very sweet spirit. She was killed rather young, but she still lives here and is often seen looking out the window because she likes to watch the world go by. She never really got a chance to experience it, if you think about it. She's probably the one who people feel sitting on the bed when they stay overnight. It was her residence, after all. Her lover, Patrick Harvey, who led to her misfortune and death, is often present upstairs as well. He's usually sitting in this specific chair. I didn't know he sat in this particular armchair until I was once sitting in it on Halloween. My whole body went cold. This was minutes before the tour guide went on to describe that he's almost always sitting there. I was just walking about in my costume, doing as I was supposed to be doing – but once I sat down in that chair, I was frozen. My hair stood up on end. I felt so uncomfortable. Once I felt this intense feeling, I slowly got up, trying to remain in character. It felt like it took all of my power and energy just to get up from that chair. - Michaela Mueller, Bar Manager
While it is true that many things can come home with you from Shakers, there are spirits that can follow you to Shakers as well… Those who have died, like our loved ones, do tend to stay with us, watch over us, or guide us from the ethereal realm. Because Shakers is as active as it is, spirits frequently find it easier to manifest and better make themselves known at this paranormal “hot spot.” We have many tour guests on our 2.0 Tour communicate with their departed loved ones using our divination rods, but my favorite story comes from one of Shaker’s séances. The first séance I ever attended was in October of 2018 at Shakers Halloween Séance Series. Over two nights, we had two different psychic mediums holding the séances, each bringing something different to the literal table and offering a unique experience. On night one of the Séance Series, several connections were made during the gathering. Personal ties to the departed were reaffirmed, as known relatives and friends of the participants came through the medium. The medium was impressive in her ability to grasp the messages being sent to her. One of the participants then spoke up, “My father recently passed away. Do you think you can contact him? Is he here?” The medium paused momentarily, closed her eyes, and took several heavy inhales. Her brow furrowed and she grimaced slightly, as if she was straining herself to tap into something, or perhaps grappling with unexpected revelations. “I’m sorry,” the medium finally told her. “I’m not getting anything. If he is here, he doesn’t feel like talking. He’s not coming through for me.” The girl was disappointed, but tried to shrug it off. “Sounds like dad,” she remarked with bittersweet humor. That moment, the song playing on the bar speakers downstairs changed, and the volume seemed to increase dramatically. It was suddenly loud enough that we could hear it clearly from the second floor. If I remember right, it was some Steely Dan song. Before the medium had moved on, the inquiring girl gasped, “Oh my god!” She began laughing and weeping at the same time. The rest of us exchanged looks with each other, eager to know the reason for her sudden outburst. “This was my dad’s favorite song,” she said. As it turned out, her father had chosen a different way to convey his presence. He may not have wanted to say much, but he certainly made himself heard. Sometimes, actions indeed speak louder than words. - Marley Decker, Marketing & Media Manager Have your own Shakers seance experience this Halloween Season at our upcoming Full Moon Seance Series with Isabelle Rizo. Friday, October 27th & Saturday, October 28th 8:00 & 10:00 PM in our haunted second floor brothel, The Redlight Room Seance. Midnight in our notoriously active cellar basement, Cellar Depths Seance Click here to view our tours and book your spot.