Bobby Mackey’s Investigation
Ξ March 13th, 2007 | → | ∇ Paranormal Worlds |
Investigation Summary:
- Research Page (focusing on Pearl Bryan Murder history for now)
Latin Quarter era (Mafia period - 1940’s-50’s) painting still hangs in the bar. Bathrooms signs also seem to be same period or earlier (obviously from the 20’s, 30’s or 40’s and don’t match the country theme).
This photo was taken early on in the night, I noticed the questionable orb in this picture after taking it, and put my video camera just to the left of where the orb in question appears. The camera sat up there by itself for about an hour. On the evidence page, you will hear some bangs next to the camera during this period that I couldn’t explain. It’s not “conclusive” evidence, but we couldn’t find any logical explanation for why something would make a clear “banging” noise, at varying distances from the camera (at one point apparently hitting it or coming close) with no one within 50 yards and separated by several walls/doors/rooms. Any attempt to get anywhere near that camera would’ve been picked up easily from the noise created just to get backstage, let alone through the loud creaking swing door and up that ladder. So I felt comfortable enough to post the videos of the bangings, as something to consider.
The basement area was relatively quiet with nothing other than a small evp - and it’s not anything I would normally post, but being in complete silence, in a pitch dark room standing completely still, “that” shouldn’t show up, whatever it is. It’s a loud pop or banging noise into the recorder and a breathing sound. I remember standing completely still holding the recorder very steady and not moving for several minutes when this took place, and then commenting about it to Rachel. I had to take a quick deep breath and sort of shake it off, not sure why I felt that way.
Moon was 90% full (at least) - two days away from a full moon. Photo above is of the basement area standing near the entrance. You can only enter the basement now from the outside. The stairs leading to it from the old kitchen area is boarded up.
This is the stairwell they blocked off, looking up from the basement near the “well,” leading to the old kitchen area, which is now just a small riser area with tables and chairs in the main bar/stage area of the club on the ground floor, and is no longer walled-off. (big, open area)
This is the infamous “well” or “Hell’s Gate.” I didn’t really feel or notice anything particuarly hellish about it, and the tour guide claimed it couldn’t be kept covered up, but that could be due to erosion and lack of maintenance, no way of really knowing. The area was damaged and uncovered, but the well was filled-in with cement and dirt safely. The basement did have some interesting bottles and candle holders from the early 19th century, and a very old felt covered card table. It looked as though people did some partying down there at one time or another, as there were cigarette butts and beer cans lying around also.
Picture of the love poem on the very small, cubicle-sized room above the stage, reached only from the attic. The tour guide said Johanna was kept in this room for some reason, for periods of time. Not sure if the poem is a gimmick, but it’s written in some sort of pencil, is very well thought out (relatively speaking), and is from someone who clearly is in some sort of desperate love-lost situation. We got a lot of video orb activity here at the end of the night.
Photo is looking at the stage.
Orb activity seemed to follow us downstairs, from the small room with the poem, down the ladder and behind the stage. Strange female voice loudly recorded on video camera coinciding with orb/rod-like appearance (”I know” it sounds like - see evidence file below).
I think it’s safe to say Bobby Mackey’s is active, and deserves another investigation, during the right time of year and with more coverage and environmental control, it could yield more results. I am skeptical of many of the stories that are out there about the place, but caught enough bits of evidence to make me think the place is probably active with some amount of activity, with potential for some pretty unusual activity that’s capable of physical manipulation.
Yeah flying orbs and ecto-like shapes/rods are not apparitions or some sort of holy graile evidence, but if you think about what you’re seeing on those videos, can you really come up with any other explanations?
I encourage people to stop buying-into the folklore about “ghosts” and human apparitions appearing, as being the sort of definitive evidence one needs. Evidence is evidence, not matter how unsexy or non-shocking it may be.
on December 31st, 2007 at 2:59 am
iv been to bobbys and never seen a thing.i had a good time time there and never felt or seen a thing
on December 31st, 2007 at 4:38 am
Debbie - Yes you probably won’t experience anything there on regular bar nights. Most of what we captured was in the backstage area and in the basement, while the building was empty.
Thanks for stopping by.
on January 4th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Im a local of the area and to convey my best wishes to Mr. Mackey and to say that i believe whole-heartedly that their are spirits (demonic) there at the site and that you’d be fool if you didnt believe in the stories; for iv’e experienced them myself!!!!
on January 4th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Thanks for stopping by Ken. I’m a natural skeptic and tend to believe there’s something “negative” or “possessive” there (of the building). Would love to see or record some evidence that justifies some of the stories, and hope to go back some day.
on March 21st, 2008 at 4:05 am
I used to live near Wilder some years ago. I saw a spot on “America’s Most Haunted Places” about Bobby Mackey’s place. My sister in law and I decided to go check it out. This was mid winter and if you stood under a heat duct you could feel heat coming out but it would not warm the place at all. In some spots near the stage you could actually see your breath it was so cold. There was also a blast of frigid air in front of the men’s room door but not in front of the women’s room door (the two doors were side by side). I also felt very “heavy” in some areas (near the entrance and near the sound booth. Almost like my feet were magnatized and stuck to the floor. It was strange for sure. The worst was the cold though. It was practically arctic near the stage and yet there were lights over the dance floor that should have produced plenty of heat. The back of that building gave me the absolute willies though. We drove around back before we left and just sat there in the car for a few minutes. It was just flat out creepy. It was very dark but we both swore we could make out a shadow of a person on the stairs and yet the upstairs apartment is supposed to be sealed off. Who knows! It was fun though. I’d like to go there and poke around without a bunch of people around sometime.
on April 19th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jill - Thanks for sharing your thoughts about BM’s. I do agree there’s some noticeable heaviness to certain rooms/areas at times. We experienced this in the larger concrete room in the basement, in the front of the building, under the entrance. I can also say it’s pretty tough for me to go backstage, there’s a definite possessive feel to that whole backstage and area above the stage. I don’t usually like to give-in to those sorts of things, there’s a chance it’s just someone psyching themselves out, but there’s some weird stuff going on in there.
on May 10th, 2008 at 4:19 am
BACK IN 1994 I DUG THE WELL OPEN FOR A SHOW THAT WAS ON TV CALLED ENCOUNTERS, AND DID A TALK SHOW WITH WEBN ,AT THE TIME IT WAS FUN BUT YOU WOULD’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED,IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE THAT BOBBYS IS HAUNTED YOU BETTER THINK AGAIN, BECAUSE IT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER, ONE DAY I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND FINISH DIGGING THE WELL UP IT’S LIKE SOMEING IS CALLING ME BACK THERE, MYBE MY LIFE WILL BE THE SAME AFTER 14YEARS OF HELL’ I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES OVER ALL THE THINGS THAT HAPPEND TO ME, I DREAM OF PEARL BRIANT FROM TIME TO TIME,MAYBE IF I FIND HER HEAD MY NIGHTMARES’WILL COME TO A END, I DON’T KNOW WHY I WAS EVEN THE ONE PICKED TO DIG THE WELL UP, I GUESS A WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME;
on May 14th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Brad I DID FIND SOME BONES IN THE WELL.I HAVE THE VIDEO FROM THE TV SHOW. THAT SHOWS ME GIGGING THEM UP.I HAVE OTHER PROOF TWO. IT WOULD TAKE ME ALL DAY TO TELL MY STORY. ONE DAY WHEN I HAVE TIME.I’LL GET BACK WITH YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.GREG.
on May 15th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Thanks Greg. Are they animal bones? Feel free to e-mail me on the front page link (”Contact Me”).
It’s not that I don’t believe Bobby Mackey’s is active, but I would prefer to separate the sensational lore and passed-down exaggerations, from what’s actually going on there. And yes, some of the stories the workers there tell me are pretty bizarre (just not as popular, but more believeable).
Can’t really debunk chairs en masse flipping upside down, strange phone calls from the bar to a guy’s cell phone, people being pushed or tapped on the shoulder etc..,
on May 26th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
I have been there Twice and Im Really suprised you guys Did Not pick up anything , That basement is creepy .In 4 to 6 weeks I will post some more info up , but it can be Viewed on TV the Last night that we did there .
on May 27th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Thanks Rich. Which show are you referring to? The Travel Channel?
I did pick up a few minor things (see link at top of the page). We didn’t stay late enough and got a late start on top of that, too many people were there, very noise and interrupted too often - hope to go back soon.
on June 7th, 2008 at 1:28 am
I went down in the basement twice over a two year period. The first time, along with someone who had a family connection to the place, we tried to shoot video of the well with two Sony Handy-Cams. Both cameras had full battery drains, but when we would step outside the batteries showed fully charged again? The second time we took a tech engineer with us and absolutely nothing happend.
on June 7th, 2008 at 4:00 am
Thanks Bill. A producer from “The Starz Channel” and I visited BM’s, she had her video camera malfunction there as well (for the first time), and also a girl who investigated there with me, from MARS Productions (friends of Grant in TAPS/Ghost Hunters). I never had a problem, but camera/battery drains/malfunctions seem to be common. Not sure what to make of that.
on June 13th, 2008 at 4:51 am
our paranormal team, the cincinnati ohio paranormal investigators (COPI) visited bobby mackeys just last sunday night, june 8/08. once our evidence is completed, we will let you know. i can tell you this, one of our investigators was tapped on her shoulder, and another one ended up with scrathes on her back. we had every inch of the place covered with our cameras, if there was any paranormal activity that night, than we have cought it.
on August 4th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I really want to visit sometime, but I get scared way too easily. I believe there are some ghosts there because I’ve been doing research..etc.., but are they really demonic? Did someone really get posessed? How can you tell when there is a ghost around? Please help me out. Oh, and one of my neighbors has been to Bobby Mackey’s and really enjoyed it! Thanks for listening (reading)
on August 4th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
i watched the episode of a haunting on this place… and it might be nice and everything but what i seen and heard about that place i would never even think about going in there and i live only about an hour away from it.
on August 28th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
I am th author of Hell’s Gate. I never believed in ghosts or poltergeists until I stumbled across the story surrounding Bobby Mackey’s nightclub. Bobby MAckey had kept the story completely hush hush until I found out about it. Once I did I began a two year investigation and while doing so I spent several nights inside the nightclub when it was closed for business. I was told by a medium to taunt the spirits. Well, I did so and saw a lot of various things happen such as a garbage can go flying from behind the bar and smash itself to a crumpled mess. I witnessed the juke box(UNPLUGGED) come on and play the Anniversary Waltz. I watched doors open and close by themselves and heard a loud sighing voice coming from the walls themselves. It sounded like someone with Asthma trying to breathe. This place is haunted and that you can believe.
Doug Hensley
on October 9th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
i just got done watching the discorvery channel about it and i thought i would google it see a little bit more. it looked intense, and its something i would like to see for myself, otherwise i think it’s no real.
on October 18th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Would like to know what Johanna’s poem says.
on October 23rd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Maria,
Head to the library and check out the book Hell’s Gate by Doug Hensley. He has the entire poem transcribed in it
on October 25th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Saw this on episode of “Ghost Adventures” on Friday night, Oct 24, 2008
It also talked about the gruesome murder of Pearl Bryan. Her head was cut off by some demonic cult ritual and never has been found after being disposed of in the well enroute to the river.
Very creepy!
on October 26th, 2008 at 1:36 am
brad..u can take all of my story out off here,i dont care want u think.or any one.ok.bobbys is haunted.i no.ok why did u take want i said to doug heysley out of here,its the truth..i dont think u believe that bobbys is hunted..now how wants by story they will pay 4 it,,,i got alot of proof..pic..ppl.on on …i got enough to make a move…14years worth…
on October 26th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Greg - I don’t think I removed anything you said to Doug? I’m not sure what you’re referring to honestly.
I also admit, openly, that BM’s is haunted. I just think quite a bit of the lore (Pearl Bryan, Demonic presence) is speculation at best and can’t be backed up with any solid sources. I’d love to believe everything everyone told me, but I can’t operate that way here.
That said, I welcome people’s stories and comments - and won’t delete them unless it’s inflammatory or includes personal attacks etc..,
Thanks!
on October 27th, 2008 at 12:46 am
crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on October 27th, 2008 at 1:08 am
I lived in a haunted house like this between 1984 to 88. And I also am a country music musician. I was able to rid the house by singing gospel music and it drove the unclean spirits away. Some of the most scariest things happend there. My advice is not to dwell on these matters.
on October 28th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
i first learned about BM’s when I watched the episode of ghost adventures. I have been very intrigued by the hauntings of this building. I am very interested in visiting BM’s very soon. Does anyone know where I can find the book “Hells Gate”?
on October 28th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
So to visit there you are likely to only experience encounters when the place is closed and nobody else is around?
on October 30th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
brad..i tryed to email u…i dont no if u got it or not,i’m not to good with computers.haha.but i’ll look back on here in a week or 2 ok..to see if u got it.ok.if not i’ll give u a phone #to call..if you want to see proof…4 your self.there alot of evil at bobbys in the basment.by the well..but i think theres good there to what?i dont no…i saw some things there i dont want to say on here,,but i’ll tell u in person.or phone..i did leave doug a mess..and i looked at it..it was there,4 real,but it’s ok.most of the time when i’m on this page..my computer freezes up any way,,just on this page.haha..weird a. greg…
on November 2nd, 2008 at 2:35 am
I have been going to Bobby Mackeys for 15 years. I believe that some of the stories i have heard are true. I have been in BMs with the crowds and without the crowds and haven’t experienced anything other than a pool ball moving as i was getting ready to shoot. I cant explain that at all. Not another ball moved just the ball i was aiming to shoot at!! I have family and friends who work at BMs and most have said they have expeienced something there. I believe their stories just wish i could experience something more than a pool ball moving.
on November 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 pm
scoff as you may scores they shall
through the enclave my spirit prevail
leave those behind shant you stay as one
just one night with no place to run
shall do my soul well to witness the flood
into he depths with newly spilt blood
on November 6th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Hi, I was there 11/1/08, it was creepy, I definitly felt the spirts there but it was all very evil. I got very cold chills. I don’t think I want to return but thanks for the tour! I hope the good souls Johanna and Pearl get to rest someday.
on November 10th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Hello, Myself and my girlfriend were there Saturday November 8th. We were taken on a tour by Carl Lawson. There were three other people in the basement on a tour with another guide. Carl asked us all if we would like to turn out all the lights and try to make contact with the “spirits”. We all agreed. We saw two eyes, reddish in color. No doubt about it. I have always been skeptical about ghosts but not anymore.
on November 11th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
brad..i guess u didn’t get my email?i was talking to a lady..thats in to ghost@spirts.i think its better to just let this go because of what i saw there.if i tell ppl about him_her?they will be trying to see them,and they are good not evil..i think they dont want to go…i wish i could tell u about them,,but ppl,,would just laugh or say i’m lieing its not about making a movie or any thing like that or money at this point..just leaving them alone they are there not hurting any one.? just is no joke ok..i got years of time in reading up on this.i no more then most,its been my life why?i dont no ..i guess because of what i saw..but its over 4 be i’m going on with my life..i’m not going to talk about this no more..bye bye ppl
on November 11th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
one last thing..no one to this day knows that i saw..but my wife,i fell better alredy,,knowing no one will every no what i saw.i think my mine is going to be at rest now,after 14years of this..if u just new…………..
on November 13th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I am hooked on the song “JOHANNA”…..knowing the story & that Bobby wrote it in 15minutes…it is the coolest song I’ve heard in a while!