MUSEUM OF SHADOWS

A Collection of Haunted Artifacts

by Nicole Willis

A uniquely eerie attraction has recently opened in Pensacola—The Museum of Shadows (MoS). The MoS is a haunted museum exhibiting a massive collection of artifacts from around the world. From possessed Ouija boards and creepy dolls to clowns, religious items and more, the MoS has something to pique the interest of anyone interested in the dark and unusual.

Nate Raterman, curator and owner of the Museum of Shadows, has spent more than two decades working in demonology and paranormal investigation. About eight and a half years ago, Raterman opened the first MoS in Omaha, NE. The museum saw great success, including multiple appearances on TV networks and major streaming platforms, including the Travel Channel, Discovery Plus, Destination America, Amazon Prime Video and more.

While Pensacola is already home to a few ghost hunting groups and offers ghost tours, the MoS serves as the city’s first collection of haunted artifacts available for public viewing.

Between the two locations, the MoS houses more than 5,000 haunted and paranormal artifacts. With such a vast, growing collection of haunted items, Raterman decided to expand by opening a second MoS right here in Pensacola. He always wanted to live in Florida, so shortly after relocating to Pensacola, he opened the new location, which celebrated its grand opening this past December.

The MoS houses items from across the globe. Each item showcased in the museum was donated to the MoS, and has undergone an intensive verification process by Rateman himself.

“I brought some of my favorite items from the Nebraska location to be displayed here,” Raterman said. “We get all kinds of interesting items— items that were released from law enforcement that were used in murders, serial killer stuff, human remains and even really big items like stuff from the Titanic.”

Raterman openly accepts haunted artifacts from the public. Due to the nature of these items, everything that he receives goes through quarantine buildings, as well as forensic testing. The museum’s collection is always growing, as the MoS puts out new items on display every week to keep visits fresh and interesting.

Many of the items in the museum become very active, as both guests and Ratterman himself have experienced paranormal activity throughout the museum.

“ I’ve seen a full-figure apparition. I’ve seen items getting thrown off shelves and stuff moving randomly on camera,” Raterman explained. “Visitors have reported being physically touched, seeing full-figure apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, hearing yelling and children laughing, running and more.”

The MoS offers self-guided tours, as well as late-night ghost hunts. On the self-guided tours, guests are given a flashlight to navigate through the museum and observe the artifacts. While a majority of the artifacts are encased, some are not, and touching is strictly prohibited. Self-guided tours typically take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.

One of the most notable items in the museum is Claire. Claire is a haunted doll that was found in a crawl space of a New Orleans home. She is said to be demonic and frequently moves. Guests have reported being scratched and hearing disembodied voices when they are near her.

The MoS owns a particularly notable artifact connected to the high-profile true crime case of Ed Gein. The collection includes soil from the home of Gein, the serial killer who inspired iconic characters such as Leatherface from Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Norman Bates from Psycho and others.

The museum will soon receive a terrifying new addition—Ayda. The doll is from the 19th-century that is said to be one of the most haunted dolls in the world. In a Destination America poll, Ayda was voted as “The Most Haunted Doll” over the infamous Annabelle. Ayda currently resides in the Omaha MoS, but will make her way to Pensacola soon.

If you think you have what it takes to brave the spirits at the museum, consider attending one of Raterman’s late-night ghost hunts. Ghost hunt attendees can experience a professional ghost hunting experience with real equipment, just like the ones on paranormal investigation shows.

“We go lights out and investigate inside the museum just like they do on TV. We use all the high-tech gear, like the SLS cameras, the REM pods—all the fancy equipment you see on TV,” Raterman explained.

Ghost hunting equipment like spirit boxes, K2 Meters, ghost meters and dowsing rods are available while on the ghost tour. Personal paranormal equipment is also allowed.

Ghost tours run from 10 pm to midnight on select days. The schedule for ghost tours can be found on the MoS website at museumofshadows.com.

Ghost hunters and attendees at the museum can take things to the next level by participating in the Sit Challenge. During this challenge, the brave guest will try to sit through 10 minutes in a small room in complete darkness surrounded by a variety of haunted objects. They receive a flashlight to turn on if they need to tap out. Live cameras monitor and record the activity inside this creepy room. The guest goes into the Sit Challenge blindly, not knowing the backstory of the haunted items in the room. Once the challenge is complete (or the guest taps out), the history of the items are then revealed.

Brave museum attendees can participate in the Sit Challenge for an additional $10. Tickets are $25 for standard admission to the museum for a self-guided tour and $50 to participate in a ghost hunt.

The MoS is located at 341 N. Navy Blvd. in Pensacola. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 2 pm to 10 pm, with 2-hour ghost hunts offered at 10 pm on select days.

All ages are welcome to visit the museum, but children are required to be supervised by an adult at all times while inside the museum. Mature audiences are strongly encouraged.

For tickets and to learn more about the MoS, visit museumofshadows.com or follow @museumofshadows on Facebook and Instagram.