Museum of the Mysteries

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by Chantelle Valentine-La Vorie

I am always up for a "paranormal" adventure, so I went to The Museum of the Mysteries on Broadway in Seattle to check things out.

The general theme of the museum is like an Adventurers Club salon from the Victorian era. Such a salon would have had guest lecturers, open speculation about psychic and paranormal phenomena, alternative energy sources, weather changes and other innovative ideas people talk about that are not seen on the evening news.

One of the first displays a visitor encounters is from the Amateur Ghost Hunting Society of Seattle and Tacoma. They are one of the more active groups in Washington State, going out each weekend on expeditions. Their display includes stories with photos of their investigations, including images of ectoplasm and orbs (what human energy looks like after passing over) from the Underground Tours in Pioneer Square and information on paranormal happenings at the Ferry Kalakala, the Longview Cemetery, and Pike Place Market.

The next display is the Sasquatch one. It is split into two areas. The first contains excellent photos of the Skookum cast created by local Sasquatch researcher Richard Noll. The display includes a map of reliable sightings and/or of hair, scat or leavings. According to the display, the general population of Sasquatches is considered to be around 2,000, with about 400 sightings each year. The other part of the Sasquatch display focuses on Native American legends and includes a tribal mask of the "wild woman" -- a carving of a woman's face with lips pursed. Sasquatches are said to whistle to let tribe members know they are in the area so the tribe members may make a discreet bolt for it.

The Museum has smaller displays devoted to local Washington State U.F.O. history. It includes information on the flying disks over Mt. Rainier seen by Federal Marshal Kenneth Arnold, who was transporting prisoners from Olympia Washington to Boise Idaho. It also contains information on the Maury Island incident, where spaceships allegedly dumped shale of some sort onto the deck of a boat that was salvaging timber out of Puget Sound. In addition, there are photographs of crop circles in Chehalis Washington, a compendium of Mel's Hole and a small display of tektites/meteors.

The last part of the museum is where the library is housed. The library books, DVDs and videos have been donated by members and guests. The museum's library is dedicated to fringe science, healing, paranormal events, secret societies, cryptozoology and some spiritualism. They also have a selection of books and DVDs for sale to the public to help keep the museum open. There is a deck of Zener cards there for guests to test their E.S.P. abilities. A ledger is provided for people to leave their first names, scores and comments.

Membership in the museum costs $24.00 annually. Membership includes free admission, reduced rates for purchasing convention attendance packages and the privilege to go on Explorer's Club expeditions. The Explorer's Club investigates various paranormal and UFO sites in the Pacific Northwest. Members may also borrow books, videos and DVDs from the library.

I decided to volunteer at the Museum of the Mysteries when I discovered that they had no one to cover an afternoon shift. I thought it unreasonable for a place on Broadway to be shut down during the day, when they could be open and making their $3.00 admission fee to keep the doors open. The museum is nonprofit, with no corporate or privately wealthy sponsors.

My own take on Museum of the Mysteries is that it is a place for free thinkers. When I volunteer, I see all sorts of regular members who have pet interests come in and accept others with totally different viewpoints. They may not do it with great enthusiasm, but at least there is respect. I think they leave with a sense that they are not the only ones out there having anomalous experiences.

The museum hosts lecturers and various groups. Check out the Web site at www.seattlechatclub.org or call 206-328-6499 for the latest event information.

Chantelle Valentine-La Vorie is a volunteer at Seattle Museum of the Mysteries. She is an author of a fiction novel based on local myths and stories. She has had a private psychic consultation/life coaching business on Capitol Hill for eight years and is a S.C.C.C. Web Design graduate.