One year ago, In the Shadows Paranormal officially stepped out of the shadows. I had no idea where it would lead. Over the past twelve months, we've investigated historic hotels, museums, a prison, private homes, cemeteries and places I never imagined we'd be invited to explore. We've met remarkable people, heard extraordinary stories, captured a few things we still can't explain — and learned an enormous amount along the way. Somewhere in there, we also started a podcast, cr

Hi, I’m Gail from In the Shadows Paranormal, and it’s Haunted Monday. Today: EVPs. EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon—sounds or apparent voices captured on recordings that weren't noticed at the time. And the idea has a surprisingly long history. In the late 1950s, Swedish artist and filmmaker Friedrich Jürgenson began reporting unexplained voices on recordings he made with a tape recorder. Then came Konstantīns Raudive, a Latvian psychologist and writer who became fa

Hidden away inside the Pueblo Heritage Museum rests one of its most intriguing artifacts—an elegant horse-drawn hearse dating to the 1860s or 1870s. Original photo. Museum staff believe it may have once belonged to a church, based on its religious symbols and design. Beyond that, however, much of its history has been lost to time. Who donated it? Where did it travel? What families did it quietly serve during life's most solemn moments? Those are questions we're still hoping t

What Does a Key Really Open? In Part 1 of Haunted History Monday, I shared the completely true story of a key that appeared inside my mother’s slipper. Neither of us recognized it. We couldn’t determine where it came from, and it opened nothing we could find. That is the entire story as we know it. No exaggeration. No explanation. But it raises another question: Why does an unexplained key feel so much more mysterious than any other unidentified object? Perhaps it's because a

What makes the Pueblo Heritage Museum so special? From preserving more than 250 years of Pueblo County history to protecting thousands of artifacts, photographs, and archival records, the museum tells the story of the people and events that shaped our community. To help make that story more accessible, we've created a digital version of the museum's informational booklet that you can browse online. 📖 Explore the Digital Guide https://www.flipsnack.com/77E8DBC9E8C/heritage-mu

Saturday evening (July 25) at Lake Pueblo wasn't about proving anything. Our colleagues Sandi Hughes and Jen VanOster gave a presentation and demonstration of a CE5 (close encounters of the fifth kind) event. The night was about slowing down, looking up, and asking questions. Some came because they're interested in UFOs, now known as UAPs, or unidentified aerial phenomena. Others came to learn more about the history of the reservoir. Some wanted to experience a CE5 event for

My mom always told me that if I forgot something, I should walk back through a doorway. I'll admit it—I thought she was a little crazy. The strange thing is...it usually seems to work! I still do it. Years later, I discovered psychologists actually have a name for it: the "doorway effect." But long before science tried to explain it, cultures around the world had already decided there was something special about crossing a threshold. But that got me wondering... Why have peop

One of the most rewarding aspects of paranormal investigation is that you never know what you might encounter. Sometimes the night is quiet. Other times, something unexpected happens that leaves you asking questions long after the investigation ends. During a recent private investigation at the Hotel Saint Nicholas in Cripple Creek, our team spent time in the building's former operating room (among others), an area with a long history and countless stories shared over the yea

Over the past few weeks, I've found myself reflecting on how much In the Shadows Paranormal has grown. When I started this journey, I thought it was about investigating historic places and sharing stories from Colorado's past. It still is. But somewhere along the way, something else happened. A team began to form. People with different backgrounds, different talents, and different perspectives came together because they shared one thing in common—curiosity. We've laughed. We'

As some of you may know, several members of In the Shadows Paranormal, live in Pueblo and Pueblo West - several miles from the Aspen Acres Fire. Sandi Hughes captured her thoughts and words through a a video we'd like to share with you. Our thoughts are with the firefighters, the people and animals living in that area. Sandi Hughes: After a long, dry winter without much snow, the Colorado landscape was left dry and somewhat barren. The Colorado and Arkansas rivers were seeing

Last week, I attended the Colorado Creative Industries Summit in Trinidad. Surrounded by filmmakers, museum professionals, artists, historians, and tourism leaders, I found myself returning to a simple question: Why do places matter? Throughout the summit, speaker after speaker talked about the power of storytelling—not just as entertainment, but as a way to connect people to communities, history, and one another. As I listened, my thoughts drifted south to a windswept hillsi

Last night I attended the Pueblo Historical Society dinner at the beautiful Pueblo Union Depot, and I left feeling incredibly grateful. Grateful for the people who fight to preserve these places. Grateful for the historians, volunteers, board members, storytellers, and community advocates who understand that old buildings are more than brick and wood — they are containers for memory. Walking through the Depot, looking at the craftsmanship, the tile floors, the woodwork, the o

People often ask what it’s like bringing my mother, Bonnie, along on paranormal adventures. First of all, let me be clear: Bonnie does not frighten easily. Dark basements? Fine. Old cemeteries? Fine.Abandoned buildings with questionable structural integrity and “mysterious” cold spots? Apparently also fine. But she does have limits. A few years ago, I brought her along on an investigation. The room was quiet except for the occasional creak and the dramatic whispering that par

Some moments don’t feel like much at the time. Just a conversation…a little laughter…nothing out of the ordinary. Until later. We were at the St. Nicholas—just talking, like we often do. Nothing staged. Nothing scripted. Just a real moment with real people in a place that holds a lot of history. And honestly? A little humor. Because if you can’t laugh while talking about unexplainable things…what are we even doing? https://youtube.com/shorts/ENkjujHwFf0 And then there’s Roy…

Most people think National Paranormal Day is about ghosts. It isn’t. At least—not in the way people expect. There’s something quietly unusual about this day. It doesn’t come with a clear origin story or a universally agreed-upon meaning. It exists somewhere between curiosity and skepticism, between history and experience. And maybe that’s the point. Because the paranormal itself has always lived in that space—just beyond easy explanation. For some, it’s entertainment. For oth

The first National Woman’s Day in the United States was observed on February 28, 1909. By 1911, the observance had spread internationally, eventually becoming what we now celebrate each year on March 8 as International Women's Day . But decades before that, something remarkable was already happening. In the mid-1800s, during the rise of Spiritualism , women began speaking publicly, leading gatherings, and guiding conversations in ways that were rare for the time. Séance circl

The word seance carries a mysterious aura today, often linked to ghostly encounters and spiritual communication. Yet, its origins tell a very different story—one rooted in the simple act of sitting. Understanding how seance evolved from a straightforward term for a session or sitting to its current meaning reveals much about cultural shifts and language development over centuries. A traditional seance setup with candles and a crystal ball on a wooden table The Original Mean

There are weekends that entertain. And then there are weekends that confirm something deeper . Pueblo Paranormal Weekend was never meant to be theatrical. It was meant to be respectful. Intentional. Rooted in place. From the moment we stepped into the Pueblo Heritage Museum, the tone was set: this wasn’t about chasing shadows. It was about listening. Fire Hose Company No. 3 – A Full House. The Fire Hose Company No. 3 Museum sold out — and what moved me most wasn’t the numbers

The loudest paranormal investigations aren’t usually the clearest ones. In fact, the calmer the conversation, the more honest the experience tends to be. We live in a culture that rewards reaction — jump scares, dramatic claims, bold declarations. But, when it comes to exploring the unknown, heightened emotion can distort more than it reveals. Fear changes perception. Expectation fills in gaps. Noise becomes meaning. I’ve found that when we slow down — when we treat a space,

There is a quiet thrill in stepping into the shadows of history - where whispers linger and the unseen beckons. We gather our tools, not just as instruments, but as keys to unlock stories untold. Each item carries a purpose, a promise to bridge the gap between the known and the mysterious. What do we bring with us on these journeys? How do these tools shape our understanding of the paranormal world? Paranormal Investigation Tools: Our Trusted Companions When we embark on a pa