Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park – Investigation

Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park – Investigation

 

June 8, 2024

 

Rock, WV

 

Investigation

 

At the southernmost point of West Virginia, just outside the small town of Rock, is a peninsula jutting out over a natural body of water which showcases the impeccable and impressive power of mother nature. What was once a laughter filled, bright haven for children and families is now significantly overtaken by brush and ever-growing vines reaching toward the heavens. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park was a bustling point of interest for locals and even visitors interested in letting go from the mundane mediocrity which life can sometimes become. In its heyday, the park featured not just a pond and carnival rides but also a getaway for adults and all walks of life including a dance hall, bath house, and even a minimally discussed speakeasy. 

 

The property was known in more modern times for its concrete pool, natural lake, suspended swings, and simple lounge areas. As the notoriety grew, droves of guests covered every inch of the grounds and, even though this was extremely good for business and the area, some of the safety precautions seemed to become lax. This was evident in the tragedies which occurred all throughout its first lifespan beginning in the 1930’s all the way up to the 1970’s. This incorporated two drownings in the lake which were all rumored to be negligence on the lifeguard’s part to three separate drownings in the cement pool which were all unique and frightening at the same time with no clear cut explanations to any of them. These don’t even include the water slide failure leading to a guests’ skull fracture and his tragic death nor the young girl cut down in her youth while riding the swings by an unaware delivery driver.

 

 

Following the closure of the first iteration of the amusement park on the lake in 1966, it sat abandoned and in near disrepair. That land remained untouched until the current owners purchased the land in 1985 with the intent of expanding the amusement park. While growing the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, this new group added the Ferris wheel (which still stands), a rollercoaster, the whip, and modernized boats. This all lasted until the business could not produce financially as time seemed to pass the area by, leaving simple coal miners in the nearby areas which did not amount to a sustainable business. 

 

Their backup plan kicked into play as the group began to sell off rides and assets in hopes to build townhomes on the property. This all ended when the Ferris wheel and swings did not sell which forced the owners hands to a third plan. This backup to the backup included raising funds and slowing down development beginning with a mud bog. As this local event grew, the group opted to expand the course and excavated the land all surrounding the existing mud bog pit.

 

Once more, this plan ended abruptly as the excavations uncovered Native American artifacts and even bones! The nearby university gained funding to pursue excavation and appropriate and respectful unearthing of historical artifacts. This was extremely fruitful as they uncovered multiple burial sites with complete remains. Some of these even told a story thanks to a Shawnee Shaman visiting the property just in good faith to show respect to the old natives’ land. This led to further research into the land leaving the university and owner with a scientific approximation of anywhere from 2,000-3,000 bodies here.

 

 

This research continued into more in depth and well-documented histories that were forgotten about or just ignored out of pure ignorance. The original European settler to the area was the Clay family dating to the mid-1700’s. Mitchell Clay and his wife Phoebe ventured to the 800 acre plat of land with their 14 children and successfully settled the land and prepared for a full swing expansion. This led to a tragedy of extreme proportions as Mitchell’s hunting trip ended as he returned home to two of his children scalped and murdered while another was burnt at the stake at the rogue Shawnees nearby encampment. Mitchell later found out that his wife and nine of their children watched from their cabin in absolute horror. In a rage, he rounded up a small militia and hunted down the troupe of natives murdering them in cold blood in swift retribution.

 

After they uncovered these horrific truths, the owners erected a grave site for Mitchell Clay and his significant contributions to the settlement of this area while paying respect to his two murdered children of Tabitha and Barclay with their own grave site marker. It was erected where they laid these children to rest but found out later that Ezekiel was later buried with his siblings after he was found burnt at the stake.

 

 

All of these terrifying and deeply tragic tales tie into some believing this land holds some type of curse linking the Native Americans to this land. This stretched across all of the documented history of the land and even echoes through space and time with paranormal activity all across the land. The abandoned and empty swings have been seen moving on their own as if the young girl is still playing. To that vein, toys placed near the jungle gym have also been noted to move and interact seemingly on their own as if some spectral children are still at play. Shadows and moving foliage have been linked to the Clay children as if still watching over their land from afar. The ticket booth just outside the cement pool seems to hold some type of negativity as multiple visitors are scared completely off the property after spending some time around that booth. Images of ghostly guests have been spotted riding the Ferris wheel as if reliving the happiness and joy of their favorite amusement rides. 

 

After we ventured nearly 5 hours to arrive at this abandoned plot of land, we were led to our meeting spot; a rock used by Native Americans to grind up corn. We were then led down a gravel and dirt path which opened up around a nicely manicured field with a rock in the center. After being shown some artifacts from the original excavation pits which sat right behind us we were told to look closely at this rock placed as a remembrance of those Shawnee who were unearthed during this process. In time, this rock sank to reveal what appears to be a profile of an Indian with a headdress. This rock has been draped in everything from toys to herbs in the form of offerings to those who were laid to rest here. We then made our way further down the path to be greeted by a tall head of a clown and outstretched signage for Lake Shawnee.

 

Following a tour of the property, we settled into our camp capped off with some fireside food and prepared ourselves for the investigation. We had to enter the evening with clear heads as we had been anticipating this abandoned amusement park visit for quite some time and did not want our imaginations or excitement to get the best of us. Our evening on the park grounds landed us in practically every corner of both the amusement park and the burial grounds.

 

We wanted to begin the evening in direct respect with the natives who once treated this ground as ancient burial grounds and more than likely also lived in this valley. Our attempt at leaving a tribute to these Shawnee was fruitful as our tobacco offering seemed to go smoothly as we both burnt and spread some tobacco at the burial stone. We were almost instantly given some strange phenomena as the foliage moved just behind the stone after we directly asked these energies to give us a sign that they were with us. This was followed by some K2 meter spikes, most of the time following our request but other times as if these energies were just curious. What’s more, and before we moved on from our initial visit, we recorded a phantom voice questioning our motives with “Yes?” coming simply through our recorder with no other devices employed.

 

Our sixth senses guided us down the overgrown dirt path with outstretched tree limbs and branches grabbing at us only to make way to an opening surrounding the gravesite of the Clay children, Barclay and Tabitha. With our time spent here, we received some curious K2 meter spikes as well as some random Ovilus communication, none of which amounted to much intelligence. What we did capture here which was much more intriguing were two moments of voices heard emanating from thin air. The first was a response to us asking if they were bothered by the loud noises from the cars but were told that it really didn’t disrupt them with an uncommitted  “Ehh.” We did ask them to let us know that they were with us and heard noises as if to confirm this with a pair of clapping sounds. We left them with some music from their time (or so we thought and hoped) after they requested some music to be played through the Ovilus communication.

 

We had been anxious and excited about spending some time at the swing set so without further delay we headed that way with high hopes. While we did not receive any verbal communication during this timeframe, the bag hanging from a swing did move side to side and spin even though there was no breeze whatsoever. While at first we believed this was the little girl simply letting us know that she was nearby, as Dan moved away from the swings to take some further readings, the Ovilus produced the word ‘Continue’ as if she wanted him to keep walking. This was seemingly confirmed as the bag swung side to side in a clearly different direction than previously noted. As we utilized the SLS camera, we captured a figure on the swing next to Derrick who was hunched over attempting to be less intimidating to this little girl. She was seen here just as the Rempod was alerted as if she set this device off just below her as she played on the swing. Once Dan moved back closer to her, she vanished from the swing in the SLS camera just as the bag stopped moving frantically. 

 

 

Keeping on the same energy level we wandered to the jungle gym, which only includes the climbing dome and slide as everything else has been sold off or was disassembled. This area drew our attention during our walkthrough as we noted an odd sensation while walking by this spot as well as a video shown to us by Chris which  clearly pictured a balloon being played with and pushed by some unseen force. We attempted to recreate this experiment with a balloon of our own, even though ours was not helium-filled, and this was wonderfully successful. There was no breeze, and we were able to compare any active wind to the brush and even a pinwheel, but as we began we explained that they are more than welcome to step forward and play with it. Almost immediately the balloon was shoved as it moved side to side. This continued and helped us gather some answers, particularly that they were a child who simply liked playing on this playground, but there were two moments which helped us cross reference our tools and confirm that this child’s energy was with us. The first instance of this verification occurred as the Rempod, situated underneath the balloons, was alerted just as the balloon was shoved once again following us explaining the purpose of the tool. This was incredible in its own right but to add to these visuals, the SLS camera showed an image of this energetic child bending down looking at the Rempod. Once the communication ceased, the balloon moved on occasionally but only when we kept our distance rather than being up and close with them.

 

Just across the path, the ticket booth pulled us in with an odd draw. This simplistic wooden box has been said to hold some type of negative force and even has scared some guests off the property in the past. The first noticeable paranormal moment was not even quantifiable as we had an odd feeling and did not even want to enter the small building. While we were going to avoid this area due to that negativity, we were pulled back to this with a cat ball and necklace. These were both placed on the exterior shelf and both were clearly seen moving from a distance catching our eyes with the light up feature of the ball. Again, there was no wind and we attempted to debunk these even by hitting the shelf to see if we could set either of these in motion but we were unable to do so. We could not gather any type of communication or intelligence, rather we were able to pinpoint a few moments that allowed us to conclude that these energies did not like the light produced from the camera or our flashlights. These paranormal moments were more along the lines of just drawing our attention and even notating their space while not necessarily wanting us to invade their privacy.

 

We were drawn back to the burial grounds far across the property but did not capture any further communication and the K2 meter had actually ceased at that point. We were unable to duplicate those prior activities but the Ovilus did seem to pick up further communication lines notating some of the previous tributes left for them at the stone but as we moved closer to try to pinpoint which pieces they were referring to but were emphatically commanded “No” as if we were getting too close too fast. Without much communication we began to wrap up and prepare to move on and heard toward the tail end of this timeframe an exasperated breath as if they were waiting for us to leave. During our video captures of our return to this spot we noted an incredible shadow which was not produced by any investigator nor was there any clear light source creating this strange anomaly. This moment was not debunkable as we did not notice this live rather only during our review.

 

 

Prior to settling in for the night, we passed back through the main entrance, next to the unsettling large clown head, and we were strongly pulled toward that clown head and this entire area. Even though we were quickly losing our own energy, we felt compelled to attempt to listen in to whoever was drawing us to this area. This ultimately provided us with limited communication through our Phasma Box but it was extremely useful and gathered a lot of intelligent conversation albeit a minimal amount of time. In the past, this is the area where one of the young boys has been seen and felt as if he is simply watching the area from afar, especially now that this land is his eternal home. We were welcomed almost right away with a simple “Hi” and an excited response to our question if he’d like to come and speak with “I would!” The name of “Ferris” was clearly heard here but we cannot be entirely sure if this was his name or if this was perhaps in reference to the Ferris wheel in some sense. While our time communication did not last long, we were told to “Leave” as if the atmosphere seemed to morph and alter to perhaps a different energy moving in on this territory. This sensation was furthered with an odd request of “Can I have a cigarette?” We opted to follow the previous request to leave as this energy had clearly shifted and we were quite drained on top of that.

 

While we made ourselves home for the night, we opted to run a recorder just to see if anything could be heard above and beyond our active investigation. We did not fully expect to capture anything out of the ordinary, and mother nature’s music of bullfrogs and crickets, but absolutely incredibly we heard the sounds of footfalls on the dirt path. This was so clear and concise that it had us feeling as though someone picked up the tool and walked with it!

 

All throughout the property, energies seemed to swirl and shift on a whim. Each experienced sensation varied from uneasiness, felt mainly around the ticket booth near the concrete pool, to warmth and welcoming moments expressly felt as the swing set with the little girl, the jungle gym with the young boy, and the entrance area with yet another young boy who actually wanted to speak to us if for even just a fleeting moment. The curiosity seemed to pique in the burial grounds as if someone (or many of them) watched from afar and attempted to figure out our tools but stemmed to a more intrigued remnant energy which would step forward then back off as if awaiting something to happen along the path and the clearing at the Clay children’s’ gravesite. 

 

While the majority of the energies exuded strong emotions and actions, there were also some minimal physical interactions. These included touches of the balloon we tied up at the jungle gym and the ticket booth showing us the necklace moving side to side. The most predominant of these physical altercations were also noted at the swing set moving the swing and the bag attached to it moving and swaying. 

 

 

Our recordings, videos, and images are all documented below. The recordings have been clipped down and slightly cleaned up for easier listening but never truly altered by any means. The videos have been lightened up to help pinpoint some of the evidence and moments we believe are more important as well as screen captures with frozen video stills to help document each particular moment. Images have also been partially lightened and filtered to help share what we noticed while the thermal images and SLS captures have been left completely untouched. Each piece of evidence or documented experience is explained in a description either above or below each but the intent is to share the captures before explaining what we believe we captured in each as to not spread any form of pareidolia or alter any piece of evidence with our biased description. To help document the personal experiences we felt while on the property we added what we sensed or physically felt during each time frame; moments which in our opinion are not quite quantifiable. Do not hesitate to share your thoughts or feelings to each piece of evidence or physical description as sometimes we do not catch every little detail and your opinions can help debunk or help verify certain moments.

 

As always, some content is not for the faint of heart and can be slightly explicit:

 

Burial Grounds – Burial Rock

 

Separated from the amusement park, mostly overgrown by fields of wheat and underbrush, this entire area has been said to be dedicated to the burial grounds of fallen Shawnee. This was not known all along but was discovered during excavations to actually move the property away from its roots and heritage. During this period, the local university was contacted after the initial excavations uncovered some artifacts and small bone fragments. With the thanks to a government grant, the university was able to further the excavations and even unearthed full bodied burial sites. Without further grant money and the lack of interest in any ground penetrating radar, the best hypothesis gathered by the university’s given information is that the land holds anywhere between 2,000 to 3,000 bodies of the old Shawnee tribe who called this land home. With this, the owners dedicated an unearthed rock to the tribe and its fallen members. After it settled, it sank and shifted just enough to appear as though a Native American face, complete with a headdress, was watching over this area. To this day the area surrounding the rock is well kept and mowed to allow visitors to show respect (some even leave offerings at that very rock) to these natives who have passed on as well as give guests a perspective of how much land they lived on in this valley, at one time calling it home.

 

 

The paranormal experiences here stem from footsteps and moving shadows to just a sensation of being watched from afar. Some claim that they feel a serene and peaceful atmosphere fall upon them as they entertain this area ultimately making them feel safe and welcome. While no names have ever been recorded to address exactly who remains here, past Shawnee shamans and mediums all have similar beliefs that these Shawnee come in waves and even different forms just watching over their blessed land rather than one or two individuals who have been confined to this place.

 

We opted to start our evening here as we prepared an offering of tobacco for the natives and just generally showed respect to all who lived and died on this land. Our initial sense was that we did something properly as some of the brush moved with intent just beyond the stone and previously excavated pit. This continued as we asked whoever was with us to give us a sign that they were with us. The energy shifted and seemingly moved closer as the K2 meter, which was placed on top of the stone, began to jump showing an energy change. More often than not, this seemed to follow our requests to come forward but after some time, it seemed that whoever was with us simply did so out of curiosity or to let us know they were in the area rather than actually communicate with us. What was more interesting was a voice from thin air asking “Yes?” after we asked if anyone was with us. Unfortunately this was not heard by us at the time and only through our review. With minimal further communication or activity we opted to move on but we were drawn back here later in the night.

 

 

While our first visit was intriguing in its own right, our return to this spot did not pick up where we left off. But we were able to attempt to debunk the previous activity to no avail validating to us that we in fact did experience something unnatural. This second timeframe at the burial grounds was active, though, as the Ovilus noted a few different words directing us towards some of the offerings on and around the stone. In particular it guided us toward a ‘Nail’ but as we moved closer to inspect some of the items we were explicitly told ‘No!’ as if they did not want us moving any closer. There was no further intelligent communication captured during this time so we opted to move on and head back toward the campsite. Right before we shut everything off, however, a heavy breath was heard almost like someone was letting out a long held puff of air. This was not the last notable moment here as a dark shadow was visually captured on video just over the excavated area. This shadow was away from the investigators and strangely was not being produced by any direct light source where it would have been to produce any type of shadow. While this was not noticed during the investigation we were unable to attempt to debunk or verify this unexplained phenomena.

 

Photos:

 

• These are a screen captures of the moment that the shadow was seen on video. Each is shown in a different color scale to show the shadow more clearly.

 

 

 

• The K2 meter would spike while sitting on the burial rock as shown in this screen capture of a video.

 

 

Recording 1 – EVP 1:

 

 

 

• We asked if they could move a branch or shrubbery and at :16 and :22 the snapping of branches and movement of foliage could be heard as if responding to us.

 

Recording 2 – EVP 2:

 

 

• Our K2 meter helped answer some yes/no questions during this time frame but as we pursued verbal communication we asked if anyone was with us if they could step forward and speak to us that we were listening. At :07 we heard an apparent response out of thin air with “Yes.”

 

Recording 3 – Transcription 1:

 

 

• As we returned here, we attempted to once again use our K2 meter as it was previously beneficial. We asked if they could come close and light up the tools and the K2 meter spiked at :39.
• While we followed up with this, and even commented amongst ourselves about the activity, the K2 meter was again alerted and jumped color spectrums at 2:06.
• Once more, the K2 meter lit at 3:03.

 

Recording 4 – EVP 3:

 

 

• Prior to this clip, the Ovilus had produced words such as ‘Nail’ and ‘Lisa’ and ‘Real’ but as we moved closer to the stone the Ovilus emphasized the word ‘No!’ as if they were not happy we were encroaching on their territory.
• With that, and a lack of any further communication, we prepared to pack up and move on. Before we shut off the recorder, though, we captured an exasperated and heavy breath at :07. To us, this felt as though they were sick of us and just worn out from all our questioning.

 

Video 1 – Stationary Camera 1:

 

• While there was nothing to note paranormally speaking, our offering to the native Shawnee occurred during this timeframe.

 

 

Video 2 – Stationary Camera 2:

 

• Before we began running this camera the K2 meter was noticed going off sporadically.
• This continued at :30 as the K2 meter could be seen lighting up green.
• Again, the K2 meter jumped at :52 and :58.
• At 1:27, the K2 meter spiked and jumped to yellow as the Ovilus produced the words ‘Page’ and ‘Area.’

 

 

Video 3 – Stationary Camera 3:

 

• Beyond the burial stone, across the ditch which had been excavated leading to the documentation of the natives’ burial grounds, there was a dark shadow spotted on the right hand side of the clip seemingly just watching us. This occurred right away in the video and this would not have occurred from any of the investigators as there was no light source in the proper location to create this. There was not anyone standing in that location where the light at the stone would have created this darkness.
• The K2 meter continued to activate and jumped to yellow at :20 and :28.
• As it ceased activity, we thought it was about time to move on until it spiked once more at 1:15.

 

 

Clay Gravesite

 

Across from the lake and found down a narrow dirt path, surrounded by outstretched tree branches as if finger groping at visitors, this simple tombstone marker pinpoints the location where both Tabitha and Barclay Clay were laid to rest. These were the two children who were blindsided and brutally murdered in cold blood by rogue Shawnee tribesmen. It’s also rumored that their brother, Ezekiel, was also brought to this spot and buried here after he was unceremoniously kidnapped, tied up, and burnt at the stake by those same natives. This area is another spot that is mowed and kept up but the path itself to get to it is a little bit of rough terrain. This gravestone is another that guests have left small remembrance and respect items.

 

 

There are said to be strange lights moving about this area as if circling the marker while others have heard whispers and an almost singing projected voice. One of the more notable pieces of evidence and activity in this spot is that of a voice coming through pointing out that there is a third body here and that the two children notated on the tombstone are not alone. These all allude to the near factual belief that Ezekiel’s body also resides here.

 

This area was our next stop as we were seemingly guided here by an unseen force. The investigation time spent here provided us with more visual activity surrounding the K2 meters spiking sporadically and some minimal Ovilus activity but this did not point toward anything intelligent. We did continue to pry and eventually received a phantom voice responding to our question of the cars flying by and the low roar of their engines interrupting the peaceful, quiet nights. The sound provided as an answer to this question was somewhat nonchalant “Ehh” as if they weren’t completely bothered by this noise. Following this, we attempted to get them to step forward and give us some type of verification that they were with us and heard a clapping noise. This was not heard live at the moment but upon our review we noticed these. We tried to compare this to snapping branches and twigs and even other car sounds like the opening or closing of doors but the closest sound that we could imagine this noise being were the clapping of hands. Without much further communication, the Ovilus did provide us with some requests to ‘Play music’ and ‘Song.’ While nothing much came from this, we did in fact play them some music in hopes of simply giving them what they had seemingly wanted.

 

Photos:

 

• There was an odd fog or mist which could be seen rising up behind the grave marker  on two separate occasions and set aside in a screen capture from a video.

 

 

 

• The K2 meter could be seen spiking as it sat on top of the tombstone and was shared here via screen capture.

 

 

Recording 1 – EVP 1:

 

 

• The Ovilus and K2 meter both began to activate but after a loud car passed by, we asked them if those noises and lights bother them. While we didn’t hear this in person, we did hear a response, albeit inconclusive, “Ehh” at :06 as if they did not want to commit to this or if they simply did not want to speak to us regarding something so irrelevant.

 

Recording 2 – EVP 2:

 

 

• Both the Ovilus and K2 meter continued to receive activity but neither of these actions really furthered our questioning or knowledge. While we felt as though we may have scared them off, we asked them in one last effort to give us a sign that they were with us. We heard an odd response in the form of a  noise which sounded to us like the clapping of hands at :13 then again at :28.

 

Video 1 – Trail Camera 1:

 

• An odd and unexplainable mist rose from the ground behind the gravestone at the right hand side of this clip and spotted at :09.

 

 

Video 2 – Trail Camera 2:

 

• This mist returned and could be seen at :03 again moving toward the tombstone on the right side.

 

 

Swing Set

 

Across the pond, being overtaken by vines and other brush, a rusted out hanging swing amusement ride stands tall overlooking the park and only truly overshadowed by the nearby Ferris Wheel. This was not its original home as it was moved after the tragedy killing a young girl by, simply put, poor planning as a delivery truck backed into the moving swings. This was one of the last rides which were attempted to be sold but ultimately was left unwanted by interested purchasers. The swings still remain hanging from chains from the metal bars above but the swings themselves are mainly unusable as they are not fully connected and lopsided, not to mention who knows what kind of weight they could hold to this day. 

 

 

The stories mainly include this young girl still playing at this spot between swinging and just running around the metal structure. She’s been said to giggle and even whisper to some guests, the majority of whom are children most likely her age when she met her demise. She has been known to show unsuspecting kids the swing which she was riding on her last moments alive while sitting on a neighboring swing. Some mediums have actually placed a dangling bag on one of the swings which they programmed to say yes and no depending on its direction it swings as well as her just wanting her presence to be acknowledged if the bag circles. These means of communication have proved fruitful in the past as many guests have spoken with this girl utilizing this small bag with great success. Lights have been visually spotted moving here as if they were jumping on and off swings as well as shadows appearing all around the location both at the swings and the nearby table and wooded area.

 

Even though we tried multiple ways to communicate with this young girl, we did not receive much information from her. We believe this was due to the fact that we were two larger men, very much out of her comfort zone, but we did attempt to get down to her level much like we do for our own children. Eventually the baggy did begin to move in circles as if just to let us know she was in the area while we noted that there was absolutely no breeze, even minimal. This seemed to be more of an attention seeking moment as one of the investigators moved away from the swing set in hopes of getting some pictures or activity elsewhere but just as he moved about fifty feet away from the swing the Ovilus gave us the word ‘Continue.’ We took this as a confirmation of this girl wanting him to continue moving away from the area as the bag moved in a strict direction, once again with no air current. This was also re-confirmed as her presence as the SLS camera showed a small figure on the swing next to the investigator on the ground and the Rempod activated just as the swing swayed. She did ultimately disappear both through the SLS camera and the bag ceased movement as the second investigator moved back toward the swing. We did capture some of those odd moving lights through our trail camera which we left here as we moved on and only checked with during the review.

 

Photos:

 

• We provided some screen captures of the lights spotted in the trail camera here.

 

 

 

• The figure could be seen here through the SLS camera as the swing moved.

 

Recording 1 – EVP 1:

 

 

• Following us separating, one investigator walked to the opposite side of the swing set structure while the other sat by the swing in hopes of not overwhelming this energy, possibly of a little girl based on former tales. After we asked if there was anyone with us we heard an inaudible whispering at :03 and :09. Neither of these could be distinguished but it’s as if a young child was whispering nonsense into someone’s ear not actually saying anything but rather playing and having fun.
• Just after the first whispering moment, the bag spun, around :11, but we noted that there was no wind or breeze of any kind.
• We asked if this energy could do that again and move the bag for us and at :45 the bag began to spin once again.

 

Recording 2 – Transcription 1:

 

 

• When the investigator made his way toward the pond and away from the swing set, the Ovilus produced the word ‘Continue’ at :26 as if they wanted him to continue walking away from this area.
• Just as he turned the corner, a figure could be seen through the SLS camera sitting in the swing at about 4:20.
• We asked, following spotting their outline in the swing, if they were currently sitting in the swing. At 4:50, as if responding, the bag attached to the swing moved.
• Around 5:20 the bag stopped moving directly and began to spin.
• As the further investigator made his way back toward the swings mainly in hopes of capturing this figure more clearly, around 5:30, the figure disappeared completely.

 

Video 1 – Trail Camera 1:

 

• An odd flashing light could be seen in the distance toward the start then suddenly appeared next to the swing on the left hand side toward the end of this clip. There was no one around at this point as we left the camera here to simply run and capture everything as we investigated the rest of the property.

 

 

Video 2 – Stationary Camera 1:

 

• The bag hanging from the swing could be seen spinning throughout the video.

 

 

Video 3 – Stationary Camera 2:

 

• We continued to attempt to use this bag as a pendulum to help answer yes/no questions and it could be seen moving both directions on and off here.

 

 

Video 4 – Stationary Camera 3:

 

• Rather than moving side to side or front to back the bag circled here to let us know that they were in the area with us.

 

 

Jungle Gym

 

Down the dirt path which wraps around the lake there are two remaining pieces of playground equipment: a short slide and a domed climbing playset. Both of these have been worn down by time but the slide is more so ruined by rust to the point of it nearly falling over. Brush and overgrowth have creeped out of the earthworks and swallowed both of these pieces as well as the space surrounding it, basically making it inaccessible for guests but gives them potential for great photographs.

 

 

There have not been any particular tales of anything tragic or devastating to occur in this area but it seems that some guests in the past may  have returned here from their love of the area or fond memories of the past. It’s also possible that the young children who met their untimely deaths still find this spot enjoyable for them as they have it all to themselves to climb and play. This is furthered by toys and other items being played with when left in this area which include things like balloons moving and pinwheels spinning both of which have been documented on video. Who is still playing here and why is still unknown but these ongoing unexplained anomalies are not surprising to the owners.

 

Our interest was piqued during our walkthrough just as we were attempting to get some pictures of this macabre scenery. We felt as though we were being watched from the tall grass just beyond the playground structures. When we returned here and planned to spend some time with our tools we wanted to recreate the balloon scenario where it would move on its own. We tied a light up balloon to a (garbage bag) string and left it dangling below the top rung. With no breeze, we attempted to communicate with the energy who clearly was interested in us. The balloon began to bounce on its own as if being pushed and pulled side to side. We utilized this balloon as a pendulum and notated that moving it left and right meant ‘No’ and if it moved forward and backward it meant ‘Yes.’ These motions helped us gather information about who they were and why they were here. Even though we did not get any verbal communication while asking these questions, the balloon helped tell their story that they were a young boy who liked to play on the dome and the toys that people brought him. The Rempod which was sitting directly under the balloon was alerted twice just as the balloon was pushed and ultimately helped us validate this as an unexplained and paranormal phenomena. Following this, the SLS camera again produced a figure standing underneath the balloon and next to the Rempod after it lit up, once again validating these experiences. We left the balloon tied up as we moved on and it would still be pushed and moved on occasion throughout the night as we would look over and watch it but any time we moved closer to it and attempted to communicate any further it completely stopped this activity. We can only imagine that he had enough of us and just wanted to be left alone to play with his new toy.

 

Photos:

 

• The figure could be seen here through the SLS camera as if it was bending down toward the Rempod and analyzing it then actually sitting next to it with their legs crossed.

 

 

• We also captured a screen capture here of a moment when the Rempod was alerted and lit up just as the balloon moved.

 

 

Recording 1 – Transcription 1:

 

 

• Before we began actively investigating this area, the balloon we dangled from the crossbar in the dome began to move sporadically while we noted that there was no breeze at the time.
• We started here simply and asked if they could push the balloon to which it did at :13.
• As we discussed this balloon moving and the lack of wind the balloon again moved as if confirming this previous activity at :28.
• The Ovilus suddenly burst to life with two words of ‘Remote’ and ‘Burning’ at :51. Neither of these made much sense to us in regards to the location.
• We asked if they could push the balloon hard and make it move again and, at :57, the balloon moved with force paired up with the Rempod interaction which was placed right below the balloon.
• Once again, at 1:15, the balloon moved hard but this time unprompted.
• This movement lasted until 2:20 as we asked them to stop and the balloon stopped suddenly.
• We again tested this, and their strength, as we asked them to push it hard. At 2:33, the balloon was suddenly in motion again.
• The Ovilus again was alerted and produced the word ‘Bracelet’ at 2:42 and ‘Certain’ at 3:16.
• Just as this was heard, at 3:18, the balloon moved as there was a figure seen through the SLS camera as if analyzing the Rempod when suddenly the Rempod went off.
• As one of the investigators moved closer to the Rempod to test its accuracy, the Ovilus produced ‘Very’ and ‘Front’ at 4:01.

 

Recording 2 – EVP 1:

 

 

• While we attempted to debunk or further validate the paranormality of the balloon we asked if they could smack the balloon hard, at :04, the balloon moved hard and the Rempod also was alerted as if to cross reference and confirm this anomaly.

 

Video 1 – Stationary Camera 1:

 

• The balloon that we tied up to the top of the dome could be seen moving unnaturally throughout this video clip.

 

 

Video 2 – Stationary Camera 2:

 

• Right away the balloon could be seen moving side to side.
• At about :56, the balloon suddenly changed directions and moved front to back.
• Incredibly, the balloon was seen moving side to side, changing directions once again at 1:28.
• We asked if they could push the balloon hard, harder than before, and it was seemingly shoved and moved side to side at 1:40.
• In awe, we wanted to continue this activity so we asked if they could shove it once more. At 2:23, the balloon could be seen moving just as the Rempod, located right below it, was activated simultaneously.
• After the activity was settled, we asked if they could once again hit the balloon hard and, at 4:00, the balloon did move quickly and with intent.
• Only ten seconds later, at 4:10, the balloon’s movement sped up.
• Suddenly, at 5:56, the balloon completely stopped moving.

 

 

Video 3 – Stationary Camera 3:

 

• The Rempod was alerted at :34 as if this energy who was pushing the balloon also moved close to this device right underneath it.

 

 

Video 4 – Stationary Camera 4:

 

• As we moved toward the ticket booth, our gaze was pulled away and back toward the balloon moving in the distance still attached to the dome playground equipment.

 

 

Blue Ticket Booth (Next to Concrete Pool)

 

Back down the dirt path, situated just outside the concrete pool, a simple wooden booth sits open to the elements and illuminated by a spot light and some other colorful moving lights. Both the back entry door and front ticket opening are open to simply wander in or peer through. There is not much truly unique to this spot but this is another location where guests will leave offerings in the form of toys and jewelry. The spotlight from the outside is located on a nearby electrical post and the more playful, colorful lights are located on the inside just in a corner. The floorboards leave much to be designed as there are missing pieces and broken openings which would  likely surprise some unsuspecting and unaware visitors. Being one of three ticket booths on the property it’s one which was situated inside the park likely more along the lines of a game or ride ticket booth rather than one used for entry to the park.

 

 

There are three documented deaths occurring in the concrete pool and many other incidents reported nearly leading to further tragedy. Even though none of these directly link to this ticket booth, some of the curious experiences shared by guests point to something more negative and unwelcoming lingering here. Numerous visitors explain an uneasy feeling which leads them to just not exploring this area at all but one of the more notorious tales is that of a man driving from the opposite side of the state and leaving no more than a half hour on the grounds. This ticket booth scared him off in such a way that the owners did not even get to ask him what it was that frightened him to such a degree. All that has been documented here is that he entered the booth from the back entrance, jumping back almost like he was forcefully pushed out of the booth, and fleeing the property right then and there with a face pale as a sheet.

 

Much like the tale of that poor man driving across the state for only thirty minutes of a visit, we had a sinking feeling in our stomachs and an extremely unsafe feeling here. While we were extremely hesitant to proceed with any investigation time, let alone entering the booth, we were drawn here by a light up cat ball as we noticed this from a distance. As we ventured closer, we noted how difficult it was to set off this cat ball situated level on the counter top. To add to this, out of the corner of our eyes, we also spotted a necklace, placed on the same ledge just left of the cat ball, swaying with no wind present. While we did not gain any communication through any of our devices, we did take note of an observation that these energies pushing these tools did not like light. Neither the cat ball nor the necklace would move with our requests and not even as would stand still just watching with our flashlights and camera lights pointed directly toward them. Instead, these anomalies occurred as we would turn away and sometimes would even wait until we began walking off. We’re still unsure whether these motions were trying to draw our attention or rather showing us that it was their private space and where these lines were drawn where they did not want us any closer. As we packed our gear to move on, we heard some disturbance in the concrete pond just beyond the booth and we utilized the thermal imaging FLIR to map this area. Incredibly, we spotted what looked like the head of a person peering out of the stagnant water only to disappear moments later.

 

Photos:

 

• We pulled out screen captures of the cat ball lighting up and where the necklace was situated as it would move on its own.

 

 

 

• While we began to pack up the commotion picked up in the concrete pool so we angled our thermal camera toward the steady water. There was what appeared to be the head of a person sticking up out of the water.

 

 

Recording 1 – EVP 1:

 

 

• Prior to this moment, the necklace could be seen physically moving and the cat ball could be seen lighting up.
• At :04, unprompted, there was a knocking noise emanating from inside the ticket booth itself.

 

Video 1 – Stationary Camera 1:

 

• We were drawn to this spot with a cat ball lighting up and that very light could be seen turning on and off throughout the duration of this clip.
• This could be seen in particular lighting up at :05.

 

 

Video 2 – Stationary Camera 2:

 

• Immediately, as we began filming, the necklace to the left could be seen moving on its own.
• At about :30 the necklace ceased all movement.
• After we asked if these energies preferred the necklace to communicate, it could be seen moving once again at 1:00.

 

 

Video 3 – Stationary Camera 3:

 

• We set the camera down and walked away as we began to suspect that these energies did not like the lights and cameras. During this timeframe nothing appeared to happen.

 

 

Video 4 – Stationary Camera 4:

 

• During this video clip we could be seen testing the cat ball and its sensitivity by first tapping then pounding the front shelf where the cat ball was situated. Eventually we noticed that the cat ball had turned off completely, as if it had been physically clicked and turned off, which was unexplainable in its own rite.

 

 

Entrance

 

Just before entering the gates of the abandoned amusement park, a large clown face greets visitors with an ominous grin; one which guests can actually walk right through if they so choose. On the opposite side of the gate is the first ticket booth where guests would pay to enter the park but has since been dilapidated and not very welcoming. This small area is also where the current restrooms are located for a convenient midway point between the amusement park and the burial grounds.

 

 

The more curious stories claim that the young boy finds solace in this space and keeps an eye on everyone who visits as they must come in through this gate being the only way in or out of the park. Similar to the natives who call this land home and watch guests from afar, this boy seems to believe that these amusement park lands are his home and takes the ame approach and watches guests from a distance. 

 

Our second stint at the burial grounds had us passing through this entry point back toward our camp. The focal point at that particular time of night was to return to camp and get some rest as we were just completely drained. As we were about to head past the clown head, we had a sudden pull towards it, as if someone were beckoning to us. Our communication here was minimal but, thanks to the Phasma Box, we were able to have a partial conversation with an energy lingering here. With a welcomed greeting of “Hi” we asked if whoever was with us would like to step forward and speak to us through our tool and we heard an emphatic “I would!” We gathered the name of “Ferris,” although this could have easily been a nod to the Ferris Wheel, but we were unable to proceed with questions as the atmosphere altered and it seemed as though another energy entered this territory. We heard a strange question of “Can I have a cigarette?” but instead of pursuing this, we followed the command of “Leave” and headed back to our campsite leaving these alternating energies in peace. As we slept, however, another strange unexplained phenomena occurred. We ran our recorders out of sheer curiosity but instead of hearing something along the lines of drums or chants or even laughter we captured what sounded to us like someone picking up our recorder and taking a stroll. This doesn’t completely fit a description of this as there was absolutely no sound of the tent zipper being pulled open nor the rustling of the tent underlayment. It was chilling and we have no clear explanation as to what this could have been a recording of at that time.

 

Photos:

 

• There was nothing out of the ordinary captured in our photography from our time spent here.

 

Recording 1 – Phasma Box 1:

 

 

• While our simple recorder did not produce any activity, nor did our Spirit Box, for some unknown reason the Phasma Box seemed to trigger this entity and allowed them to speak to us.
• The communication occurred fast and fleeting but began with a welcoming of “Hi” at :04.
• Hearing this, we asked if there was anyone in the area who would like to communicate and heard an excited voice proclaim “I would!” at :19.
• After some silence we captured an impatient “So…” at :25 followed by a name of “Ferris” at :31.
• We asked if they could tell us who they were and heard the name “Ferris” repeated at :51.

 

Recording 2 – Phasma Box 2:

 

 

• After another gap of silence we asked why they were still here and heard an unsettling phrase of “I am many” at :17 then confusingly “Only suspects” at :18.
• We were unsure where to go at that point as the atmosphere felt as though it shifted and we heard “Leave” at :21.
• Another strange question occurred at :41 with “Can I have a cigarette?” We felt that something changed in the air and that we were no longer welcome so we decided to follow their previous command and left toward our campsite.

 

Recording 3 – Sleeping – EVP 1:

 

 

• As we slept there was an incredible sound of footsteps at :08 and lasted over two minutes! There was simply no explanation for this as there was no sound of the tent being opened with a zipper or any footsteps on the noise tent floor. There was absolutely nothing explainable about this moment.

 

Following a full overnight camping experience and paranormal investigation of the Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park in Rock, WV, we have spent an exorbitant amount of time reviewing and analyzing everything we captured and experienced from that night. This includes everything from videos, recordings, and photographs from early in the day during our tour to deep into the dark of night when the landscape truly changes form. Between the evidence captured and our personal experiences, we were able to validate some of our sensations and align them with the data captured and recorded throughout the night. With the two combined, we are able to verify and conclude that the former amusement park and, more importantly, the Shawnee burial grounds in southern West Virginia hold extremely high energy readings and unexplainable phenomena. This leads us to believe that the land itself holds these energies while tying in some of the left over amusement park rides and equipment to tales of tragedy and despair which are heavily linked to them.

 

Our experiences lead us to believe that we made contact with multiple energies, some of whom were intelligent but wanted their own space and made communication minimal. The first energy we experienced was that of a Native American original to this property, likely linked to the Shawnee tribe. This energy may be tied to one person or many, that we do not know nor have enough data to confirm. It’s also very possible that this could be the energy of some type of Native American Watcher who is tied to the grounds. Again, we do not have communication or evidence to support this but these energies did display similar actions; watching from afar, stepping forward occasionally to make themselves known, and being tied to an extremely important Native American land. 

 

 

The Clay children, or at least one of them, seemed to be willing to step forward and, much like their counterparts, wanted to make themselves known. They stepped forward to activate our devices and even requested music to be played which showed us there is some sense of intelligence remaining in this location back by their headstone and that they are still nearby protecting their homeland and living their lives, if even eternally on another plane of existence.

 

We believe we encountered a young girl who prefers to remain around the swing set where she had perished. While the actual location had been physically moved, she seems to prefer the swings themselves rather than the location of her death. 

 

 

We encountered two younger boys throughout the property. The first boy stepped forward at the jungle gym but he seems more than content to simply play for eternity rather than to speak or make himself known by any particular means. A second young boy was experienced near the entry gate and this energy did want to speak, at least momentarily. Again, he wanted himself to be known but was seemingly cut off by a secondary energy.

 

We have reason to believe that this more negative type energy appeared at that entry but was also active at the ticket booth nearest the concrete pool. This more negative energy wants to be known but not communicate per se. It resembles these watchers but for a different reason. This energy wants to keep some of the more active and talkative energies quiet but to what extent and for what purpose we do not truly know. But what we do know is that it did not like lights or cameras and chased other energies who were more willing to communicate with us away; this occurred on multiple occasions throughout our night.

 

 

This abandoned amusement park has been on our radar ever since we began our research and exploration of the other side over seven years ago. The opportunity to not only investigate this property but also spend an entire night camping on these infamous grounds was unbelievably surreal. From the abandoned amusement park and its surviving equipment to the burial grounds and the incredible amount of energy which is linked to it, our time here was well worth the wait and an unforgettable experience. After stepping foot on the site, it gives us an entirely new appreciation for the amount of work and dedication it takes to truly keep this land functional to guests of all walks of life and from across the country. We are thankful for the efforts of the current owners and operators of the property, in particular Chris and Roger for their tireless efforts to keep this land open to visitors who wish to pay their respect and open their minds to the past. Our goal to investigate this land is to help continue their preservation efforts and help unearth long forgotten truths and document every moment along the way. Our hope is to share our experiences and evidence with ongoing paranormal research in hopes of finding out more of who may still be active on this land and for them to know that there are still multitudes of people who want to share their knowledge and tell their unwritten stories.