13 Things to Expect When Visiting Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum

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I’m still pinching myself that I got to jaunt to Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum. Not that it was necessarily a bucket list wish or that I’m a huge Zak Bagans / Ghost Adventures fan –anymore. Once upon a time, the first few seasons of the show, I was.

Then something changed. Them? Me? Both? I don’t know. Paranormal shows in general, including Ghost Adventures, turned more sensational and less scientific/actual research. GA lost its luster for me because I’m not into the demon thing, and that was that.

Still, I can’t deny Zak is entertaining. After visiting his museum, my respect for him shifted. He knows his audience and he knows how to spin a good story. I now view him as a master showman.

That wasn’t something I was expecting when visiting his haunted museum. In fact, there was a lot I wasn’t expecting.

I knew a little of what might happen thanks to my friend and A Haunt Mess podcast co-host, Deedee, of Illusions from the Side of the Road. She’s visited the museum three times.

If I’d listened to her better, I would’ve realized she alluded to some of the things that surprised me. But I only honed in on one thing she’d brought up, because I don’t like them and it was almost a deal breaker for me to even jaunt to the museum. (See #11 below.)

But now I’m glad I faced my fear and did it, because it didn’t last long and wasn’t that bad. Plus, I would’ve missed out experiencing a really cool museum. In fact, I see why it’s rated as one of Las Vegas’s best (if not the best). It’s really good. Especially for people into the paranormal.

If you ever go, here’s 13 things to expect:

1. Hours

Most museums open somewhere between 8 and 10 a.m. Not Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum.

Most days it doesn’t open until 1 p.m. Specifically Monday and Wednesday thru Saturday. On those days it closes at 9 p.m.

Of all days, I wasn’t expecting Sunday to be the day it opened earlier: at 12 p.m. It also closes earlier that day, too, at 8 p.m.

It’s not open at all on Tuesdays.

2. Lines

I wouldn’t have expected crowds, lines, or long waits. I was glad Deedee warned me and suggested we go early. As near to when it first opens as possible.

We wound up getting there 20 minutes before opening time. Not just the museum, but its parking lot was still gated off.  There were already about 15-20 people there!

3. An Entertaining Queue

If you do have to wait in a line, though, it’s not too bad. There’s always your phone to keep you entertained, but there’s also re-runs of Ghost Adventures. If you have to wait in the line on the side of the building, there are screens where you can watch.

You can also talk to your fellow tour-goers. We spoke with several interesting people.

There’s also the host or hostess (we had a hostess) who greets you, brings you the clip board with the waiver, and is the first to go over the rules. They’ll also answer questions you may have about the museum. Ours was more than happy to talk to all of us. (Not sure if most groups are so chatty and inquisitive, but ours sure was.)

Deedee said there was a magician who entertained the masses in line when she went. We didn’t see anything like that, but then again we were the second group in the house on our visit and the line only stretched out the path in front, not on the side of the house yet. (When we came out an hour and half later, though, there was a line on the side of the house.)

4. Waivers

Thanks to Deedee, I was expecting to have to sign a waiver. I wasn’t expecting it to be multiple paragraphs –each of which you have to initial– or that it would take up the front and back of a sheet of paper. I was expecting a couple paragraphs at most.

Nor was I expecting that this would be what freaked my husband out most.

5. Rules & Warnings

They don’t have a lot of rules, but they do have a few. The one they stress the most –no photos– is one I knew thanks to Deedee.

But also no EVPs. So if you’re hoping to do a little investigating in the Haunted Museum, think again. (Although, there is an area you can use a spirit box. See #9.)

And if the waiver wasn’t warning enough, check the back of your ticket or see the big sign inside the lobby. They sure hype the danger!

6. Tour Guides

A lot of people don’t realize it’s a guided tour through the museum. Again, thanks to Deedee, I knew to expect that and to expect there would be several different guides in several of the areas throughout our tour.

7. A Haunted Building

Besides housing allegedly haunted artifacts, the museum itself is allegedly haunted. I’m not sure how many spirits they claim might haunt the building, but among them are ghost children. Well, a little girl I remember for sure them talking about, but perhaps even a little boy too?

8. Paranormal Activity Videos

Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum doesn’t just make claims of paranormal activity within its walls or associated with its collection, it has videos to show you. Here’s the three I remember:

1. There’s footage in the Oddities Parlor of a man moments after he claims to have been touched.
2. In the hallway where it happened there’s video of a woman who faints moments after what looks like a spirit ball passes through her.
3. And near the Dybbuk box, there’s the loop of Zak uncovering the box for Post Malone and the rapper quickly fleeing the room soon after.

9. Time Alone with Peggy

Your guide gives you the option to enter Peggy’s room. She (or he, if that’s your guide’s gender –ours was a woman) doesn’t say, “Enter at your own risk.” Or, rather, “Look her in the eyes at your own risk.” Apparently just looking at her some people have felt violently ill and even suffered heart attacks!

You are instructed to say hello when you enter and goodbye before you leave, and we were encouraged to be polite. You can also ask Peggy questions. Perhaps she’ll answer via the spirit box that’s continuously running in the room.

10. Secret Passages and Rooms

No one in our tour group was offered the chance to crawl through any tunnels hidden in walls or pass into other rooms via secret corridors, but I was waiting for the chance to volunteer.  Deedee got to crawl through a passage from one room to another on her third visit.

11. Jump Scares

There’s really only one true jump scare area. It involves the Clown Corridor. Most are mannequins dressed as clowns, but some are real people. Which one will jump out at you?

I hate jump scares. Not as much as being chased through a haunted house. Thanks to Deedee, I knew it was coming. And when we got to this part, I knew it –as in the jump– was coming. I had my eye on one clown, but that wasn’t the one who did it so of course I screamed. Gah!

I was also startled by a little person dressed as a doll. She concealed herself in a “closet” of dolls. Two men in our group volunteered to check it out –and promptly rushed back out screaming when she moved and startled (scared) them.

I saw her roaming around the house in a couple of other spots too, and was again startled to realize someone was there. She wasn’t scary, just unexpected.

12. Haunted Museum Water

I don’t think the water actually comes from the museum, but I liked the fact the museum sold it’s own water. For one thing, I was thirsty. For another, I wanted a little souvenir, but nothing really struck my fancy in their store.

They did have Zak’s newest book for sale, Ghost-Hunting For Dummies, a few of which were even signed copies.

If we had other places to jaunt to that day and had headed back to our hotel room beforehand, I might have bought a copy. However, we weren’t and I didn’t want to schlep a book all around.

However, I was thirsty. It was a $3 bottle of water, but if I fill it with something it becomes a fun keepsake, right?

13. Something for All

I have seen the articles about Zak’s acquisitions of macabre artifacts, but until I visited his museum I didn’t have an appreciation for (a) how extensive that collection has become and (b) how varied it is.

Truly, he’s got all the bases covered. Whether you’re into paranormal, horror, Halloween, or true crime, he’s got at least one room dedicated to it. We’re talking everything from his haunted doll collection to Ghostbusters movie memorabilia to Dr. Kevorkian’s death van and Charles Manson’s bone fragments.

P.S.

Also be sure to have a dollar bill on you. You may be able to use it in the Zak Bagans’ fortune telling machine that’s in the Oddities Parlor.

Visit

Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum is located at 600 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV

Boo-K It!

Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum General Admission
from: Viator