You know that saying, “Ask and you shall receive?” It’s worked yet again. After visiting Zak Bagans Haunted Museum in December 2019, I had one question: Is there, or is there not, a doll on the Demon House stairs?
Well, someone finally responded. Not from the museum. A fellow restless spirit who had also noticed a doll on the stairs during her visit. I’ll get to her email after I quickly recap the experience that led me to question whether or not I had seen a doll or not.
Did that doll move?
When we got to the part of the museum where the stairs from the Demon House are revealed, I noticed a creepy doll on the steps.
Or did I?
I’m positive I saw one on the first set of steps coming down from the re-creation of the main floor. At the juncture where the stairs turn to continue down into the basement and dirt below.
Not only that, I was pretty sure I saw it move. I stared at it closely to see if it was animatronic…but as I watched, it never moved again before the walls rose, closing off the scene until it revealed itself to the next tour group coming through.
Had anyone else seen it move?
This is where the trouble started.
I asked a friend who had visited only a month or so before I had. She didn’t recall seeing a doll at all. Nor did another friend who had also gone there. And when I had asked my husband about it, he was all, “Doll? What doll? I don’t remember seeing any doll.”
Crap.
Well, thank goodness for the blog. If I asked, maybe I’d get an answer that way. It took a while, but wouldn’t you know? It worked! Someone else had a boggling experience with a doll on the stairs, Googled it to search for answers, saw my post, and sent an email about their experience!
Demon House Stairs Doll Email
Mia D. wrote:
Hi Courtney,
I just wanted to reach out and share my experience and also thank you for sharing your experience with the doll on the stairs. Although I was with a friend she didn’t see what I saw and you sharing helped me feel not nuts!!!
My friend and I were the last 2 left in the room and I saw the “butt” of what I thought was a doll near the lower midline of the top set of stairs. I looked at it several times before I moved on to examine the other items in the room. I was sure it was a doll lodged or set on the stair but it only looked like the lower half and it was facing away from the window where we viewed it. I went to the other window and looked at the items and when I came back around to the first window I looked right toward where the doll was sitting and it was now staring at me face to face. I left the room quickly and told my friend what happened and she said “I didn’t even see a doll at all”. Strange.
Mia
I immediately replied to thank her for taking the time to reach out. We had helped each other!
I also asked if the friend had felt compelled to backtrack to see if she could see the doll. However, I’d temporarily forgotten how it works at the museum. You’re guided through each room. Once you’re done, you’re done and move on. Mia’s reply reminded me about that. This is what she wrote back:
Just talked to my friend and her account is different than what I remember. Guess I was a little shook. If you don’t mind I can share your email address with her so she can share her experience with you; she did see the doll as well.
I think we both felt compelled to go back but were being ushered along by the tour guides. I know she wanted to go back not sure if it was because of the doll. I wanted to go back to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I remember goosebumps across my face and arms as I exited the room.
I’m with Mia. I wanted to see more of the doll to watch to see if it moved or not.
But at least we know there is a doll and someone else not only saw it, but also noticed it move too.
I’m hoping Mia’s friend writes with her side of the story. If she does, and if she’s okay with it, I’ll be sure to share that too.
Check-In
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you saw something but weren’t sure and didn’t have any other eyewitnesses to compare notes with? (And it was driving you crazy?!)
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I have seen something move but didn’t have any witnesses. I was in an antique store, a warehouse kind of place, and items were set out on long tables. I started up the narrow aisle between two of the tables, and a gentleman was heading toward me. He was elderly, so I backed out to let him through. As I backed out, I turned toward the corner where there were canes and walkers (medical style), and I thought, “Those are not for you.” One of the canes rolled across the floor in an arc toward me and then away from me. I turned to the elderly gentleman and said, “Did you see that?!” But I was all alone.
I laid the cane this way and that and jumped up and down trying to make it move again (haha, I’m sure I looked like an idiot), but I couldn’t get it to move again.
WHOA!!!!!!!!!!! That is a CRAZY experience! But I love that you had the presence of mind to try and recreate it. Do you think the older man was a ghost? Or was he real? What a great account!!! Even though I’m sorry it’s also one where there were no eyewitnesses. Not so much to validate it but because I’m sure you would’ve liked to have someone else have experienced it too to relate with!
Yeah, I think he was a ghost (or else I had a very vivid imagination that day). Since it was a warehouse type setting, I could see all the way to the door with no obstructions. He was old and stooped and shuffling (and wearing a plaid shirt, not that it matters). I just can’t picture him able to run to the door in the time I had my back turned away from him. Hey, maybe it was his cane!
Oh….I wonder if it WAS his cane???!!! OMG!!! This account keeps getting better!!!
Hi Courtney! Omg I was wondering if there was a blog for this and there is! I went a couple months ago and there was no doll on the stairs. This past weekend I went and the doll was sitting on the stairs when the doors dropped down. It was already staring at us when it dropped down. As everyone was exiting the room, I looked back at the doll, it turned its head sideways. I asked if anyone saw that and they said they didn’t. I also experienced the same situation the first time I went with a doll in the first room in the closet. I honestly thought I was going crazy and just wanted to see something but I’m 100 percent I saw both those dolls move. It didn’t look like that doll was hooked up to anything and the movement was way too natural to be an animatronic in my opinion. Looking at all the animatronic puppets in the museum, that movement was way too fast for a robotic move. I feel that certain items attach themselves to people who are empathetic and open minded. I’ve seen a lot since I was a kid and I start to feel the energy drain me. The doll on the stairs gave me the chills, I definitely felt a demonic presence in that doll and had to get out quickly.
Hi Shana!!!
ACK!!!!!!!! OMG I’m So glad you found this and shared your doll on the demon stairs experiences. Say what?! I would’ve gotten out of their pronto too after experiencing what you did. THANK YOU for taking the time to share!!!!