• 138 old jail museum jim thorpe

Jim Thorpe & The Old Jail Museum

& THE MAHONING INN

Click each picture to enlarge to look for paranormal activity.

THE OLD JAIL MUSEUM

RESIZE THIS

THE MOLLY MAGQUIRES

In the latter part of the 19th century, a grave crime was committed in the US. 20 Irishmen were put to death in one of the most heinous executions by the federal government the country had ever witnessed. These men formed a labor movement called the Molly Maguires and worked in Pennsylvania coal mines. 

Historian Harold Aurand wrote that the incident was a shocking relinquishment of American sovereignty. A corporation assumed the role of investigator via a private detective agency. Those accused were arrested by a company-run police force and prosecuted by attorneys employed by the same coal company. The state’s sole contribution was the provision of a courtroom and a hangman.

Back then, the pay was paltry, and the environment posed a severe risk to the lives of the coal miners. Hundreds were killed or severely injured annually. The most notorious event occurred on September 6, 1869, at the Avondale Mine in Luzerne County. Tragically, 110 coal miners perished in a fire that could have been prevented had the company provided an additional emergency exit. The families of the deceased blamed the coal firm for its lack of foresight.

HANGING OF THE MAGUIRES

In June of 1877, four of the Maguires were hanged simultaneously at the jail on unique gallows that were made for the event. Three more Maguire’s were executed in 1878 and 1898.

The men who were set to hang swore their innocence, and historians affirm many of the condemned were wrongly accused. Before his noose was thrown, one man touched his fingers to the floor in his cell, then carefully laid them on the wall – firmly imprinting a lasting mark of his innocence. Even though previous wardens tried to destroy it by cleaning it and covering it with paint or demolishing part of the wall and repairing it, that handprint still stands today as a testament to its history. Initially believed to be Alexander Campbell’s mark, modern evidence suggests it belonged to Thomas Fisher.

DO THE MAGUIRES ROAM THE HALLS IN THE AFTERLIFE?

At the Old Jail Museum, you will be seated in the living room to watch a video presentation between 10 and 16 minutes that tells the story. A guide will then escort your group into the dungeon & cell block.  There are informational signboards on the walls; you may enter any opened cell.

Photos may be taken of everything EXCEPT the HANDPRINT.  On your own, you may also see the visitor’s room kitchen, & go upstairs to see the warden’s quarters & women’s cells. Before you leave, be sure to have a photo taken “behind the bars,” located between the kitchen and gift shop.

Before you leave, in the kitchen, there is a map for you to put a pin in to show us where you are from & please sign our guest book to let us know how you enjoyed your time in jail.

You can take pictures during the tour to find evidence of apparitions in your images.  The owner was kind enough to allow us in places not usually accessed by the public. We knew we were not alone.

In the women’s jail cell, we felt extreme anger! An entity was infuriated. It could be old energy of something horrific happening to women in the cell. We sensed there was a woman who was having an affair with someone in charge of the jail. The owners were unaware of such a story, but years of history are unknown to them.

MAHONING INN

Stay in a clean, quiet 34-room motel at the Mahoning Inn, just five minutes from downtown Jim Thorpe. Enjoy newly furnished Serta beds, draperies, alarm clocks, 32″ flat screen TVs, DVD players, microwaves, irons with ironing boards, and hairdryers in each room.

THE MAHONIN INN DETAILS

For those who arrive with friends and family, request adjoining rooms so you can keep close during your travels. And remember to ask about their extraordinary ski packages when visiting the Blue Mountain Ski Resort nearby. You can ensure your safety is the highest priority – you can read the article on honesty featured in the lobby. A customer left behind a large amount of cash in the room, and the hotel staff returned the money to the customer.

We met the owner, whose attention to detail ensures that each guest has a great experience during their visit. He works countless hours to ensure that his visitors have a magnificent stay at his motel.

FAMOUS PEOPLE HAVE STAYED HERE.

Rich Rossi and Vinnie Vella have stayed here. Richard Rossi is a multi-talented American, well-known for his work as a filmmaker, actor, writer, talk radio host, and musician. He was formerly a minister in the evangelical church. 

Vinnie Vella was a prominent actor, talk show host, and comedian who impacted American culture. He had an impressive filmography of more than forty roles, mostly portraying characters in the gangster genre. He is best remembered for performing as Artie Piscano in Martin Scorsese’s Casino and Jimmy Petrille in the classic HBO series The Sopranos.

So book your stay today and experience all the comforts of home in one of Pennsylvania’s most excellent motels!

Click Here for a printable map and driving directions

DIRECTIONS TO MAHONING INN

Included for you below the booking link and website information. 

ghost hunting information
Enter if you dare, ghost hunting

OLD JAIL MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHY INFORMATION

Jim Thorpe and the Old Jail Museum has an abundance of photography opportunities. Plan to spend many hours here. Bring your tripod, circular polarizing filters, and your wide-angle lens. There aren’t any moving waters here. It’s just a plethora of colorful subject matter. There is no wildlife here either.

GHOST HUNTING CAMERA GEAR AND SETTINGS

Although this is a daytime shoot, we supply you with the Ghost Hunting Information because this is a ghost-hunting town. You can find information on regular daytime photography shooting throughout the magazine. Beginners can start here.

OLD JAIL MUSEUM AND JIM THORPE PHOTOGRAPHY

When to Go: Any time is sufficient, but fall foliage weeks are really good. Keep in mind it is the busy season and the parking is limited so there may be a lot of walking.

Cameras: A basic DSLR Can be used for night photography but cannot see in absolute darkness for ghost hunting in this haunted town. You must bring a light source of some kind for focusing and lighting.  Daytime photography here is great too. Bring your wide-angle lens.

Full Spectrum Digital Camera: – This camera takes quality Full Spectrum photos and video for ghost hunting. They have been professionally modified to accept deeper Ultraviolet (UV) and Infrared (IR) light to allow pictures deep into the usually unseen light spectrum. It features an easy-to-use interface that makes your job easier and effectively captures evidence.

As with all cameras, this is best used with an external light source such as UV, IR, or Full Spectrum (white) light.

Infrared (IR) Digital Camera: – Takes quality IR photos and video with the convenience and ease of a compact digital camera

Ghost Hunting Camera Settings: For basic DSLR photography, our goal is capturing activity, not super high-quality images in general, so that we will do a few things a little out of the ordinary. Set your ISO as high as you can for very dark locations. You cannot shoot a DSLR in total darkness. You will need some light sources, such as a flashlight, church lights, or a full moon. Use your tripod and set your camera to manual mode. Set your ISO very high, depending on how much light you have. You can go much higher on your higher-end cameras, but the higher you go, the more grain you will get. Again, it’s not always about avoiding grain or digital noise here. Set your aperture to the lowest f-number; then scroll your shutter speed until the meter reads center zero. Now you are set. It would help if you were about several seconds on your shutter speed. You can light things up with a flashlight if you do not have enough light.

EMF Meters: Measure fluctuations in electromagnet fields (or EM fields). These fields directly result from electrical appliances in a home, cell phones, power lines outside, and even solar activity and weather fluctuations. Beyond that, a primary theory in the paranormal world is that entities can manipulate these fields in their attempt to manifest themselves or interact with our world. When your meter goes off, do a long exposure on your tripod.

THIS IS ALSO DARK SKY MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY TERRITORY!

HOW TO SHOOT GHOSTHUNTING PHOTOGRAPHY


WHEN TO GO:

Anytime is fine, but traditionally the best results have been documented after 9 p.m. To save money, buy a regular light, a red silk flower, and a gorilla tape the flower over the light. Voila, a red light.

WHAT TO BRING:

Bring your tripod, infrared filter, infrared illuminating light, and shutter release. Bring your driver’s license just in case the police question you. Be prepared for that. Be sure there aren’t any NO TRESPASSING signs where you are. See the list below for more gear for your ghost-hunting photography adventures.

 

CAMERAS

A DSLR CAMERA:

It can be used for Ghost Hunting Photography but cannot completely see in the dark. You can use a red light to illuminate the area or bring a flashlight for focusing, and you can quickly obtain apparitions in your photos if you can stand the insidious invasion of the paranormal.

FULL SPECTRUM DIGITAL CAMERA:

Takes quality Full Spectrum photos and video. They have been professionally modified to accept deeper Ultraviolet (UV) light spectrum light to allow photos deep into the usually unseen spectrum of light. Best used with an external infrared light source.

INFRARED(IR) DIGITAL CAMEA:

Takes quality IR photos and video with the convenience and ease of a compact digital camera with a built-in infrared light source.

DSLR CAMERA LENS: 

This is a wide-angle lens event, but you ideally need a lens with an open aperture, such as 2.8 or below. The higher-end cameras will allow you to go to a very high ISO with less noise, so they are ideal. If you don’t have a high camera, any camera will do. After all, we are not going for super high-quality images here. We are going for a lot of paranormal activity that we can document. As long as we get evidence, it doesn’t always have to look pretty. Some of our lower-end camera images above are grain-filled, but we got what we were after.

GHOST HUNTING CAMERA SETTINGS

For basic DSLR Photography, our goal is to capture activity, not necessarily, consistently super high quality, so that we will do a few things a little out of the ordinary.

  1. You must use a tripod when shooting in a dark area.
  2. Set your camera to manual mode.
  3. Put your camera on the 2-second timer, or use a cable release.
  4. Set your ISO very high for very dark locations (example: 6400). The higher the number, the more light goes into the camera. You cannot shoot a DSLR in total darkness without some light source, such as a church light, a full moon, or red light in the back of a room. Again, it’s not always about avoiding grain or digital noise here. ISO 100 for outdoors in graveyards with decent light.
  5. Set your aperture to the lowest it will go. (ex. 2.8) to let more light in. If you need some depth of field, set the gap a little higher. You cannot go much higher in the darkness since the higher the number; the less light will come into the camera. Scroll your shutter speed until the meter reads center zero. You can take some test shots and adjust from there.
  6. Set your shutter speed to about 5 seconds to start. You will again adjust according to how much light you have available.

EMF METERS:

Measure fluctuations in electromagnet fields (or EM fields). These fields directly result from electrical appliances in a home, cell phones, power lines outside, and even solar activity and weather fluctuations. Beyond that, a primary theory in the paranormal world is that entities can manipulate these fields in their attempt to manifest themselves or interact with our world. When your meter goes off, do a long exposure on your tripod.

FOCUSING IN THE DARK:

Now you are set. If you do not have enough light or your camera will not focus, take a flashlight and light up a single subject in the picture. (Don’t blast light all over; you will disturb who it is you are there to find.) Put the focus point where the camera will focus on the area you have lit up. When you see the camera has obtained focus and the two-second timer starts, turn your flashlight off quickly before the exposure begins. The camera will now take the shot. Set your camera to manual focus without touching the focus ring. Take several pictures without moving your camera. You will have to refocus the same way every time you do different shots.

Another way to focus on darker areas is to turn on the live view. Hit your zoom button and zoom in on something lit. Expose your image. When you zoom in, the camera can see it better to grab focus. This only works if you have enough light.

No matter what just enjoy yourself!!

GHOST HUNTING TERMS

  • Apparition – A ghost or ghostlike image of a person.
  • Automatism – an action performed unconsciously or involuntarily caused by spirits.
  • Banshee – A female spirit whose wailing warns of impending death in a house.
  • Collective Apparition – A rare type of sighting in which more than one person sees the same apparition or phenomena.
  • Digital and analog audio recording – Capturing any unexplained noises and electronic voice phenomena (EVPs).
  • Direct Voice Phenomenon (DVP) –  Voices spoke to the Medium at a séance.
  • Earthbound – A term referring to a ghost or spirit attached to the earth that cannot leave this dimension.
  • Ectoplasm  a supernatural viscous substance. It is supposed to exude from the body of a medium during a trance.
  • EMF Meters – Measures the fluctuations in electromagnet fields (or EM fields). These fields directly result from electrical appliances, cell phones, power lines outside, and possible changes in solar activity and weather. Most noteworthy, a theory in the paranormal world is that entities can transform these fields to manifest themselves and events to contact this world.
  • Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) – Voices and sounds from beyond are recorded.
  • Ghost – A generic term referring to a form of an apparition, which is typically the visual appearance of a deceased human’s soul.
  • Ghost Hunting – A research project in which various methods and equipment are used to investigate reports of ghosts.
  • Ghoul – A Demonic or parasitic entity that eats human remains.
  • Orb – The term orb describes unexpected, typically circular artifacts in photography—sometimes with trails indicating motion.
  • Paranormal – Refers to something beyond the range of everyday human experience or scientific explanation.
  • Phantom – It is seen, heard, or sensed but has no physical reality (See Ghost).
  • Paranormal Vortex:  A vortex in everyday life is a whirling mass of either air or water. Some believe a paranormal vortex is a space where apparitions can travel between our world and theirs on the other side.
  • Radio Voice Phenomenon (RVP) – Receiving the voice of a spirit through a regular radio.
  • Reciprocal Apparition – A scarce phenomenon where humans communicate directly with spirits back and forth.
  • Retrocognition – An experience where people find themselves in the past and can see events they know nothing about.
  • Shaman – A person who acts as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds. They practice healing and divination and are believed to have control over natural events.
  • Spiritual Vortex: – These metaphysical dimensions are said to be areas of energy that enhance psychic abilities and can heal the spirit.
  • Spiritualism – The belief system is that the dead can communicate with the living through a medium.
  • Vortex – An anomaly that appears in photographs. These images are sometimes thought to represent ghosts, collections of orbs, or gateways that travel to a wormhole in time-space.
area information - photography

OLD JAIL MUSEUM

Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania

128 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA

(570) 325-5259

OldJailJT@gmail.com

The best hotels while doing photography

WHERE TO STAY


Mahoning Inn

•  Quiet  •  Cozy  •  Clean  

We found the hotel a spotless and quiet place to stay. The staff were amiable and professional. Breakfast is served in the large lobby, where you find the front desk.

Please take a look above for more details.

Mahoning Inn
71 Blakeslee Blvd. East, Lehighton, PA 18235
Phone: 610-377-1600 Fax: 610-379-0194
Email: mahoninginn@yahoo.com

Historic Jim Thorpe, 4 miles
Visit Jim Thorpe

Blue Mountain Ski Area, 15 miles
Visit Blue Mountain Country Junction “World’s Largest General Store”, 6 miles
Visit Country Junction

Skirmish Paintball in the Poconos, 10 miles
Visit Skirmish

WEATHER

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