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| Photograph © Polk County Board of County Commissioners |
Address:
100 East Main Street
Bartow, Florida 33830
(863) 534-4386
As the radiant sunlight bathes the exterior of this majestic museum, one would be utterly oblivious to the haunting tales that shroud its history. Little would you fathom the eerie incidents that have unfolded within its walls. A paradox of appearance and reality, for looks can indeed be deceiving.
Nestled on the very ground where an ancient courthouse stood in 1883, the museum's origin tells a haunting tale. In 1886, the notorious Marshall Silas Campbell met his demise just outside the courthouse, a victim of a gruesome act. The accused Mann brothers never saw the halls of justice; a ferocious lynch mob claimed them, dragging their lifeless bodies to the old courthouse, displaying their twisted notion of justice to the town's inhabitants. Adding to the macabre history, a devastating explosion in the basement boiler room claimed the life of an unfortunate employee.
The passage of time ushered in a new courthouse, now the renowned Polk County Historical Museum. Yet, the specters of the past refused to be banished, as the museum became a canvas for paranormal activities.
Descend into the basement, accessible only via the elevator, and the air is thick with the echoes of blood-curdling screams, reminiscent of someone in agonizing pain. Investigations reveal an empty space, suggesting the relentless replaying of the boiler room worker's tragic demise.
On the first floor, within the criminal courtroom, unexplained cold spots chill those who enter. A chamber that once saw the passage of numerous criminals leaves an indistinct impression of spirits that linger.
Journey into the Native American display room, where visitors navigate through mysterious cold spots and witness lights flickering on and off autonomously.
The third floor unfolds a spectral narrative, with sightings of a full-bodied female apparition adorned in a white, antique dress. Her identity remains elusive, leaving an enigmatic presence confined to this floor.
The Rotunda area hosts an air of melancholy, accompanied by inexplicable cold spots. Two apparitions, believed to be the lynched Mann brothers, roam, casting shadows on the chilling history of the museum.
Thus, within the seemingly benign facade of the Polk County Historical Museum, an intricate tapestry of the paranormal weaves through its halls, each corner holding the echoes of a bygone era's unsettling tales.