The Ypsilanti Museum Attic

If the Ypsilanti Museum is "the city's attic," what is the Museum's own attic?

Unsettling.

"I was going up here the other day," Archives helper J. told me as we rested, winded, on the third floor before ascending to the attic. "I got up there, and I could have sworn I heard something. I said, 'Hello?'" And I swear, clear as day, I heard a voice from the corner say, "Hello."

J. related this story just as my foot had touched the first step of the stairway leading up to the attic. My foot froze on the stair. Just the previous week a team of ghosthunters had combed the Museum with electronica and flashlights. They'd got a recording that two Archives helpers verified they'd later heard on tape--the voice of a man saying "Help me."

One helper emailed me later to say,

Yes, the one group did record something that sounds like a male voice saying "Help me." We do not know who it could be, but a Robert Burns died in the house, January 12, 1921. the most activity occurred when his name was used. I did feel two cold spots during the investigation, one in the second floor dress room, and the other at the table in the archives room. Whatever it was seemed to feel more comfortable near me than with the others. The presence seemed more male than female. We may have more than one ghost in the house. When two of the investigators walked through the kitchen their k-2 device lit up. They asked if the ghost wanted to talk to them, once for no and twice for yes. The device lit up once. So they left.

I had to stop in at the archives the next day, or I might never have been able to enter the building again.