The New England Grimpendium: John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal

For the next month, I’ll be posting photo essays on locations, attractions, and artifacts elaborated on in my new book, The New England Grimpendium (available now) to celebrate its debut...and to convince you that it’s worth buying, I guess. That was directed at you, Mom.

September 12, 2010 — Hey…so I’ve got a new definition of the word awkward: Visiting the private collection of a paranormal investigator when you don’t believe in the paranormal. Ha. Just kidding. It was actually a good time with a laid-back host and lots of interesting stuff to look at. John Zaffis is best known for his involvement in the “Haunting in Connecticut” case, but he’s amassed enough of a collection of paranormal and "at-one-time possessed" items over the years that he had to build a new building behind his house to display it all. He was gracious enough to allow me to come in and document it a bit for the book, despite my misgivings about the paranormal—or, more accurately, current prevailing ideas about the paranormal. Statements like that make me sound like a jerk. Here’s some spooky stuff:

It wouldn't be a paranormal museum without a Ouija board. It's only a game...isn't it?

This statue of Mary was from the "Haunting in Connecticut" case. 

According to Zaffis, the hands melted off during the exorcism.

 Some of the media coverage of Zaffis' exploits.

 Winnie the Pooh, Gizmo the Gremlin, and the Tazmanian Devil. Nothing is sacred to demons.

Your belief about the paranormal is irrelevant when it comes to clown dolls. 

Spooky. Period.

Read all about my visit to the John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal in The New England Grimpendium, which is on sale now.