By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Berlin’s new ghost museum welcomes residents and visitors to explore the Eastern Shore town’s supernatural history, featuring spooky artifacts, haunted stories, and paranormal accounts.

The Town of Berlin Main Street and Arts and Entertainment District announced in February that a new exhibit, the Ghost Museum, would be coming to town this summer. That time has officially arrived, as the latest business, located on the upper level of Pitt Street Treasures, opened its doors last week. The facility will operate daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The museum’s entrance fee is $11 at the door. For information about the exhibit, email info@ghostmuseums.com.

Per the facility’s website, the Ghost Museum aims to “educate and entertain.”

“Our collection showcases artifacts, stories, and historical accounts of ghost sightings and paranormal phenomena,” their webpage reads. “We believe in preserving the rich tapestry of ghostly history while encouraging visitors to explore their beliefs about the afterlife.”

According to Alyssa Maloof, the Ghost Museum’s owner, the space includes exhibits that encapsulate Berlin’s haunted history, like photographs, materials that potentially prove the existence of ghosts, and art installation pieces that “give the eerie ghost vibe.”

“It’s a really unique experience and space that’s different from anything around the area,” said Maloof, who also operates the town’s Mermaid Museum on Jefferson Street.

The owner noted that the ghostly facility’s artifacts and pieces were sourced through donations, help from her friends and community members, and eBay.

The museum officially opened on June 20. Ivy Wells, Berlin’s economic and community development director, said the response to its founding has been “incredible.”

“It’s such a unique idea and a fun way to spend the day. It’s just another thing that makes Berlin even better,” she said.

Berlin’s paranormal background has been a topic of interest for some time. The Ghost Museum will add another way for residents and tourists to explore the town’s spooky past.

Chesapeake Ghost Tours, for instance, a haunted walking excursion, features the town as one of its Maryland Eastern Shore spine-chilling attractions. The ghost tour company allows participants to take a guided tour, led by storytellers, as they explain some of Berlin’s most frightening tales.

Chesapeake Ghost Tours also offers an Ocean City Ghost Walk, a St. Michaels Ghost Walk, a Cambridge Ghost Walk, a Salisbury Ghost Walk, a Snow Hill Ghost Walk, a Pocomoke Ghost Walk, and a Denton Ghost Walk. Still, their website notes that Berlin’s tour “has the strangest energy out of all our Eastern Shore ghost walks.”

The tour features legends like the “healing tree,” a notable plant on the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum’s property. The story goes that the tree radiates heat, healing energy, and vibration.

An elemental, or a non-human spirit, is also a highlight on the Berlin tour, as accounts of apparition sightings have been recorded at the Adkins Company on Harrison Avenue.

The company’s website notes that the walk includes stories of a child who haunts the iconic Atlantic Hotel, the Lady in White standing by the Calvin B. Taylor Bank on Main and Commerce Streets, and the tragic tale of the Carey family, who lost four children during the Civil War.

Berlin’s Chesapeake Ghost Tour, which lasts about an hour and 45 minutes, can be booked at https://chesapeakeghosts.com/. The guided walk costs $25 for adults 13 and older and $20 for children eight to 12. Those under eight can attend at no cost.

The Ghost Museum will now be another attraction for paranormal enthusiasts who want to explore some of the town’s scariest legends through artifacts, photographs, stories, art pieces, and more.

“We have ghost tours every week,” Wells said. “We are a haunted town, so [the new ghost museum] just adds to the allure of Downtown Berlin. It’s really cool.”

Maloof is no stranger to the ghostly world. Last August, the Pasadena, Maryland-based Dead of Night Paranormal Investigators probed her other exhibit, the Mermaid Museum. The team visited the space, and their focus was less on the mermaids and more on the possibility of otherworldly visitors.

Investigator Olen Price contacted Maloof in May of 2024 after a trip to Berlin with his wife. While walking downtown, Price took notice of the Mermaid Museum, particularly its haunted vibe. Maloof’s new business will now feature proof of the town’s ghostly accounts.

The Ghost Museum’s home is on the upper level of the Pitt Street Treasurers. Maloofsaid the top of the facility had been vacant for a decade before her new business moved in.

“The space had been empty for over 10 years, so it was nice to be able to utilize that unique space in a creative way,” she said.

The Ghost Museum is open seven days a week. Its founder hopes to attract visitors interested in the metaphysical realm who want to discover more of Berlin’s unique history.

“The Ghost Museum was inspired by the fascination with the paranormal,” the facility’s website reads. “We are passionate about ghost stories and folklore. We set out to create a space where visitors could engage with the supernatural in a respectful and enlightening way.”