Ever thought of exploring a haunted museum? Well, if you love scary stories and all things horror, this museum feels straight out of a horror movie. The Warren Occult Museum, once run by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, was filled with objects they believed were haunted or cursed. The museum was located in the small town of Monroe and visitors could see the infamous Annabelle doll, eerie relics, and unusual collections gathered from decades of ghostly cases. Each piece carried its own strange story. Though the museum closed in 2019, its chilling collection still captures the world’s curiosity. So in this blog, we’ll explore the museum’s most famous items and the spooky legends behind them.
Origins of the Warren Occult Museum
The story of the Warren Occult Museum begins in 1952, when Ed Warren, a self-taught demonologist, and Lorraine Warren, a clairvoyant and medium, started investigating paranormal and unexplained events. That same year, they founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), which went on to become one of the oldest ghost-hunting organizations in the United States.
Over the years, the Warrens were called to investigate thousands of paranormal cases like haunted houses, cursed objects and demonic possessions. Every time they came across an item they believed carried negative or dangerous energy, they removed it from the location to prevent harm. Instead of destroying these objects, the Warrens decided to store them in a safe place. This is how the idea for the Warren Occult Museum was born. The museum was located in the basement of their family home in Monroe, Connecticut. It became a secure storage space for the haunted artifacts they collected during their cases. To ensure safety, many of these objects were locked in glass cases, blessed regularly, and even surrounded by religious symbols.
For decades, the Warren Occult Museum was not just a storage room but it also became a place where horror buffs or curious visitors could see the objects connected to some of the most famous paranormal investigations in history, including the Annabelle doll and items from the Amityville case.
The Haunted Collection at the Warren Occult Museum
The layout of the Warren Occult Museum was unlike any ordinary museum. Items were not simply displayed; they were contained. The vibe of the museum felt like stepping directly into a real-life horror story and each dangerous artifact was locked in its own case, often with crucifixes, holy water, and prayer cards placed nearby. The Warrens said these measures were essential to stop whatever energy remained from escaping.
The first and most famous thing that caught most eyes was Annabelle, a doll sitting inside a glass and wooden case. You would see a crucifix hung above her, rosary beads draped across the door, and a sign warned in bold letters: ‘WARNING. POSITIVELY DO NOT OPEN.’ The Warrens claimed Annabelle was possessed by a demonic spirit and had been involved in attacks, accidents, and even deaths, because of this, priests blessed her case regularly and visitors were told never to touch the glass or mock the doll. The doll was also quite famous because of the popular movie based on it as well, attracting many curious horror movie buffs from across the globe.
Moreover, close to Annabelle rested the Pearls of Death, a necklace said to strangle or bring terrible luck to anyone who wore it and another eerie object not far from it was the self-playing piano, which reportedly played music by itself in an empty room until a priest blessed it.
Additionally, in one corner of the Warren Occult Museum, a toy dinosaur stood behind glass linked to the infamous ‘Devil Made Me Do It’ case, where witnesses claimed it had moved on its own, floated in the air, and even spoken threatening words. Beside it was the Shadow Doll, one of the most disturbing items in the collection. It had bird feathers for decoration, a stitched cloth body, and an actual human tooth. The Warrens believed that if someone received a picture of the doll, it could enter their dreams and cause them to die in their sleep.
Other objects in the Warren Occult Museum were just as unsettling. A satanic idol found deep in the woods was believed to have been used in dark rituals. A row of shrunken heads sat on one shelf, their origins unknown. Several human skulls and Ouija boards were stored away, collected from cases where séances had gone terribly wrong. There was also a replica of the Necronomicon, often called the ‘Book of the Dead,’ which was kept locked and surrounded by religious items for safety.
Why Did the Museum Close?
The museum closed its doors to the public in 2019 after decades of attracting visitors from around the world. The closure happened mainly due to zoning law violations as the museum, located in the basement of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home in Monroe, was in a residential neighborhood. Over the years, the number of visitors increased, causing traffic and parking problems which caused the local residents to complain and town officials eventually decided the museum could no longer operate in that location.
Another factor was safety. The Warren Occult Museum housed hundreds of haunted and cursed items and although the Warrens had always claimed the items were contained and blessed, officials were concerned about the number of people entering a small, private space filled with potentially dangerous objects.
After Ed Warren’s death in 2006 and Lorraine’s in 2019, the responsibility of the Warren Occult Museum passed to their son-in-law, Tony Spera. He wanted to keep the collection intact, but legal restrictions made it impossible to reopen at the original site. The museum’s closure disappointed many paranormal enthusiasts who considered it one of the most unique collections in the world. Today, the Warren Occult Museum remains closed to the public and its unique and eerie artifacts kept in secure storage.
Conclusion
Though the Ed and Lorraine Warren Museum no longer welcomes visitors, its legacy lives on in chilling stories and unforgettable artifacts. It remains a symbol of the Warrens’ work, preserving mysteries that still intrigue believers and skeptics alike.
