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Manifestations at the Museum Club in Flagstaff AZ
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The Museum Club was built in 1931 by Dean Eldredge. Eldredge was an avid hunter and collector. He sought after a unique place to exhibit his hunting trophies and vast collection of rifles and Indian artifacts. People traveled from miles around to see his collection of strange oddities of nature for a mere 25 cents fee. The building later became a store, trading post and taxidermy shop. Eldredge showcased his own trophies and was able to create displays for his customers. 
The building was sold in 1936, after prohibition, to a Flagstaff saddle maker named Doc Williams. He turned the Museum Club into a popular off the wall night club—or roadhouse as they called them. It was promoted as the largest log cabin in Arizona and the Museum Club packed in throngs of people from everywhere. It was built around five large ponderosa pines that appeared to be growing out of the center of the dance floor. You entered the door to the club beneath an inverted trunk of one of the native pine trees. There was a mahogany bar from the 1880’s in the NW corner of the room. Folks were mesmerized by the more than 85 mounted animals on display from the former taxidermy shop. Soon the locals nicknamed the place “The Zoo”.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s the roadhouse was owned by Don and Thorna Scott. According to local legends, the couple both suffered tragic and untimely deaths. The Scott’s lived upstairs above the establishment. On 1973 Thorna was near the top the stairs and fell. She lapsed into a coma and never recovered. Don became very despondent at the loss of his dear wife. He later took his own life by shooting himself with a rifle in front of the fireplace. 
The current owners feel the Scott’s loved the Museum Club so much that their spirit’s frequently come to visit. They seem to mingle with the patrons and the taxidermy animals when the Zoo is busy and music is playing. The staff of the Museum Club report they hear footsteps and creaks occurring in the upstairs apartment. A man who lived temporary in the upstairs apartment told the staff of being pinned to the ground by an unseen force. A woman’s voice told him “You only need to fear the living”—a rule we ghost hunters often live by.
Thorna has appeared looking down into the roadhouse from the back stairway and various locations of the bar and restaurant. A customer complained at the front bar about a female bartender at the back bar who ignored him and would not wait on him. The man was surprised when the front bar bartender served him a drink and informed him there was no one on duty at the back bar.
Other guests have seen Thorna enjoying the music while sitting alone at a table in a dark corner booth. Gentlemen have stopped at the bar to order her a drink. Returning to the table with drinks in hand, they find the lady has vanished into thin air.
The bartenders have come into work to find the shelves behind the bar in disarray. Beer bottles are switched around, drink mixes are at the wrong end, and several liquor bottles are found knocked over. They say bottles will clink as if someone ran their hand over the tops of the bottles as they walked by. One day shift manager was relaxing as she sat at the bar doing her paperwork. She glanced up to see a lady gliding across the dance floor and disappear into the storage room. The restaurant was closed, so grabbing another co worker they checked the store room only to find it vacant. 
Many times employees have seen the rocker in front of the fireplace slowly rocking as if someone was seated in the chair. One of them had returned after closing to pick up a forgotten item. They saw the chair gently rocking in the dark near the hearth. The sight of the unoccupied moving chair scared them so much, they grabbed their forgotten item and ran out of the building as fast as they could.
Many guests come to the club and get photos and video with ghost like images appearing in their photos. They see fuzzy images of people, but cannot make out the faces. I was in Flagstaff on business and asked some fellow co workers to join me for dinner at the Museum Club. Not wanting to dine alone in their rooms or partake in another night of fast food, they took me up on the invitation. We found a table near the back bar area just incase the phantom lady bartender was on duty. We ordered dinner and I wandered about the restaurant snapping pictures in the active paranormal areas.
“The fires have been lit in the hearth of the fireplace when no one is around,” I announced to my friends and snapped another photo. As the fireplace is a wood burning device, hot ambers could easily re ignite the wood into a warm fire again. My friends immediately took two steps backwards just as a precaution.
People driving near the club on old Route 66 glance over and notice the lights going on and off after closing hours. With all the history of the Museum Club and the Mother Road it rests on, it is no wonder the former roadhouse still holds the energies of its previous owners. Their spirits welcome the bygone musicians and patrons who return each Saturday night for another evening of drinking and dancing. We, the living, are invited to join in on the fun. 
3404 E Route 66
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
928-526-9434
For more info: www.mvdghostchasers.com
Debe Branning nazanaza@aol.com
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