Oct 30, 2006 9:34 pm US/Central
Ghost Hunt At Dallas Hard Rock Cafe
by Joel Thomas
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas occupies what was a church, built at the turn of the 20th century. It is now a shrine to rock 'n roll and perhaps home to a few ghosts.
Take the party room for instance. It's a room transplanted from a 14th century castle once owned by Pete Townsend of 'The Who'. It is covered in dark wood, with huge ceiling beams that loom overhead. There's also fireplace framed by huge wooden panels. At the end of the room, a pointed archway separates an alcove from the main room.
Members of the Hard Rock staff say they avoid the party room at night, especially the large, black-framed mirror hanging above the fireplace.
"Deep down at the end of the day when all the lights are out and there are no more people -- I mean, its 14th century wood and you do get that feeling when you're in here," said Melissa Wilkins, the Hard Rock's sales and marketing manager. "That feeling you're not alone."
At the end of this day, when there are no more people, the ghost hunters arrive. The restaurant has a different mood now. The speakers blaring rock music have fallen silent. The only light comes from outside, streaming through bizarre stained-glass windows with figures of Elvis and other rock gods.
The group of four ghost hunters and a handful of brave Hard Rock staff move quietly through the building. There are whispers and the occasional creek of doors and floors as the group makes its rounds.
They clank down a noisy, metal staircase leading to basement office space. In the past, workers have reported hearing heavy footsteps there despite seeing no one on the stairs. They leave a camera to monitor the stairwell.
There's a dizzying, almost sickening spot upstairs behind a bar. A restaurant worker reports someone grabbed him as he washed glasses there -- but there was no one near him. Everyone feels the same thing in the same exact space: a sense almost of walking underwater. One of the staff jumps with a scared squeal as she feels the spot's effect.
And then there is that old room from the castle.
"It's like heebee jeeby-ish," says one of the ghost hunters as she peers at the dark, ornate, wooden walls.
One of the ghost hunters, Jeff, senses something.
"Over here," Jeff says as he moves slowly through the room. His arms are outstretched; hands open as he senses changes in the air.
Another ghost hunter snaps a picture with a digital camera. And there, in front of Jeff's open hand, is a white, translucent orb. Ghost hunters think this might be spirit energy.
And that mirror that creeps out the staff so much? A customer snapped a picture that apparently shows the top of a child's head peering into the lower right corner. Its eyes are glowing red. The customer says the room was empty when the photo was made.
Staff tells a story of a woman who was working on a music video shot in the building. As the story goes, she was ironing costumes in the party room when a small handprint of a child slowly pushed itself into the garment. It remained for a moment then slowly disappeared as if the hand was lifted.
In the emptiness downstairs, the camera is rolling on the stairwell. Suddenly, there's an alarm. Beep! Beep! Beep! Three shrill warnings of an intruder.
"That would mean somebody is in that area. Like when you open and close the door," says one of the staff who raced down the hall in response to the warning. She stares in disbelief up the stairwell. There is no one there. The camera has recorded no clumping of feet before or after the alarm.
"Based in total and on the stories I've heard I'd have to say, 'yes something is here'," said Wilkins.
It's something that apparently keeps the Hard Rock 'rocking' long after hours.
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