Ghost Hunters To Investigate 'Haunted' Gowanus Recording Studio

GOWANUS, NY — A team of paranormal investigators hopes to uncover ghosts living at a Gowanus recording studio – and not just the ones left on the cutting room floor.

The Brooklyn Paranormal Society will host a free ghost hunting tour inside the former garage turned music studio, Douglass Recording, on Wednesday after being tipped off by a band about spooky occurrences during sessions.

"There’s a rumor here that this place has something going," said Anthony Long, founder of the ghost hunting group, who added the band told him about lights flickering during recording.

"[The band said] maybe we’re feeling emotionally charged but we definitely felt like something was in the room with us."

Long will bring together shamans, psychics, hypnotists and anybody else who wants to join in to attempt to make contact with whatever might be in the studio. They will also use equipment to try to capture things like Electronic Voice Phenomena, which people believe are recordings of ghost voices.

Producer and engineer for the studio, Chris Gilroy, said he has spent many late nights in the studio but hasn't noticed any supernatural activity. He didn't think about it until the society reached out about the investigation, but was still curious what else might live in the studio.

"We’re excited to see what they come up with and if they find anything," said Gilroy.

While Gilroy himself hasn't seen anything out of the ordinary at the spot, there have been some strange occurrences reported.

Accordion player Jeff Taylor said he felt something when he toured the spot several years ago and wrote, "There are ghosts here" on a piece of paper then taped it to the wall, Gilroy said.

Gilroy added that famed studio designer Vincent Van Haaff died in the middle of laying out Douglass Recording.

"There was definitely this kind of weird vibe as we’re installing all of this," said Gilroy. "There’s a very interesting kind of feeling and respect that we all have that work here."

Douglass Recording, at 332 Douglass St., was opened by Myles Rodenhouse in September after he spent years turning the former mechanic's shop into a studio.

Long isn't sure what his team might find, if anything, during the studio investigation but they were excited to explore more spots in Gowanus.

"There’s a lot of paranormal or supernatural type of history and a lot of history that would bring about paranormal activity," he said.

The neighborhood's believed to be the site of a mass grave for the 256 American soldiers who died during the Battle of Brooklyn on Aug. 27, 1776 and the canal was rumored to be used as a dumping ground for bodies by the mob.

Long said his group previously held several investigations in the neighborhood and several members said they believe a monster used to lurk in the waters.

"One had a vision that there was a monster, some kind of creature, that ate the bones of soldiers," said Long.

While the group's not sure if it's a Revolutionary War soldier haunting the walls of the studio, or just faulty power lines, they invited anybody curious about the spot to join the free investigation.

"We explore real history," said Long "We have nothing to prove we’re just having a great time."

Image: Douglass Recording