New Mexico's Haunted Herzstein Memorial Museum

Herzstein Memorial Museum. Source: Clayton-Union County Chamber of Commerce

In October 2018, the New Mexico Department of Tourism proclaimed the town of Clayton to be the most haunted city in the entire state. Along with Union County Courthouse and the Hotel Eklund, the Herzstein Memorial Museum is listed as a spooky example of why Clayton is New Mexico's Most Haunted City.

The Herzstein Memorial Museum is housed in a beautiful old building, dating back to 1919. It began its life as a Methodist Church, but also served as skating rink, a bowling alley and a library. The Museum gets its name from Albert Herzstein, whose foundation paid for extensive renovations and restoration of the building in 1987. Albert was the son of pioneers; his parents built the first cinema in Clayton, New Mexico in addition to operating a successful mercantile business. 

To honor the Herzstein family, one whole exhibit in the museum is dedicated to all the interesting treasures and artifacts they collected from their travels around the world. Other exhibits deal with the Santa Fe Trail, Native Americans, the Dust Bowl, and other aspects of New Mexico history.

With so many different artifacts and with a building used for so many different purposes, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who or what is causing the hauntings. However, museum staff feel that the main ghost to call the Herzstein home is 'a sassy older lady.' 

In 2015, a ghost hunting group claims to have caught the apparition of a woman in white on video. Executive Director of the museum, Victoria Baker, has also noted that the sound of disembodied high-heeled footsteps have heard in the kitchen area. 

Subsequent paranormal investigations have produced an EVP of a little boy's voice in a back bedroom area, poltergeist activity, and strange noises throughout the museum, including a rattling noise on or near the staircase. Quite a few videos exist on YouTube from various ghost hunting groups sharing their Hertzstein evidence, but you can view the 2015 apparition photo right from the local Chamber of Commerce's website! 

Clayton, New Mexico is embracing its haunted history and living up to its reputation as New Mexico's most haunted city.  If you're in the area, make sure to include a stop at the Herzstein Memorial Museum. You'll learn about the early history of New Mexico, and you might even catch a glimpse of a sassy older lady from the early 20th century!

MORE HAUNTED AMERICA

New Mexico's Haunted Children's Hospital

In 1910, Clyde Tingley and his wife, Carrie Wooster Tingley, moved from Ohio to New Mexico.  Carrie had long suffered the ill health of tuberculosis and like many eastern citizens of the time period, sought the dry air and mineral springs of the western states as a cure.  The move was a good one; Carrie's health improved and in 1935, Clyde was elected as the 11th governor of the state of New Mexico!

It was his influence as governor that allowed Clyde to help realize his wife's work of making sure sick children throughout the state had access to the best care possible.  During his tenure as governor, Tingley was instrumental in the creation of a dozen hospitals, many especially for children suffering from TB.  However, one hospital in particular stood out above the rest.

Construction began on the Carrie Tingley Children's Hospital in 1935 in Hot Springs, now Truth and Consequences.  It was funded by President Roosevelt's Work Progress Administration and finally opened on May 29, 1937 as a facility to treat children with polio.

But, as new advancements in medicine drastically reduced the number of polio patients, the hospital began treating children with a wide array of medical disorders, mostly orthopedic, and including but not limited to scoliosis, clubbed feet, cerebral palsy and spina bifida.  It continued to serve children in this location until 1981.  In that year, the facility was moved to Albuquerque and by 1987 it had merged with the University of New Mexico's Medical Center.

Today, the Carrie Tingley Children's hospital is still serving the children, birth to age 21, in New Mexico.  Outpatient services are conducted at 1127 University Blvd.  Across the street, however, is where the inpatient unit stands as part of the Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion.

This 24 bed inpatient section of the hospital is where all the paranormal activity is reported!  According to witnesses, the sounds of children crying, voices, and even a heartbeat can be heard in the empty areas.  Unused patient rooms are said to emit an unearthly glow.  Men in dark robes, not unlike the classic Grim Reaper in appearance, have been spotted roaming about.  And...most interesting to me personally is the reports of invisible force fields.  Witnesses to the phenomena have felt an invisible force preventing them from advancing any further.  The field not only stops you in your tracks, but is said to give off the hissing sound of static electricity.

Photos from the UNM Hospital Page