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Mason House Inn

(Or....Things that go bump in the night!)

  *******Our first Ghost Hunting class on May 21, 2005, was a huge success!  And the class on Sept. 3, 2005 was amazing!!  The Feb 4, 2006 paranormal investigation brought unexpected results!  The May 13, 2006 ghost hunt was a sell out!  The Aug. 5 and Nov. 18, 2006 classes had some surprising interaction!  Markie went to the Light during the Feb. 2 and 3, 2007 class!   We talked to Frederick Hancock about the Underground Railroad during the May 5, 2007 session!  And Lewis Mason led us to an Underground Railroad hiding place!   And now he has started the "Earthbound Railroad"!  So far we have talked to Thomas Edison and President Lincoln!  What will happen next? *******

   Christopher Moon, a Professional Ghost Hunter from Colorado, will hold classes here at the Mason House Inn.  For all you ghost hunting enthusiasts, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from an expert and explore a real haunted hotel.  The "Today Show" has named us as one of the most haunted places in America.   Now, we are not promising that you will see a ghost or anything like that, but this is likely to be a very interesting evening.   (Read Joy's Journal to see the latest happenings!)

Read the press release:

Paranormal Investigator Classes

At The Mason House Inn

Bentonsport, Iowa

May 6, 2017

   Questions about love, your future, majors, friends, career path, spirit guides and paranormal experiences?  Enjoy an afternoon and evening with Chris Moon and his mother, Paulette.  They will be holding classes on various subjects such as Paranormal Investigating, the history of Paranormal Investigating, places they have investigated, and, of course, all classes include a group session with the world famous "Telephone to the Dead" (TttD).  After the class, a supper will be served and Chuck and Joy Hanson, owners of the Mason House Inn, will give a presentation about some of the history and paranormal activity at the Inn.  Following the presentation, Chris and Paulette will be available for private readings on both TttD and Tarot card readings. (This is optional and there is an additional fee of $165.  The Private Reading Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com in advance, or you can pay cash directly to Chris.)  Class starts at 3pm.  Reservations are required as space is limited.  To make a reservation and to buy tickets, please visit Eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghost-hunter-university-with-christopher-moon-tickets-32674521373   There are two different tickets.  One is an All Inclusive ticket for Two people for the class, supper, group session of the TttD, spend the night in the same room, and breakfast.  The other ticket is for one person for the class, supper, and group session with the TttD, and not staying the night.  If you want more than two people in your room, purchase the All Inclusive Ticket for the first two people and then Single tickets for the other person.  Then let Joy know you have more than one in your room so she can account for breakfast portions.  All tickets are non-refundable, unless Joy or Chris cancels the class.  So get your tickets early to ensure a room, and call Joy to let her know which room you want and what is still available.  There are 9 All Inclusive tickets, and 21 single tickets.  Space is limited! Don�t miss this one of a kind opportunity!      

 

Call 1-319-592-3133 for information and overnight rooms today!

Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghost-hunter-university-with-christopher-moon-tickets-32674521373 to purchase tickets.

 

What?   Class on ghost hunting, supper, spend the night at the Mason House Inn, and breakfast the next morning.

When?  The next class May 6, 2017.  There is still room in the class.   We are taking reservations  now.  Rooms are limited for staying overnight in the Inn, but you may also come to the class without staying overnight.   There are still rooms available, but fill quickly.  The class starts at 3pm.  We need to have a minimum of 15 people to hold the class or it will be cancelled .

When can I arrive and check in?   You may arrive around 2 to 2:30pm.   Earlier is better.  Eat lunch first.     Supper is here at the Inn.

What time?   The Saturday class will start at  3pm and go till about 8pm.  Supper  is included around 5:00pm.

How much?   For each class and dinner, it is only $80 plus tax per person per class.  The All Inclusive Ticket for Two is only $250 plus taxes.  And this INCLUDES your Room!  (See our Tour of Rooms page to choose a room.)  We do have some "safe" rooms if you wish a quiet night.  Or be brave and stay in the main house on the second floor.  The room rate includes breakfast in the morning.   Private Reading Tickets are only $165 plus taxes.  All tickets can be purchased in advance at Eventbrite.com :  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghost-hunter-university-with-christopher-moon-tickets-32674521373

Saturday night rooms are for Saturday class attendees only.

How many?   Class size is limited to 30 people maximum.  The Mason House has 9 rooms and they will be filled to capacity (as much as is feasible).  A class of 15 minimum must be reached to hold the class.

What do I bring?   A real digital camera (not the one-time-use kind).   If you have a digital voice recorder, bring it for EVP readings.  If you have an External Digital Thermometer, bring it to find "cold spots".   If you have a video camera with night vision capability, bring it to capture moving orbs. 

Who ya gonna call?    GHOST BUSTERS!!!!       Not really, call Chuck or Joy at the Mason House Inn to make a reservation.   319-592-3133

********** The 2017 Class Dates: March 4, May 6, August 5, November 4 **********

I would like to say that we do not do any s�ances or allow Ouija boards on the Inn property!   The purpose of these ghost hunting classes are to educate people on how to conduct a ghost hunt properly.  Chris Moon does use his "Edison's Telephone to the Dead" to talk to the spirits here, but it is only to find out who is here and why they are here.  This is not a s�ance.  Do not bring a Ouija board.  Also, due to recent problems with "spirit boxes" , "ghost boxes", "word boxes", "radio shack hacks", etc.,  here, we no longer allow any kind of these devices inside the Inn.  (Except for Chris Moon.  The spirits have requested this.)  Thank you.

Don't delay, call today!

GHU Results:   May 21, 2005        September 3, 2005       February 4, 2006        May 13, 2006        Aug. 5, 2006     September 11, 2006         November 18, 2006         February 2 and 3, 2007         May 4 and 5, 2007        Aug. 3 and 4, 2007         November 10 and 11, 2007       February 2, 2008      March 28 and 29, 2008        May 2, 3, and 4, 2008        June 27 & 28, 2008      August 22, 23, and 24, 2008       November 8 and 9, 2008     February 21 and 22, 2009        May 16 & 17, 2009      August 8 and 9, 2009        November 14 and 15, 2009      February 27 and 28, 2010       May 22 & 23, 2010       August 7 and 8, 2010        November 13 and 14, 2010    February 26 and 27, 2011    May 14 and 15, 2011        August 13 and 14, 2011     November 12 and 13, 2011        February 18 and 19, 2012     May 5 and 6, 2012        August 3 and 4, 2013         November 9 and 10, 2013        August 2 and 3, 2014          November 8 and 9, 2014   February 27 and 28, 2016

Read about some of our experiences at:

Jay Jones wrote an article about us in the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 10, 2013.  To read the article, click here.

Here is a book titled A Ghost Hunter's Field Guide by Rich Newman, for sale through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Hunters-Field-Guide-Experience/dp/0738720887/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297369060&sr=8-1
We are one of the featured chapters in the book.

Another book we are in is A Ghost in my Suitcase by Mitchel Whitington, for sale through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-My-Suitcase-Haunted-America/dp/0974039454/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341850695&sr=1-1&keywords=a+ghost+in+my+suitcase        He has one haunted location for each state in the USA.  We are the featured location for Iowa.

Another book we are in is River Shadows by Dan Terry.

http://hotels.about.com/od/iowa/p/masonhouse.htm

A guest wrote this article in 2012:

http://distilledopinion.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/1846-mason-house-inn-bentonsport-iowa-history-ghosts-and-more-ghosts/

On March 1, 2007, the Coast to Coast AM radio show interviewed Chris Moon about the Frank Box that he uses at the ghost hunt classes, also known as "Edison's Telephone to the Dead".  Chuck called in and talked for a while during the last half of the 4th hour session.  Read the transcript from Chuck's interview by clicking here.

Read Joy's Journal that she has been keeping about the experiences here.

Read a Mt. Pleasant News article written by Carolyn Noon about her experiences at a GHU 101 class.  

AAA Living Magazine featured the Mason House in their Sept/Oct 2007 issue, by Lori Erickson:  AAA Magazine Article

Also by Lori Erickson, an article in Des Moines Woman magazine, October 2007 issue: A Haunting Weekend with the Girls

To see a You Tube version of the IPRA investigation here in 2007, go to www.youtube.com and type Mason House Inn in the search area.  You'll see Chuck and me give an interview of some of the stuff that happens around here, along with some of the evidence they collected in their investigation.  There are five film segments.

Also on You Tube, watch a cookie jar in Room 5 move on it's own: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6I9UFN9sss

Also on You Tube, watch the sheets on the bed in Room 7 sink as if a cat has joined them in the bed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=da_aKMn5Pmg

Also on You Tube, watch this clip of an EVP session in Room 7.  Every time the camera is on the young man on the twin bed, there are orbs flying around him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmextrA--rM&feature=em-share_video_user  

Also on You Tube, watch these two videos of interesting orb activity by Dave Lambrecht:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHG2xj7tBek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6T1rZuoEs8

The CAPT group, who was here in May 2008, have this evidence on their web site: http://www.carrollareaparanormalteam.com/id38.html

The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper ran this article on October 29, 2008: Hot Haunts in the Midwest

The SRSOI group, who was here in February 2009, have posted the investigation on their web site: www.srsoi.com .  Click on "Investigations" on the left side, then click on "2009", then click on "Mason House Inn". Or just click this link: http://supernaturalresearchsocietyofiowa.com/investigations/09/masonhouseinn/  There is a YouTube video that shows a glowing orb zoom out of Room 5.  But watch the cookie jar...it moves too!

Josh Coburn wrote this article about his stay here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1652029/the_real_haunted_midwest_hunting_ghosts.html?cat=16 

A note to Paranormal Investigation groups who want to come and do their own investigation:

      Yes, we do have alot of paranormal activity here.  Many investigation teams have found positive evidence.  We do allow investigation teams here when we don't have any other guests in the Main House.  This is NOT an "Empty Building Lock Down"!  This is our home, we live here.  We will try to stay out of your way as much as possible but we will be present.  Please remember you are a guest in our home and we have the right to ask you to leave if you are not behaving as such. 

       We have three options, charge-wise.  The first option is for your group to rent out the entire 6 bedrooms in the Main House for $500 plus tax, and ensure that you will be the only guests here.  You can sleep in the beds and use the restrooms, and have breakfast in the morning (the whole B&B experience).  You can investigate the entire second floor and the dining room and parlor on the first floor and not have to worry about anybody else being here.  Or you can pay $50 per person, not sleep in the beds (you can nap ON the bed but not IN it), use one bathroom, and no breakfast in the morning.  You just do your investigation and leave when you are done.  But we won't hold the entire Main House with that option, so you take your chances that there may be somebody staying who is not with your group.  The third option is that you rent enough rooms to house your investigators at the regular room rate and you can investigate those rooms you rented, the dining room and parlor.  Again this does not guarantee that you will be the only people here and you will have to be courteous of the other guests, if there are any.  But you can sleep in the rooms you rent and have breakfast in the morning like a regular guest.  Week days work better for the second two options, or winter when it is slower.   I do have three outer rooms that are not haunted and I will try to put non-ghost hunting people out there first, so you don't have false readings.  But if I get more people wanting to stay in the main building I will have to do that.  This is our bread-and-butter living and I will not turn away guests.  So if you want to make sure you are the only people in the main house, you must rent out the entire main house.  Or you can take your chances.  Like I said before, during the week and the winter it is slower.

    As for posting your findings on your web site, you may post positive evidence, but you are not allowed to say we are not haunted if you don't find anything.  (You can say you could neither prove nor disprove the haunting.)  Ghosts don't perform on command, and we don't guarantee anything.  9 out of 10 groups experience something, but you just never know.   ALSO, NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED AT ANY GHOST HUNT!  SPIRITS AND SPIRITS DON'T MIX!

 

    Sound interesting?  A little frightening?  Go ahead and give it a try - you may find a daring new hobby!   Call the Mason House Inn to make your reservations quickly - before your chance mysteriously disappears!  319-592-3133

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