'Ghost Hunters' and Sun Inn



A Paranormal Pop Culture investigation of The Sun Inn by Dr. Spectre.
(Editor's Note: This is a submitted summary originally published in March 2011 of TAPS Paramagazine of a team investigation by a Paranormal Pop Culture contributor. Paranormal Pop Culture cannot verify the accuracy of any these claims or findings.)

The Location

The Historic Sun Inn built 1758 in downtown Bethlehem, PA.  Built in 1758, the Sun Inn has a guest list that reads like a who’s who of founding fathers, generals and statesmen of Revolutionary War-era America. John Hancock signed his John Hancock at the front desk, members of the Continental Congress met here in September 1777, John Adams and his wife checked in and 51 chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations Confederation visited. Yes, even George Washington really did sleep here. For its time, the Inn boasted the latest and greatest innovations in comfort and style.

The Claims

Because of the many uses the building has had over the years, there are a variety of paranormal claims associated with it.

In the the basement, there is supposedly an energy vortex, although the origins of these reports are uncertain. There are full body apparitions seen guarding the entrance to a rumored tunnel system, which myth says once connected some of the local buildings and kept townsfolk safe during attacks. The existence of this tunnel system has been disputed by historians.

On the first, an entity has been said to occupy the chair next to the fireplace. There have also been sounds of disembodied conversations and mysterious footsteps on the second floor. Strange light anomalies have also been seen, as have apparitions of women in period clothing and soldiers in uniforms.

In the attic, there have been reports of shadow people accompanied by feelings of being watched. There are further reports of something staring out of a back window, which is visible from the street. In the dining room on this floor, a photo was taken that appeared to show an image of a spectral elderly woman who may resemble a dedicated Sun Inn volunteer who had passed away.

The Investigation

This investigation took place on a warm, but not overly humid night, in May 2010. The team of five went to work unloading the equipment. For this, we brought the four head hardwired DVR system, two head wireless, six handheld camcorders, point and shoot cameras, laser burst devices, motion sensors, Gauss meter, and six audio recorders with parabolic enhanced mics, among other various gear. We then set up base camp in the least active room on the second floor.

In the room with the fire place, each team member picked a spot and surrounded the room. The team began with an EVP session. During the session, one investigator felt like something was moving around the room. Then, on the other side of the room, the same feeling was reported by another person – followed immediately by all the Maglites cutting out. When they came back on, the team was able to request the lights to turn on in sequential order. It stopped as quickly as it started.

The dining area on the second floor – a modernized room set up for events, but which was part of the Inn’s original restaurant/bar – is where the photo was taken of the elderly volunteer appearing in the window. Based on our team’s analysis, this evidence was compelling but largely debunked as a matrixing on the glass.

The next stop was the basement with the supposed “vortex.” Again the room was covered on all sides by investigators and a baseline EMF reading was established. The baseline reading was unremarkable. If there is a vortex at the Sun Inn, it just must not have been open for business this particular night. Attempts to find the entrance to the “tunnel system” also proved unsuccessful.

However, as we were exploring the basement, the alarm on our DVR system sounded. As it happens, the camera in the kitchen was offline. Upon immediate review, two flashes of white light flared on cam before the screen went blank. Also, the BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman) cable had been unplugged and the camera was facing in the opposite direction. Nothing else was caught on audio or other cameras for that time stamp.

Finally, on the top floor attic, as we entered the room single file there was an atmospheric change. We immediately started seeing shadow play in the corner of the room. We set about trying to determine if this was a result of trees outside the attic windows, or if the “heavy feeling” in the room was due to mold allergies, high EMF from electrical equipment, etc. After eliminating the occurrences typical to an attic, the team covered the four corners of the room.

We had handheld cams, audio recorders and laser grids set up. On one end of the room, investigators reported hearing a “whooshing” through the center of the room. A visible shape interrupted the grid. The team regrouped and sat together, back to back, and the movement continued and was followed by audible knocks and bumps. There was no wind or other movement in this building at this time to cause this.

The Analysis

We recorded no EVP and the cams yielded nothing beyond the flashes that preceded the power outage. Unfortunately, the handheld cams used in the attic did not capture the movements in the grid but audio of the knocks was recorded.

The Reveal

The team had an excellent time at the Sun Inn; the history and significance of the building were inspiring. Each team member walked away with memorable personal experiences. Because no hard evidence was captured, we are reluctant to call the location “haunted.” However, there was what we believe to be unexplained phenomena taking place here and the attic alone warrants further investigation.