CONVERSATION PIECE

The 130-year-old Grand Midway Hotel in Windber, Pennsylvania, US, has a rather creepy claim to fame: it’s officially the site of the world’s largest ouija board.

Bought by filmmaker Blair Murphy from an e-bay listing in 2001, it no longer functions as a typical hotel though it can be rented for events. The rest of the time it’s an invitation-only space, with elaborate rooms — such as the vampire room, pictured, and mermaid room — which Blair and his friends use for artistic projects.

The record-breaking ouija board, measuring 13m x 8m, came about during repairs on the flat roof, which Murphy says suggested to him a large canvas. His interest in the macabre combined with old tales of hauntings at the hotel led to their painting the “talking board“, which Guinness agreed was the world’s largest.

● grandmidwayhotel.com.