Ghastly intrigue awaiting visitors at Old Slater Mill

PAWTUCKET — Ghost hunters and historians meet minds this October to investigate the macabre at Old Slater Mill.

Mill & Mysteries Paranormal Investigations at Old Slater Mill will kick off on the eeriest day of the year: Friday, Oct. 13. Attendees will learn the chilling story of Rhode Island’s iconic historic landmark in an after-dark exploration of three historic buildings on the campus, each more than 200 years old.

These 90-minute paranormal investigations have been taking place at Slater Mill for more than a decade, led primarily by renowned paranormalist Carl L. Johnson. He has led more than 100 investigations during his time at Slater Mill; his relationship with the buildings is befittingly intimate. His abiding connection with the spiritually restless site informs and deepens his use of a variety of tools to communicate beyond the veil.

This season, five investigations will explore the most spiritually charged spaces on campus: the 1793 Old Slater Mill, the basement wheel pit of the 1810 Wilkinson Mill, and the sitting room of the 1758 Sylvanus Brown House. A more family-friendly version of the exploration will be offered on Thursday, Oct. 20, for the young and faint of heart.

In addition to Johnson, noted New England paranormal expert, and author of Rhode Island’s Haunted Ramtail Factory, Thomas D’Agostino, will join the investigation team on Oct. 13. In addition to his wide knowledge of the subject, D’Agostino is particularly skilled in the practice Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP, as a means of channeling communications.

“By my perspective, we cannot have the ‘haunting’ without the history,” says Johnson. “The mills have memories.” Whether the buildings remember their unsettling pasts or not, a paranormal investigation at Slater Mill is not an experience that is easily forgotten.

Mills & Mysteries Paranormal Investigations are scheduled for Oct. 13, 20, 27, and 28; doors at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person, ages 15 or older. A familyappropriate investigation is slated for Oct.19, doors at 7 p.m.; ages 8 and up permitted for this event.

Advance ticketing is strongly recommended as these events typically sell out. Call 401-725-8638, ext. 106. Visit slatermill.org, or visit brownpapertickets.com.

Slater Mill is located at 67 Roosevelt Ave. in downtown Pawtucket.

File photo Carl Johnson, above right, a paranormalist. leads Old Slater Mill visitors on one of his investigations into the mill’s mysteries. For the Halloween season, he will be leading after-dark investigations on Oct. 13, 20, 27 and 28. A more family-friendly...