GALVESTON, Texas — We've all heard about the haunted spots on Galveston Island, but here's a new one to add to your list.
The Galveston Naval Museum is now hosting weekly ghost tours and paranormal investigations inside the World War II vessels housed on Pelican Island -- both of which are reportedly very haunted.
"We have these bursts of light, we've had employees say they've seen people in Victorian clothing from the 1800s walking past, we have the superintendent who was once volunteering shoved off the deck by one of them," said Rhys Young, assistant education and events coordinator for the Galveston Naval Museum.
In the past year and a half, Young has heard and seen some strange things -- and it's not just her.
Over the weekend, KHOU 11 Reporter Matt Dougherty and Photojournalist Ryan Phillips spent time below inside WWII vessels -- the USS Stewart and the USS Cavalla.
They were joined by multiple teams of professional paranormal investigators who brought with them equipment that they didn't completely understand, but from what they could see, something was trying to make contact.
"People have seen apparitions of sailors walking down the corridor," said Gin Keel, owner of tour company "Spooky Galveston."
Keel paired up with the museum this year to open the vessels to visitors and paranormal experts to try to make contact with the WWII sailors themselves.
"A kamikaze plane came into the side of the Stewart and when that happened a gentleman was beheaded on the deck," Keel said.
As Matt and Ryan witnessed during their visit, it appeared other ghosts may have been reaching out as well.
"This was once a catch-all for bodies during the 1900 hurricane," Young said.
Young said the paranormal weekends aboard the vessels have been a hit.
"The interest in the macabre is just not going away," Young said.
And, it's brought help to the Pelican Island Museum Young says has been in a struggle for survival since the pandemic.
"We lost half our summer this year in terms of money and income. One, when the bridge was hit by the barge it was closed one for repairs, two for people passing out because of the oil. Then we had the hurricane," Young said.
The ghost hunts have sold out since they started and it's generated a lot of buzz about the somewhat forgotten museum.
"It doesn't just carry over into the ghost tours they're seeing larger numbers coming in throughout the day as well," Keel said.
"A lot of people who would say, oh, it's just a naval museum, say oh, you've got something spooky going on. You've got something paranormal going on," Keel said.
Although Matt and Ryan didn't see any ghosts during their visit, they've been assured they're there -- waiting for the right person to bring them out.
"Even though these men left, they have returned after death," Young said.
The haunted tours at the Galveston Naval Museum happen on Saturday nights. There will be a special tour on Halloween night that still has a few available spots.
