LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 31 plays, and the hum of chocolate-making equipment. Yet, even as the building was revitalized, there were signs that some things had not changed at all. Em- ployees reported unease in certain rooms, banging sounds that reverberated throughout the building and strange heat fluctuations. Visitors commented on sudden chills, shadowy figures, and the inexplicable sensation of being watched. The unusual experienc- es began soon after moving into the old house and couldn't be explained. First-Hand Accounts of the Paranormal As Barkeater Chocolates flourished, tales of the building's supernatural inhabitants grew. Staff and guests alike recounted a range of eerie encounters: • Mysterious Footsteps: Employees have heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoing from empty hallways. Attempts to find the source have always proved fruitless, with the noises ceasing as soon as someone investigates. • Cold Spots and Flickering Lights: Lights flicker for no apparent reason, even new fixtures with new lightbulbs, and electronic devices some- times malfunction without explanation. • Vague Apparitions and Voices: Several visitors and workers have reported glimpses of shadowy figures and the sound of people speaking, even when the store is closed. One oft-repeated tale is of a strange light caught on security foot- age that resembles a woman walking down the stairs. • Objects Moving on Their Own: Tablecloths, electronic devices, and even finished chocolates have been known to shift locations overnight, and witnesses speak of products being thrown off the shelves when nobody was standing close by. Staff joke that the resident spirits have a sweet tooth, particularly for dark chocolate. The frequency and consistency of these encounters have transformed Barkeater Chocolates into a destina- tion not just for chocoholics, but for ghost enthusiasts and paranormal investigators as well. Haunted Chocolate Making and Paranormal Experiences Embracing its haunted reputation, Barkeater Choc- olates offers 90 -minute Haunted Chocolate Making Sessions, which are most popular during the fall and Halloween seasons. These tours are equal parts history, goosebumps, chocolate-making, and ghostly exploration. Visitors have often brought their own ghost hunting tools and left with evidence of the oth- er-worldly. Local paranormal investigators may book a ghost hunt after hours to gather their own evidence. Who Haunts Barkeater Chocolates? While no definitive evidence exists as to the identi- ties of the building's ghosts, several theories circulate Above: Champagne truffles getting topped with a sugar square. Top: The Barkeater Chocolate Factor y in summer. Opposite: An EMF meter, often used by ghost hunters for signs of paranormal activity, lights up in the factor y.

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