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Ever wonder why that vintage doll at the estate sale is giving you major bad vibes? Traci and Kathy crack open the creepy toy box on haunted dolls, from eBay's booming market to the A-listers of possessed porcelain (looking at you, Robert and Annabelle). Kathy spills the tea about her 100+ haunted doll collection – including the one that sent her running from the Paranormal Museum in the dead of night.

Meanwhile, Traci reminisces about a Dead Files gem: one woman, 2,000 haunted dolls, and a daughter who's really into death.

Find out who sent Traci a (possibly) haunted doll, and what possessed her to stage a full-on photo shoot with it; why spirits love seeping into tiny ceramic bodies; when "collecting" crosses a weird line, and the science behind why dolls creep (most of) us out.

Catch the Curious Explorers Podcast on Apple Music and all your favorite streaming apps.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/curious-explorers/id1756564535

For more on the ladies of Curious Explorers, visit: https://curious-explorers.com/

For more on Kathy Kelly and the Paranormal Museum, visit: https://paranormalbooksnj.com/

For more on Traci Stein, visit: https://www.drtracistein.com/

To read the article by Rosemary Ellen Guiley mentioned in this episode: https://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2689#:~:text=March%2016%2C%202018%20READ%20TIME,activated%20by%20the%20right%20circumstanes.

To read the VICE article mentioned in this episode: https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-is-why-we-think-dolls-are-creepyutm_sourcetonicfbus/

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Join Kathy and Traci as they explore one of America's most famous haunted locations: the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

In this episode, Kathy shares the story behind a unique artifact in the Paranormal Museum—a cutting from the oleander tree at the center of the plantation's most enduring ghost story.

But this isn't just another retelling of the legend of “Chloe,” the enslaved woman said to haunt the property. Instead, Kathy examines what happens when we strip away romanticized narratives of the Old South and the Myrtles legend, and confront the brutal historical realities of plantation life and the people who were enslaved there.

What You'll Discover:

• The legend of Chloe and the poisoned birthday cake—and why the historical record tells a different story
• How ghost stories form around places shaped by systemic trauma and exploitation
• The famous 1990s photograph that captured what appears to be a spectral figure
• Why the Myrtles' haunting persists
• The significance of the Oleander tree as a “living witnesses” and the "DNA of a ghost story"
• Kathy's take on whether the Myrtles is truly haunted

This episode goes beyond typical ghost story fare to explore how hauntings can be structural rather than tied to single events, and why removing one explanation doesn't remove the experiences themselves. It's an honest examination of how we tell stories about haunted places—and whose stories are and are not recorded.

Content Note: This episode includes frank, historically accurate discussions of slavery, s*xual exploitation, and violence against enslaved people.

3:20 - Overview of the Myrtles Plantation

11:51 - The Legend of Chloe

18:43 - The Brutal Reality of Enslavement

34:46 - The Famous Photograph

39:35 - The Oleander Tree Artifact

44:57 - The Nature of the Haunting

48:39 - Kathy's Take on Whether the Myrtles is Haunted

52:56 - Trees as Living Witnesses

For more on Kathy Kelly and the Paranormal Museum, visit: https://paranormalbooksnj.com/

For more on Traci Stein, visit: https://www.drtracistein.com/

Follow the Curious Explorers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousExplorersShow/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiousexplorersshow/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousExplorersShow

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What if the boundary between life and death isn't as solid as we think? Join Traci and Kathy as they explore deathbed visions— when the dying encounter the otherworldly – departed loved ones, spiritual figures and glimpses of heaven.

Are these experiences comforting illusions or genuine glimpses beyond the veil? Drawing from bestselling books and deeply personal stories, the Curious Explorers navigate this profound mystery with their signature blend of heart and humor. Expect moving personal accounts, haunted objects, protection spells, and honest conversation about what might be possible in those final, sacred moments.

Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about life's final frontier.

For more information on the Curious Explorers Podcast, or to support the show, visit: https://curious-explorers.com/

For more on Kathy Kelly and the Paranormal Museum, visit: https://paranormalbooksnj.com/

For more on Traci Stein, visit: https://www.drtracistein.com/

Follow the Curious Explorers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousExplorersShow/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiousexplorersshow/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousExplorersShow

Support the show