CENTRAL CITY — I've always believed there are things in this world we can't explain, like spirits, specters, and hungry ghosts (as the Tibetan Buddhists call them). 

With all the history around Central City, I wouldn't be surprised if a few of its former residents were still hanging around. So spending a Saturday night in a dark museum trying to talk to the dead sounded like a pretty good time to me.

On November 7, a crowd of people showed up at the Gilpin County History Museum to do just that.

Randy Schneider and Robin Daidone of The Other Side Paranormal Investigations led the event for the evening, a fundraiser for the Gilpin Historical Society. This was their second year putting it on, although they've investigated the building before.

The museum was once a schoolhouse, and there's an old story about a little girl who supposedly jumped from a second-story window and died. Nobody seemed entirely sure about the details, but it gave us all something to think about as we headed upstairs.

People have reported strange things happening in the building before—gusts of wind, moving lights, and even getting scratched on the arm. 

First, Schneider showed everyone the equipment. There were electromagnetic field meters, infrared cameras, motion sensors, flashlights, and some strange little devices that spit out random words. 

The “Spirit Talker” cellphone app was popular. We were told to not whisper, and to announce any bodily noises we make, so that the recording knows it was caused by the living. (I wonder if anyone has blamed a fart on a ghost before?)

We broke into four groups and headed into different rooms. The lights went out, the gadgets came on, and everyone started asking questions into the darkness.

In our room, investigator Lucy asked if anyone wanted to communicate. The word machine known as the Ovilus came up with names like Anne and Paul, followed by "jumping" and "killing." Considering the story about the little girl, and the fact we were in the room she supposedly jumped from, that was a little creepy.

Then came the knocking. A few electronic meters started flashing, and at one point, a chain hanging in the room began swinging around.

"There's no breeze in here," someone said.

We all watched it for a while, trying to figure out what was making it move.

In another room, people heard tapping noises coming from somewhere near the display cases. Someone thought they saw something like black fabric moving near the floor. A shadow? A reflection? Who knows?

People shared their own ghost stories, including one of mine from years ago, while attending a Stage Stop show in Rollinsville.

Facing the stage and out of my left periphery, I noticed a woman in a long white dress, with long, dark hair, walk into the bathroom. It was a single bathroom, and I was thinking of using it.

Five minutes went by. Then ten, and I was puzzled what this woman could be doing in the bathroom.

Finally, I went over and knocked. No one answered. I called out to see if she was okay. Still nothing. I opened the door, and nobody was there.

Did we find any ghosts at the museum that night? I couldn't tell you. But we heard some strange noises, watched some lights flash, and had a pretty good time trying to figure out what was going on in that old building.