Capital Area Paranormal Society

I have to confess, when Dave sent me the text message that said Alexandria Davis, reporter for WCIA news channel 3, invited CAPS to the Illinois State Capitol building to do an interview I thought it was charming that she wanted to use the Capitol building as a background. Even when I commented to Trish that I was concerned about the wind and my hair and she laughingly informed me that we were filming inside, it didn’t dawn on me. I nearly fainted when I finally realized we were actually going to get the opportunity to do a paranormal investigation at this amazing location!

The security team that let us through was exceedingly cordial. As we were awaited the arrival of Ms. Davis and her companion, I took the opportunity to glance around my surroundings in awe. The Illinois Capitol Rotunda was built in the French Renaissance style, and although they broke ground on March 11, 1869, it wasn’t completed until nearly 20 years later.

Because of the camera crew, this wasn’t going to be our usual black-out investigation, so with all lights aglow we decided to start off with the basement and work our way up. It was a fascinating area of multiple hallways to choose, each with bricked archways adorning their entrances. Keith, our security escort, shared a rumor with us that they believed at a time there were stables inside the building for horses. I was captivated by the empty vaults and couldn’t help but wonder what secrets they once held…

We proceeded with using our basic equipment, but also decided to include the dowsing rods as well. We don’t normally get them out so early in our investigation, but we knew our time would be limited in this location. Although the spirit box did not seem to be functioning so well, the rods were. They seemed to indicate there were some spirits keeping vigilant over that area, one wanting to be referred to as Charley. I couldn’t shake the impression that perhaps he was still being protective of the vaults?

We then proceeded upwards, stopping for a few minutes on each floor until we reached the 4th level. The security personnel unlocked the door to the senate gallery/chambers allowing us entrance to the balcony, overlooking the floor. It was very striking with only a dim light that shone.

Although the K2 meter reacted a couple of times, we didn’t have any personal experiences. Despite the investigation lasting a mere 2 hours, it was a most memorable opportunity for me.

We are extremely grateful to Alexandria Davis for providing us with this opportunity and a special thanks to Keith, the security guard that escorted us around this awe-inspiring site. It goes without saying that I hope someday that we have the privilege to do a more in-depth investigation.