The Iron Island Museum In New York Was Once A Funeral Home And Is Now A Haunted House
By Lisa Sammons|Published June 29, 2021
×
Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
The Iron Island Museum has had a long and notable history. Built in 1885, the Buffalo building was originally a church. Starting in the 1950s, it then served nearly five decades as a funeral home. It was eventually donated to the Iron Island Preservation Society for use as a museum. The museum displays artifacts from Buffalo, with a particular focus on military and railroad history. With all of the deceased who have passed through such a building, is it any wonder that it is now said to be haunted?
Lovejoy is a neighborhood along the eastern edge of Buffalo. It is said that the nickname "Iron Island" came about because it's surrounded by railroad tracks on all sides.
Even without taking the haunted aspect into account, this is a neat little museum! It has tons of information on local residents who served in the military, particularly World War II.
Paranormal enthusiasts believe that the building is haunted by several spirits, including Edgar Zernicke. Zernicke was a war veteran whose cremains were found unclaimed in the basement of the museum, along with several other veterans.
The museum's owner believes that Zernicke's spirit haunted the building in hopes that someone would find the veterans' remains. In 2010, Zernicke was buried in Bath National Cemetery with full military honors. It is said that his spirit still resides within the museum.
The museum hosts self-guided ghost tours and encourages visitors to bring along cameras and recorders. Visitors report hearing strange voices in their videos and feeling an odd chill in the air as they walk through the building.
For the truly brave, there's even an option for an overnight paranormal investigation tour! The popular television series Ghosthunters featured an episode about the museum in 2008.