Arrival
Gravy and Tony arrived on location at 4:40 pm. They unloaded their equipment outside the Inn. While Tony stood by the equipment, Gravy parked his car in the secure area of the property, after talking to security. Gravy returned to the Inn where Javi, the barkeeper, was waiting to let Tony and Gravy into the Inn. Gravy started his control recorder at 5:04 pm to document their conversation with Javi regarding claims of activity and any other information pertaining to their investigation.
Javi, Gravy and Tony toured the Miller Inn, Miller Caves and the attached building to discuss claims, see the spaces and determine where the investigators were allowed to access. Although a few areas were off limits to the investigators, Gravy decided to focus on the areas with the claims of activity. Gravy chose not to investigate the areas that had too much sound or light contamination that could not be controlled because most of those areas were part of factory production. The investigation was isolated to the areas that could be more controlled within the Miller Inn and Caves only.
After the quick tour, Tony and Gravy began setting up their equipment at 5:15 pm. Javi left the premises shortly before 6:00 pm.
At 7:09 pm Gravy and Tony collected interior environmental data using an Extech SD700 datalogger and a GQ EMF390, an electromagnetic field (EMF) tri-axis detector. The below readings were taken in the areas being investigated.
Every member of PIM is equipped with a Zoom H1 digital audio recorders, which is used as their control recorder, a Boblov body camera, GQ GMC-800 Geiger Counter, GQ EMF-390 electromagnetic field detector, and either the Extech RHT50 or Extech SD700 datalogger. Control recorders are not only used as another recording device but also to document the sound contamination that an investigator might create during an investigation. Control recorders are started and time stamped first before any other equipment is started and they are turned off last to ensure any anomalous noises can be cross-checked. All audio recorders, including control recorders, are also placed in a Faraday cage.
A Faraday cage is a container that can block EMF frequencies. The construction of the cage will determine how many different EMF frequencies the cage will be able to block. Faraday cages work by generating an external static electrical field which causes the electric charges within the cage’s conducting material to be distributed such that they cancel the field’s effect in the cage’s interior. PIM’s cages are designed to specifically block out FM, and some AM, radio frequencies from interfering with their audio recorders, thus creating false EVPs.
The Extech dataloggers take temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure readings once a minute (RHT50) or every 5 seconds (SD700), and is used to try and correlate environmental data with any personal experiences an investigator might encounter during an investigation or anomalous audio/video data captured during an investigation.
In the Miller Caves, a Zoom H1 audio recorder was placed on a table in the middle of the Cave alongside an EDI+ datalogger. The PIM Platter and a Touch Flashlight were set on a display case at the front of the Cave in view of a Sony HDR-CX150 multi-spectrum video camera.
In the Bar Room, a Zoom H1 audio recorder was placed on a centralized table, alongside the DM X-930 Dark Matter Detector datalogger. A Sony HDR-CX160 multi-spectrum camera was placed on the bar in the northwest corner facing the main area and covering the east wing of the bar.
In the Champagne Room, a Zoom H1 audio recorder and an EDI+ datalogger were placed on a table in the middle of the room. A Sony HDR-CX160 multi-spectrum camera was set up in the far east side of the room, facing west.
In the High Life Room, a Zoom H1 audio recorder and EDI+ datalogger were placed on a centralized table in view of a Sony HDR-CX160 multi-spectrum camera in the far northwest corner of the room facing the piano, bar and entrance to the room.
Marbles were placed on a napkin on the top step of the stairs and photographed for a baseline position.
Tony and Gravy finished setting up their equipment around 7:00 pm. At 7:09 pm, they went around the building getting baseline EMF, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure while also starting and time stamping all equipment.
Investigation
7:33 pm – Cave
Gravy sat on the northwest bench in the cave and Tony sat on southeast bench closest to the front of the cave. Control silence was started at 7:33 pm.
Any time the team enters a new area to investigate, they will begin with control silence to become familiar with the surrounding sounds from the location. PIM uses “control silence” which is a method practiced at each new location within an investigation location. It allows for members to get a baseline of normal noises the building could make throughout the night. It also allows for the group to tag outside noises heard in that area so as not to be mistaken as something paranormal. It also allows the building to adjust to a normal state after the investigators have been moving around.
At the end of control silence, it was noted that crickets, a constant hum from a factory fan or machine, a consistent high-pitched alarm from an electrical box next to the Cave entrance, and a sump pump going off which also caused dripping noises could all be noise contamination. To Tony, based on where he was sitting, the dripping of water sounded like a distant conversation between people when the sump pump stopped pumping water.
At 7:35 pm an EVP session was started.
At 7:55 pm, Tony claimed to hear what he described as a small dog barking. Gravy heard the same sounds but, from where he was sitting, could hear it was dripping noises from the sump pump that had recently just stopped pumping water. This was also captured on the audio recorders present at the time.
No other events of note occurred during this session, and the team decided to head to the Inn to continue the investigation at 7:58 pm.
8:00 pm – Bar Room
Gravy sat near the main bar within sight of Tony who sat at the second table of the east wing of the Bar Room. Control silence was observed at 8:00 pm. It was noted during control silence that traffic, the furnace, and random popping of building noises could all be heard.
An EVP session was started at 8:02 pm.
At 8:04 pm, Tony heard, what he described as the sound of someone leaning or putting their weight on a table while sitting down. The table he heard the sound come from was across the room from where he was sitting. The table was not moved or touched by an investigator throughout the night. It was most likely the wooden table was adjusting to any temperature changes in the room.
At 8:18 pm, because of the size of this space, Gravy and Tony moved to different locations in the Bar Room. Tony sat in the northwest corner below where the stomping of feet on the floor above claim was. Gravy sat at the bottom of the stairs.
At 8:20 pm, Tony heard what he described as a wine bottle cork popping open near the bar area.
At 8:25 pm, both Gravy and Tony heard a strange noise that was hard to describe at the time. It was noted that no traffic was passing by and it sounded like it came from within the Bar Room somewhere. The sound was captured on audio recorders in the room and sounded like a loud drop of water. Gravy asked for the same sound to be repeated twice with no response. The sound was not heard again that night.
At 8:31 pm, Tony heard a thud in the same vicinity he heard the wine bottle cork sound. This was most likely normal building sounds.
No other events of note occurred during this session and the team decided to head upstairs at 8:38 pm.
8:41 pm – Champagne Room
Tony sat at the east end of the room. Gravy sat closest to the bar on the west side. Control silence was observed starting at 8:41 pm. It was noted during control silence traffic, a hum from equipment behind the bar, and the furnace below where Tony was sitting could be heard.
An EVP session was started at 8:43 pm. Nothing occurred during this session and it was decided to move to a different location at 8:59 pm.
9:00 pm – High Life Room
Tony sat by the bar where the bar top lifts up for a bartender to access behind the bar. Gravy sat in the northwest corner above the areas where the claim of feet stomping is heard below. Control silence was observed at 9:00 pm. It was noted during control silence that traffic and a refrigerator compressor behind the bar could be heard.
An EVP session was started at 9:04 pm.
At 9:08 pm, Gravy heard what he described as a very faint chirp like a distant smoke detector with a dying battery. This chirp was not captured on any audio devices.
At 9:09 pm, Gravy and Tony both heard a sound described as a voice but was believed to have been water dripping from behind the bar. It was noted as an odd sound. On the recorders in the room, it sounds like something being dropped in a toilet.
At 9:20 pm, Gravy heard the same chirp noise from before. It was believed the sound was coming from the employee break room where there were some electronic devices that could not be turned off. The door in the hallway leading towards the employee break room was shut to control as much of that noise contamination as possible.
Nothing else occurred during this session and Tony and Gravy decided to take a break in the Bar Room at 9:23 pm.
10:05 pm – Cave
For this EVP session, Tony and Gravy sat in opposite locations from their previous visit. Tony sat on the northwest bench and Gravy sat on the southeast bench closest to the front of the Cave. At 10:05 pm an EVP session was started.
At 10:14 pm, both Tony and Gravy claimed to witness something had blocked out the light coming out from under the eight to ten-inch gap of the southwest most door of the Cave. Both investigators were looking in the same direction in the Cave at the time of the event but each had different perspectives. Gravy could not see the gap of the door from where he was sitting. He could see the light on the floor and, at first, thought it was an animal, possibly a rat, that had entered the Cave. From Tony’s perspective, he could see the bottom of the door and thought perhaps something on the other side had blocked out the light. Gravy went to investigate to make sure no one was on the other side. Because the door led to a narrow tunnel leading into a section of the brewing factory, Gravy could not determine if there was a person on the other side of the door despite yelling out “Hello” hoping to hear a response from someone working there.
Since there was no response and there seemed to be no one else there, Gravy tried to replicate the blocking out of the light but could not recreate the same event witnessed by Tony. It is possible an animal could have blocked out the light but was gone by the time it was investigated. There were no animals witnessed in the Caves though.
At 10:33 pm, Tony claimed to have seen a shadow move from right to left at the front of the cave. Tony said he saw it as soon as he turned his head to look in that direction. We believe this was his eyes adjusting to the dim light coming from under the large gap of the door.
No other events occurred during this session and the team decided to head back into the Miller Inn at 10:35 pm.
10:37 pm- Bar Room
Tony sat in the Bar Room and Gravy sat in the east wing of the Bar Room.
At 10:37 pm an EVP session was started.
As previously done, because of the size of this space, at 10:49 pm, Gravy and Tony moved to different locations. Gravy sat in the northwest corner below where the stomping of feet from the floor above claim was. Tony sat at the bottom of the stairs.
At 10:50 pm, Tony went to the High Life Room above Gravy to see how heavy someone had to walk in order for someone below to hear. Gravy could hear Tony walking but it was not loud like the stomps described in the claims of activity. Tony also moved some chairs around which was louder than his walking around. He also lifted a chair a few inches off the ground and dropped it. This was a much louder noise but was unmistakenly a chair from the room below. It is possible if there is a group of people in the High Life Room and they are moving chairs, they could create the loud thumping noise unintentionally.
Completing this debunking session, Gravy joined Tony on the 2nd Floor of the Miller Inn at 11:05 pm.
11:06 pm – Champagne Room
Gravy sat at the east end of the room. Tony sat closest to the bar on the west side. No control silence was needed and an EVP session was started at 11:06 pm.
Nothing of note occurred and Tony and Gravy moved to the last location for the night at 11:14 pm.
11:15 pm – High Life Room
Gravy sat by the bar where the bar top lifts up for a bartender to access behind the bar. Tony sat in the northwest corner above the areas where the claim of feet stomping is heard below.
An EVP session was started at 11:15 pm.
At 11:16 pm, Tony heard a loud knock on a table to his right. Gravy noted the temperature in the room at the time was 72.2 degrees which was 3 degrees higher than when it was taken during the baselines. This temperature adjustment could cause the wood of the table to expand making a perceivable knocking noise.
No other events occurred during this EVP session and the team decided to end the investigation for the evening at 11:22 pm.
Conclusion
The claims of activity at the Miller Caves and the Miller Inn have been around for a long time, with a few new claims added over the last few years. PIM has done multiple investigations at the Miller Inn and Miller Caves. During our first investigation, there was some activity noted in the Cave that was not replicated during this investigation. As always, a few investigations are not enough to find out what is going on at the Miller Inn and Caves and PIM hopes to return in the future to continue the study of the location.
PIM would like to thank Molson Coors for entrusting us with this investigation. We at PIM take our investigations very seriously and we are always honored when asked to investigate these historic locations.
