Tour groups lead visitors into former Michigan asylum and Ohio funeral home

Halloween tourism has expanded beyond actors in costumes to include guided trips into actual historic buildings. In Westland, Michigan, and Toledo, Ohio, private companies now charge adults to explore a former psychiatric hospital and a decommissioned funeral home. Visitors can rent equipment such as electromagnetic field meters and spirit boxes to scan for activity.

Justin Cox founded Michighost Paranormal, which operates out of the Eloise Asylum attraction in Westland. The site began as a 19th-century poorhouse and grew into one of the nation's largest public health facilities by the late 1920s. Most of the original complex was razed in the 1980s, leaving a five-story red-brick structure known as the Kay Beard Building. Cox leads groups through the upper floors where patients were treated. He reports that guests frequently feel physical contact, including grabs and handprints on their clothing.

Cox believes trauma leaves energy behind, creating hauntings in locations with a history of tragedy. His team offers tours of specific rooms, including one with a bathtub used for hydrotherapy sessions. Some guests enter the tub during the tour. The company also sells overnight stays in the building.

Lexi Carter, the lead makeup artist and scare actor at the attraction, participated in one of the paranormal investigations. She said the upper floors feel alive. While watching her equipment detect signals, Carter said, "Oh, my God. It blew me away. I was like, 'No way. This is real.'" Family members of former patients have criticized the for-profit model, arguing it turns the suffering of vulnerable people into amusement.

Fifty miles south in Toledo, the former Urbanski Funeral Home now operates as Mortuary Manor. The 60,000-square-foot building functioned as a funeral home from 1926 until its sale last year. It now serves as a museum and venue. Visitors can inspect embalming and autopsy rooms. The basement morgue features a slab that juts from the wall, where guests take photos lying down. The property hosts a wedding on Friday, November 13, and offers a five-room suite for $200 per night.

Cory Leibenguth, the operations manager, lives in an apartment adjacent to the main building. He notes that the site includes modern amenities like indoor plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi. He said these features distinguish the location from other abandoned sites. Visitors can also watch a horror movie projected on the wall of the main sitting room while standing among caskets. Cox stated that the experience allows people to relax and enjoy the holiday with friends and family.