Special Event

Paranormal Expo returns to benefit military museum

Psychic readings, stories from ghost hunters and research on Bigfoot are just a few of the supernatural offerings at the fourth annual Arkansas Paranormal Expo, a fundraiser for the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History.
Psychic readings, stories from ghost hunters and research on Bigfoot are just a few of the supernatural offerings at the fourth annual Arkansas Paranormal Expo, a fundraiser for the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History.

Sometimes it's fun to revel in the spooky.

The Arkansas Paranormal Expo is a celebration of all things supernatural, odd and mystical. But the purpose of the expo, explains founder Rhonda Burton, is simple and grounded. It's to help the MacArthur Museum of Military History.

Arkansas Paranormal Expo

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock

Admission: $5

(501) 376-4602

arkansasparanormale…

The museum is in the 1840 Tower Building, the birthplace of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, which has also served as an arsenal, quarters for officers and their families and a children's museum.

With so much history behind it, the museum naturally draws the attention of paranormal enthusiasts. Not all organizations and people are responsive to such groups' interest in their historic buildings, but the museum staff, headed by Executive Director Stephan McAteer, has been an exception.

"They're real lenient," Burton says. "MacArthur has always been supportive of paranormal groups coming in and experiencing the museum on that level."

She was looking for a way to give a little boost to the museum's finances and also have a enjoyable event for the paranormal community.

So she approached McAteer about the possibility of a paranormal expo. He says, "In my opinion, this is a great example of museums thinking outside the box."

Burton says, "It's kind of a payback for MacArthur because of all they've done for paranormal groups."

This is the fourth year for the expo, which drew about 175 people its first year and by last year had ballooned to 550.

To attract a wider audience, Burton schedules a steady stream of speakers, the vast majority of them Arkansans, and covering the full spectrum: ghost hunters, psychics, Bigfoot researchers, a representative of Mufon (Mutual UFO Network) and pretty much everything paranormal.

"I make sure everything's covered," Burton says. "Most everybody, if they love one thing, they're interested in all of it. They can't just go in there and say, 'I believe in ghosts.' There's always something in their head about everything else."

Speakers like psychic Carol Pate have been particularly popular with visitors in the past.

"They love coming in and watching someone who actually lived it, listening to them tell stories," Burton says. "These are their hobbies and these are things they just love."

There will also be spiritual readings available for additional fees, and Burton encourages those interested to sign up early upon arrival. Slots are usually full by 1 p.m.

This year, Burton says, she's expanding a little bit outside the confines of the museum. The paranormal people will be inside on the third floor, but in what she calls "the MacArthur Museum Front Lawn Fair," other vendors, including food vendors, will set up outdoors. The museum will be open to regular visitors in the meantime.

Burton is also bringing back one of the most popular elements of the expo: the raffle. This year's prizes include gift cards, baskets and a Kindle Fire. Raffle tickets are $5 for the Kindle, $2 for everything else.

All the money raised goes directly to the museum, Burton says, which is the ultimate purpose of the whole day: "I just love the museum. It has history. It's so beautiful. You want to keep it going."

Weekend on 09/18/2014

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