The Paranormal Museum- Paranormal Books & Curiosities — Attraction in Asbury Park

My girlfriend and I attended this tour with little to no expectation or understanding of the content beforehand. Ericka lead our tour and she was really knowledgeable and quite funny! Particularly both upon the indoor museum segment of the tour. My partner and I had a wonderful time getting to walk about Asbury Park during lively weekend times, but also that we were getting a historical education at the same time.

The paranormal museum was my personal favorite part of the experience as the artifacts and stories presented were the most interesting to me, personally. My GF was more fond of the walking aspects, but the physical artifacts contained in the museum was where my interest peaked.

An important thing to note -- there is a section of the paranormal museum where were alerted that the items have previously been associated with people, particularly young children, feeling unwell or voicing discomfort around close proximity to them. We thought nothing more of them than being part of the descriptions of the paranormal artifacts, however, when we got home that night, I had pretty moderate stomach discomfort that extended into the next day. I made a comment about it, and my partner who felt completely fine that night and most of the next day SUDDENLY came down with the EXACT symptoms I was experiencing. Namely, stomach aches, near nausea, overall discomfort, and low energy. She even had remarked on noticing that our cat was exhibiting stomach discomfort after we came home that night! None of us put it together until she finally had a complete random wave of the EXACT symptoms.

Pretty spooky stuff! None of us were seriously ill, and we got over the symptoms by the end of the 2nd day, but we felt it was important to make that note in the review as we were told it was previously reported and we ended up being those affected as wel!

All in all we had a wonderful time, and we are looking forward to booking another trip to Asbury Park based solely on the historical context we learned so much more about during this tour, and we will most DEFINITELY come back to the museum!

Thank you Ericka for your wonderful tour guiding, and we hope to bump into you on...

I cannot recommend the Ghosts of the Boardwalk tour by the Paranormal Museum highly enough! This was an unforgettable evening filled with eerie stories, rich history, and an atmosphere that perfectly captured the haunted charm of Asbury Park. But what truly made the night exceptional was our guide, RJ.

From the moment the tour began, RJ’s warm and friendly demeanor set the tone for a welcoming, engaging experience. He has a true gift for storytelling—each stop along the boardwalk and surrounding streets came alive through his eloquent narration. His deep knowledge of Asbury Park’s darker past, from tragic fires to long-forgotten hauntings, was fascinating and delivered with theatrical flair, yet always respectful and grounded in fact.

What stood out most, however, was RJ’s generosity of time and spirit. After the tour officially ended, he stayed with us past the scheduled time, answering my questions with patience and insight. He didn’t just scratch the surface—he went deeper into local lore, theories of paranormal activity, and even the ethics of ghost hunting, which I found especially interesting.

But perhaps the most touching part of the night was the personal advice he gave to my young niece, who is exploring what areas of study she would like to pursue in college and beyond. RJ took the time to listen, offer thoughtful guidance, and share some of his own journey. His words were encouraging and clearly made a strong impact on her. It’s rare to meet someone so generous not only with their knowledge but with their kindness as well.

If you're in Asbury Park and even slightly curious about the paranormal—or just want to explore the city from a fresh, mysterious perspective—do not miss this tour. And if you’re lucky enough to have RJ as your guide, prepare for an evening you’ll be talking about long after the ghosts have...

RJ was our guide for our family of four and he was great at pivoting from stories that piqued my interest, as well as to our youngest who was with us. RJ’s enthusiasm is contagious and really helped energize us in a rainy, dreary afternoon. The tour itself is an hour and is packed with details. RJ was great at providing passionate commentary while reading the room. There is certainly a wide spectrum of “paranormal” from dark to darker and we appreciated his insight to his audience. The tour itself provides a lot to look at but the time does go quickly, because there is so much to see; a literal feast for the eyes. We were encouraged to speak up if we felt anything “different” and we certainly did. During one part, my daughter and I got goosebumps at the same time for no reason. My wife and other daughter felt warmth when passing a specific artifact. I was also impressed with some of the actual historical items they have. There is a small, but impressive collection of authentic US presidential items that were surprising to see in a museum of this size.

The shop is small looking, but I spent a good 40 minutes looking around. There are some novelty items but there are also a significant amount of items that seem to be on the rare side, certainly a niche collection at the minimum. Staff were very friendly to all of us. We were unsure how we would be received as a family of four, but we felt welcomed and appreciated.

I provided gratuity and there was genuine appreciation and an authentic thank you. Definitely a great place to spend part of an afternoon at, especially great on rainy days. I can only imagine this place in October. We will be back to show friends.

You need reservations so don’t show up expecting someone to be available. The tour is private, making it significantly more...