Curious Explorers cover art

Curious Explorers

Curious Explorers

Written by: Kathy Kelly and Traci Stein
Listen for free

About this listen

What’s haunting the Paranormal Museum in Asbury Park ?
Are orbs ghostly phenomena or mere camera artifacts?
Can what we do in the future influence the past?
How are precognition and retrocausation connected?
Do the same psychological principles apply to both the living and the dead?
Did Abraham Lincoln foresee his own death?

Join historian Kathy Kelly, proprietress of The Paranormal Museum, and psychologist Traci Stein as they explore the evidence for - and against - a paranormal explanation for all things mysterious, historical and most of all - paranormal.

[Theme song, "The Paranormal is Real" by Leonell Cassio, used with permission.]

© 2025 Curious Explorers
Spirituality World
Episodes
  • Ghosts of the Myrtles Plantation
    Jan 20 2026

    Send us a text

    Join Kathy and Traci as they explore one of America's most famous haunted locations: the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

    In this episode, Kathy shares the story behind a unique artifact in the Paranormal Museum—a cutting from the oleander tree at the center of the plantation's most enduring ghost story.

    But this isn't just another retelling of the legend of “Chloe,” the enslaved woman said to haunt the property. Instead, Kathy examines what happens when we strip away romanticized narratives of the Old South and the Myrtles legend, and confront the brutal historical realities of plantation life and the people who were enslaved there.

    What You'll Discover:

    • The legend of Chloe and the poisoned birthday cake—and why the historical record tells a different story
    • How ghost stories form around places shaped by systemic trauma and exploitation
    • The famous 1990s photograph that captured what appears to be a spectral figure
    • Why the Myrtles' haunting persists
    • The significance of the Oleander tree as a “living witnesses” and the "DNA of a ghost story"
    • Kathy's take on whether the Myrtles is truly haunted

    This episode goes beyond typical ghost story fare to explore how hauntings can be structural rather than tied to single events, and why removing one explanation doesn't remove the experiences themselves. It's an honest examination of how we tell stories about haunted places—and whose stories are and are not recorded.

    Content Note: This episode includes frank, historically accurate discussions of slavery, s*xual exploitation, and violence against enslaved people.

    3:20 - Overview of the Myrtles Plantation

    11:51 - The Legend of Chloe

    18:43 - The Brutal Reality of Enslavement

    34:46 - The Famous Photograph

    39:35 - The Oleander Tree Artifact

    44:57 - The Nature of the Haunting

    48:39 - Kathy's Take on Whether the Myrtles is Haunted

    52:56 - Trees as Living Witnesses

    For more on Kathy Kelly and the Paranormal Museum, visit: https://paranormalbooksnj.com/

    For more on Traci Stein, visit: https://www.drtracistein.com/

    Follow the Curious Explorers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousExplorersShow/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiousexplorersshow/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousExplorersShow


    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Deathbed Visions: Visitors from Beyond the Veil
    Dec 23 2025

    Send us a text

    What if the boundary between life and death isn't as solid as we think? Join Traci and Kathy as they explore deathbed visions— when the dying encounter the otherworldly – departed loved ones, spiritual figures and glimpses of heaven.

    Are these experiences comforting illusions or genuine glimpses beyond the veil? Drawing from bestselling books and deeply personal stories, the Curious Explorers navigate this profound mystery with their signature blend of heart and humor. Expect moving personal accounts, haunted objects, protection spells, and honest conversation about what might be possible in those final, sacred moments.

    Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about life's final frontier.

    For more information on the Curious Explorers Podcast, or to support the show, visit: https://curious-explorers.com/

    For more on Kathy Kelly and the Paranormal Museum, visit: https://paranormalbooksnj.com/

    For more on Traci Stein, visit: https://www.drtracistein.com/

    Follow the Curious Explorers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousExplorersShow/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiousexplorersshow/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousExplorersShow

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • The REAL Bloody Marys
    Dec 17 2025

    Send us a text

    Was the Bloody Mary legend based on Queen Mary? Countess Elizabeth Bathory? Or American Mary Worth?

    Who – or what – shattered the mirrors at the Paranormal Museum?

    Has Kathy ever summoned Bloody Mary?

    And do YOU dare to summon her?

    For more information on the Curious Explorers Podcast, or to support the show, visit: https://curious-explorers.com/

    For more on Kathy Kelly and the Paranormal Museum, visit: https://paranormalbooksnj.com/

    For more on Traci Stein, visit: https://www.drtracistein.com/

    Follow the Curious Explorers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriousExplorersShow/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiousexplorersshow/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousExplorersShow

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
No reviews yet