Review of Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum in Las Vegas

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Key Points:

• Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum is home to a wide assortment of artifacts that range from items said to be haunted to artifacts associated with notable serial killers.

• My favorite items were “museum-like”, and included tools used to commit heinous crimes, a bed that Denis Hof died in, etc.

• The tour itself is lengthy, amounting to a 3-hour total time commitment after accounting for the time spent waiting to enter.

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Zak Bagans, the host of “Ghost Adventures” has accumulated a collection of “oddities” and cursed items at his Haunted Museum, located just off of the beaten path in downtown Las Vegas.

Fittingly, the Haunted Museum calls the 11,000-square-foot Wengert Mansion home, which was built in 1938. The residence is said to be haunted by people who have died there, and there are claims that “dark rituals” were previously performed in the basement.

Inside the home are 30+ themed rooms that contain artifacts from around the world that are said to be haunted, or are just downright morbid.

Below, I’ll give you an idea of what you’ll experience inside Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum, and weigh in on what I liked & didn’t like in an effort to inform your decision to visit or not.

While my reviews typically incorporate images, the museum doesn’t allow any photography – I’ll attempt to leverage my mediocre writing ability to articulate what you’ll find inside.

Haunted Museum Waiver

Interestingly, a waiver is required before entering the Haunted Museum that absolves the Haunted Museum from “Any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense which they may occur as the result of my death or any injury or property damage that I may sustain while participating…”.

While waiting to enter the museum, there are videos on a loop demonstrating occasions when people had negative reactions inside the house. Those reactions included uncontrollable sobbing, fainting, and health issues that required paramedics.

I’m not sure if those occurrences are random, staged, or trumped up to build excitement, but there were definitely visitors in my tour group that were nervous about what was to come.

One lady, who had already paid for the premium “RIP Experience” even dropped out of the tour group right before entering out of fear. She waited nearly 3 hours for her husband to complete the tour in the car. I’m not kidding.

While I don’t necessarily hold strong beliefs about the supernatural, it was clear to me that others do, and adverse reactions are entirely possible.

Zak Bagans Haunted Museum Rooms and Tour

Before departing the ticketing lobby for our tour, our group was instructed to recite the pledge below together, absolving management from any “Actions by these unseen forces”.

Here are a few shots from the ticketing lobby before we were told to shut our phones off:

From here, tour guides bring you from room to room in the Haunted Museum, each of which has its own unique theme or subject matter. Inside each room, your guide provides some background on what you’re about to see.

A short video of Zak Bagans is also commonly played to provide additional background on each room’s contents and how they came to be in the museum.

Here were some notable rooms in the Haunted Museum, and the contents found within them:

Dr. Death: Dr. Jack Kevorkian was a proponent of euthanasia and assisted in approx. 130 assisted deaths. Inside the room are artifacts from his time as a doctor, including the “Death Van”, which was the spot numerous people took their last breaths.

Ed Gein’s Cauldron: In a room dedicated to serial killer Ed Gein is the cauldron used to cook human body parts. Around the room are other artifacts from Gein’s reign of terror including a portrait containing real human skin.

Serial Killer Room: Other serial killer memorabilia is on display in the museum that includes Ted Bundy’s murder kit, and even cremated bone fragments from Charles Manson. On the walls are sickening quotes from notable serial killers on why they kill. The room is packed with artifacts with placards explaining their meaning and takes some time to digest.

Peggy the Doll: Among the more anticipated items on display was Peggy the Doll. In the intro video, Zak points out that even seeing images of Peggy on the internet can cause nightmares and health issues. Our guide instructed us to greet Peggy upon entering the room to show respect, and say goodbye when exiting to end our contact. About half of my tour group opted to stay outside the room out of fear.

The Dybbuk Box: Described by Zak as being one of the most haunted items in existence, the Dybbuk Box is housed under a glass seal within the Museum. Before entering the room, a video describes an incident where Zak was compelled to touch the box while hanging out at the museum with rapper Post Malone. Zak was overcome with a feeling of dread, and Post Malone suffered from bad luck and troubling experiences for weeks.

Celebrity Memorabilia: Celebrity memorabilia on display included Truman Capote’s outfit he was wearing when he died, images of him snorting a white substance, Robin Williams’ costume from the movie “What Dreams May Come”, Patrick Swayze’s tooth, and the transaxle from James Dean’s cursed Porche 550 Spyder.

Demon House Basement: Zak purchased a home in Gary, Indiana where a number of family members had become possessed. After investigating the strange happenings and producing a documentary, Zak had the house destroyed. Before doing so though, he removed stairs leading to the basement and a large amount of dirt that made up the basement floor for his museum in Las Vegas, where the basement was re-created.

Devil’s Rocking Chair: Associated with the exorcism of a boy named David Glatzel, an evil figure referred to as “The Beast” has been seen sitting in the chair. Additionally, people who have sat in the chair have experienced severe back pain. At one point, Zak elected to shutter the display because visitors were experiencing spells of uncontrollable crying in its presence. The display has since reopened, and the chair is now encased behind glass.

Dennis Hof’s Deathbed: Morbidly, the bed that Dennis Hof passed away in at the Bunny Ranch brothel is on display. The bed was also the scene of Lamar Odom’s overdose in 2015. In addition to the bed are two mirrors that hung above the bed at the ranch. The mirrors are notable because a demonic figure is visible in one of the mirrors in a photo that was taken at the ranch, which is also on display.

Circus Act Room: After walking through a number of rooms and hallways with clowns of various sizes and animatronic abilities, you get to a room where a man performs a circus act, sticking a 6-inch drill bit up his nostril. Definitely cool, albeit somewhat disgusting. Not something I thought I would see at a haunted museum.

Of course, there are many more rooms, most of which I found to be interesting.

I think it’s important to point out that this isn’t a “haunted house” attraction, but rather a museum of artifacts.

While there are 2 or 3 occasions where you may be startled (I’m not going to spoil those surprises :), this isn’t an attraction that will leave most people terrified.

The Verdict: Is Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum Worth Visiting?

Even as a person who isn’t necessarily in touch with my supernatural side, I found the museum to be interesting, unique, and well put together. While I didn’t love every aspect, there was enough meat on the bone that I deem visiting worth my time and money.

The museum-type items associated with serial killers, the Bunny Ranch, human remains, etc. were among the things I found most intriguing, albeit disturbing.

I found the room with real photographs of torture victims to be in poor taste. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m not keen on the idea of profiting off of images of someone in extreme pain. It just seemed disrespectful.

While I personally wasn’t as into the haunted items, I thought that the backstories and how they were displayed made them interesting enough. As I mentioned previously, skeptics among us may get a “This item is an attraction because we say it is” vibe.

With that being said, I could tell that other people in my group were not only into it, but legitimately scared of what they were seeing. Some group members even opted out of entering certain haunted item rooms.

The museum itself is expertly presented, and each room has a unique theme and vibe. The house just feels creepy, and there are interesting “oddities” to see on every wall and around every corner.

Ultimately, there’s something for all tastes in Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum, and the attraction serves as a differentiated thing to do in Las Vegas for those that want a break from gambling and casinos.

The decision to visit or not really depends on where your interests lie. If you’re even remotely interested in the supernatural, true crime artifacts, or have enjoyed Zak’s show “Ghost Adventures”, then give it a go. I think you’ll enjoy your experience.

Skeptics, however, may find themselves rolling their eyes from time to time.

See Also: Gain more itinerary inspiration with both these Weird, and Educational Things To Do in Las Vegas.

Jake Hoffman

I’m a former software salesman turned Vegas aficionado. While the craps table is my preferred habitat, I pull myself away to explore new attractions, shows, restaurants, and outdoor activities around Las Vegas with the intent of sharing my experiences.

Ultimately, I just want to help folks plan a better trip and save a few bucks in the process.

More about me, here.

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