By: Melissa Keen
It’s mid-September. The sun is setting, the leaves are rustling, and the hallways are darkening. Inside, cameras are being set up as people scurry around, pulling on jackets and hats as the temperatures cool as night descends. Looks like any other fall evening at Haunted Hill View Manor. But this night is different. Investigating our hallways are Jack Osborne, Katrina Weidman, and the production staff of the Travel Channel show Portals to Hell.
The crew arrived and quickly settled in for 4 days of filming and investigating at HHVM. It was fascinating watching all the behind the scenes work. From camera setups, drone footage, running cables, setting up lighting…it’s very intensive work and the crew were all so skilled and efficient.
It was such an exciting experience to be a part of filming a television show, especially Portals to Hell. Katrina and Jack have both made names for themselves in the paranormal field. Katrina with Paranormal State, Paranormal Lockdown, and now Portals to Hell. Jack – along with being the son of Ozzy and Sharon Osborne, has appeared on Haunted Highway, The Osborne’s want to Believe, and of course…Portals to Hell. Jack and Katrina were warm, friendly, funny, and very interested in the history and hauntings here at HHVM.
Even though they were there filming for 4 days, they were only able to investigate 2 areas of Haunted Hill View Manor – Jeffrey’s hallway and One North. In a building that’s almost 100,000 square feet, that’s only a very small piece of our building. And the evidence and experiences they had did not disappoint. Jack said that “it’s like the building was alive” and that “the building is relentless”. He’s not wrong.
Our owner Carrie Triko, and staff members Ken Azzarello, Sue Vesch, and I were honored to be able to appear on camera and help with the history and investigation. There was a lot of behind the scenes grins, sweating, nerves, giggles, and slaps on the leg accompanied by “you do it!” “No! You do it!” It was exhilarating and nerve wracking all at once. Staff member Dale Rodgers got to spend time with the crew overnight and really enjoyed working with them and watching everything come together.
When I asked Sue about how she felt being part of the show, she replied that “it’s surreal because I used to attend OzzFest in my 20’s and now I’m on camera with Jack!” Without a doubt, Ken being able to investigate Bill’s room (128) with Katrina and Jack was the most exciting part of the show. It confirmed what Bill has been saying to Ken about room 144. The looks on their faces when Bill answered their questions was priceless.
I don’t envy the editors who had to condense 4 days of footage with multiple camera angles, interviews, investigation, drones, and so much more, into a single 45 minute show. But they did it. Jack and Katrina said they’ll have to come back at least 7 more times and we truly hope they do! We scored a 9 on Jack’s “Woogie Boogie” scale and we hold that score with honor.
As I stated earlier, this was such an amazing experience and such an honor for our building to be featured on this great show. Thank you to Jack, Katrina, and everyone else who made this happen. I’ll never forget this and look forward to seeing you again at Haunted Hill View Manor. On to the next…