Ghost Hunt at Sloss Furnace in Birmingham, AL

Price includes:

Entrance Fee, Complete paranormal investigation of Sloss, Briefing and overview of equipment, Use of Equipment and midnight snack and discussion after investigation for those who are interested.  

This is not a tour, this is a parnaormal investigation of a well known haunted place.  

Over 18 only!  You will have to fill out a waiver when you arrive.

IMPORTANT:

CREDIT CARD STATEMENT WILL SHOW PAYMENTS MADE TO WEPAY.  If you have any questions or concerns, do not call Sloss Furnaces, call or text APA - Tammy at 317-292-4572.

Please be sure to arrive at Sloss Furnaces at 7PM for briefing.  DO NOT BE LATE!  

Lodging info: 

There are many places to lay your head after the investigation but here are a couple of suggestions:

Springhill Suites

^{2024 4th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233}

^{(205) 322-8600}

Double Tree by Hilton Birmingham

808 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35233

(205) 933-9000

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark Rules & Regulations

1. Climbing is not allowed on any Sloss Furnaces Historic Landmark structures or equipment. 
2. All vehicles must park in designated public parking areas. The Museum and APA assumes no responsibility for guests’ automobiles or personal property, whether remaining in the automobile or checked/left in the building. Guest assumes all responsibility for any goods or materials, which it may place in the Museum before, during or after any event. 
3. Guest is responsible for any repair or replacement costs involving Museum equipment and APA equipment.
4. No one is allowed to remove any items from the site, without authorization. 
5. No temporary structures can be built on the site, without authorization. 
6. Do not use rope, plastic ties, nails or tape on any Sloss Structures.
7. No motorcycles, bicycles, roller blades and skateboards are allowed on the sidewalks, patios or in the casting sheds. 
8. Smoking inside any building is prohibited. Smoking is permitted on the site in designated areas. 
9. All interior gates on the site must be secured during business hours, with the exception of the Main Visitor Entrance. 
10. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark will be rented in “as is” condition. Guests recognize that this site is a National Historic Landmark and agree to be respectful of the site and its heritage. The site shall return to the condition in which it was rented at the end of the event. 
     
11. Guest agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Sloss Furnaces Foundation, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and the city of Birmingham, their agents, servants, officers and employees, and any APA Staff or owners from any and all liability for injury to persons or property resulting from the negligence or willful conduct of the renters, its agents, servants, officers, employees, invitees and guest. 
12. ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL, DRUGS and/or WEAPONS of any kind are allowed on the property at any time. Coolers or any carry in containers are subject to inspection, by staff. There are NO REFUNDS for any reason-NO EXCEPTIONS.

By booking your investigation with this site, you are solely responsible for understanding and following these rules and regulations. BE SURE to understand age restrictions (over 18 only) as there will be NO REFUNDS and guests will not be permitted to enter if they do not qualify for the age restrictions. NO EXCEPTIONS!

 NO REFUNDS!  You may sell or gift your tickets to someone else but please let us know names of those you are giving tickets to. For all Rules and Regulations you can click here.

History

Birmingham, AL, Sloss Furnaces was founded on June 1, 1871. Its name is borrowed from one of England's principal industrial cities, a choice the founders hoped would herald the town as a great center for America's industrial age. For Birmingham had a characteristic that made it unique worldwide -- the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal and limestone, the three principal raw materials used in making steel. This powerful combination of minerals quickly earned Birmingham the nickname, "The Magic City."

On the outskirts of The Magic City sits Sloss Furnaces. James Withers Sloss started construction on the Sloss Furnaces in 1881, just 10 years after the city's founding. This entrepreneur quickly capitalized on Birmingham's fortunate location and the enormous amount of cheap labor available in the form of freed slaves. To cement Sloss' place in this financial bonanza, he used his wealth and political influence to become the first president of the newly merged Nashville and Decatur Railway Company. His first priority was to expand their railway lines down to Birmingham, thereby securing the exportation of steel made at Sloss Furnaces.

Daily Dangers and Deaths

Sloss opened the gates of his eponymous furnace company on April 18, 1882, employing hundreds of men from the surrounding area. The positions at Sloss were highly dangerous, but also highly sought-after as working with the blast furnaces was fairly advanced at that time. No government agency protected the rights of workers; 12-hour days were the norm and pay often came in the form of scripts only good at the company store.

While pay was low and hours ran high, industrial accidents were what workers feared most. Some men fell into the molten steel and incinerated, while others fell victim to the silent poisoning of carbon monoxide or the volatile bursts from steam pipes. Every inch of Sloss Furnaces held danger for the workers who toiled there -- from the catwalk to the tunnel, the furnaces to the wheel -- every precarious step could have been, and often was, their last.

Perhaps the most ghastly death is one that befell a worker on his lunch break. Sitting near one of the large flywheels used to power the huge scalding boilers, he leaned a little too close and the wheel caught his clothing, slowly dragging him into the gears. Witnesses at the time shuttered; each time the wheel went around, there was a little less of their friend.

Paranormal Activity Reported

On September 9, 1887, Richard Jowers was working at Furnace Number One. Standing near the top of the furnace, he slipped, and he and the heavy bell he had been preparing to melt tumbled into the molten steel below. There was nothing anyone could do to help, and they stood helplessly by as Jowers was incinerated. It is rumored they were able to remove his head and several bones before his remains were lost completely.

At night, this old building, now a national landmark, still echoes with noises from its perilous past. Screams are heard, apparitions are seen, and on the second floor of the Blower Building, there's the sinister presence known as "Slag," an overly cruel foreman who can still be heard belittling his crew.

The Magic City was built on the backs of ordinary men and a great many of them toiled and died at Sloss Furnaces. Perhaps they haunt the grounds so the city does not forget their gruesome sacrifice.