Series pulls back curtain on area’s spooky past

What goes bump in the night in Macon?

An ongoing video series is exploring just that while uncovering the area’s ghost tales and other spooky stories.

“Macon Beyond” is hosted by actress and producer Carrie Genzel in collaboration with Visit Macon. Genzel, alongside self-described psychic empath Morrighan Lynne and paranormal investigator Jonathan Morgan, unravels local legends and catches a glimpse of the otherworldly — from an elegant 19th-century woman who creeps through the hallways of the Hay House to reports of lingering spirits in Macon City Auditorium.

As Genzel told viewers in one of the episodes: “There’s more to this city than meets the eye.”

This weekend, Genzel and her team will give participants a firsthand glimpse beyond the veil with a live paranormal investigation of Burke Mansion — followed by a two-night stay in the home, which was built in 1887 by T.C. Burke, the city’s “Merchant Prince” and owner of the namesake building supply house. 

Her intention isn’t to convince anyone of the paranormal, she said. Instead, she challenges attendees to see for themselves.

Tickets for the event have sold out, but a “Macon Beyond” video about the mansion will be released later in October. 

In the future, Genzel said she hopes to explore popular downtown locations such as Grant’s Lounge and the Douglass Theatre. 

Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Genzel moved to Macon from Atlanta almost two years ago. 

She said Macon’s revitalization efforts and its strong sense of community attracted her to the city she now calls home.

“I knew that there was a lot of history here and, when you drive around, you can see just the incredible architecture and beautiful homes,” she said. “I just thought, ‘There’s gotta be a lot of stories here.'”

Genzel said she has always had a connection to the paranormal and spent part of her career behind the camera as a producer for several paranormal reality shows.

“As far back as 5 years old, I remember just having experiences with, I guess what you would call ghosts or spirits,” she said.

Genzel’s work begins with research, whether sleuthing online or digging through the archives at the Washington Memorial Library. There, she pores over old newspaper clippings and microfilm to piece together a location’s history.

“As a storyteller, I’m always fascinated by the stories of the past and how they bleed into today,” she said. “In life, we don’t want to be forgotten, and neither do those who have passed away or have been here before us.”

Genzel’s work isn’t just a deep-dive into the paranormal, she said, but a way of appealing to younger audiences and encouraging them to preserve and honor  “fading history.”

“It’s the younger generations that are eventually going to be the stewards of all of these incredible historical properties,” she said. “So we have to find a way to get them interested.”

To view the series, visit youtube.com/@visitmacon.