The Club Charles and the Zodiac Strange Experiences by Daniel Bell
The article “The Club Charles and the Zodiac: Strange Experiences” by Daniel Bell recounts eerie encounters at two Baltimore locations. At The Club Charles, unexplained incidents included drinks swapping places and phantom cat noises linked to a deceased resident cat. At The Zodiac, ghostly activity involved a shaking fan and a falling box during a ghost investigation, accompanied by a chilling cold breeze. Bell also details capturing inexplicable orbs on film during visits to Utica Bridge and Poe’s house, with photos that left even skeptics puzzled.
I would like to tell a few experiences I have had while visiting The Club Charles and The Zodiac in Baltimore City.
Years ago I had just left work and decided to pop into the Club Charles for a drink. It was about 6pm, and the bar was empty except for my friend who was there bartending. She poured me a drink and we sat at the end of the bar chatting about our day. My friend had a coke and she had placed it in front of her. I had my drink and it was placed in front of me. As we were chatting, I reached down to pick up my drink. As I raised the straw to my lips and took a sip, I realized that I was drinking her coke. The drinks had somehow been switched right in front of us without us even knowing.
Needless to say we knew it was Frenchy playing another prank.
Although it gave me the shivers, they had disappeared after I had some more drinks.
The second incident had occurred a couple of years ago in The Club Charles. My friend and I had gone in to have a drink. We were sitting up by the front window when from underneath the cigarette machine we heard a cat meow. We were talking to the bartender when this happened and we all heard it. Suddenly we heard a cat groan. I stood up and stooped down to look under the cigarette machine and their was nothing there. The bartender told me that the resident cat, Sinbad, had passed away a few weeks prior to that incident.
Now the most recent incident happened during an investigation with The Maryland Ghost and Spirit Association. After the dinner, I walked upstairs on the Zodiac side. I got to the top of the steps to see two women already looking around. I started talking to these women about their home on the Eastern Shore and its ghosts when the fan behind them started to shake back and forth. I told them to look and they turned around to see the fan swaying slowly back and forth. Just as we commented about how weird it was, a large box behind the fan crashed to the floor from the shelve it was sitting on. We sat there stunned and a cold breeze hit us.
I will tell you, I was scared.
The ghost in The Zodiac is not a nice one. I have heard of his unfriendly antics and I knew he was upset we were in his space. I was relieved to see more people coming up the stairs. I knew he would retreat somewhere else.
I went to Utica Bridge last evening. I got some great orb photos. We went to Poe’s house in the afternoon and then to the three bridges. I snapped about 100 photos of all three places and the only photos of anything were taken at Utica Bridge. I took them on a 35 mm camera that isn’t digital and had my friend at the photo developing place I go to look at the prints and negatives. He has 25 years of experience and said he has never been unable to explain things that are unusual in photos until I brought my photos to him. It gave me a good feeling. He does not believe in ghosts and was astounded by my photographs.
So those are my stories
SOURCE: v5 MGSA Oct 2005
Baltimore Nights: Ghosts, Glamour, and Intrigue
Baltimore, the city that wears its history like a faded fedora, is where the shadows are just as lively as the neon lights. By day, it’s all charming cobblestones and waterfront views, but by night? That’s when the real stories come out to play. Imagine a noir flick splashed with supernatural hues—welcome to Baltimore after dark. From the smoky corners of The Club Charles to the storied streets of Fells Point, this town is a gumshoe’s dream of ghostly gossip, high-stakes intrigue, and midnight mysteries.
The Club Charles: Where Drinks and Spirits Mix
This joint isn’t just a bar; it’s the kind of place where you half-expect Humphrey Bogart to stroll in and order a whiskey neat. The Club Charles, with its retro vibe and eclectic crowd, has more than just cocktails on tap. Rumor has it, the ghost of a long-gone feline prowls the place, leaving phantom meows and mysteriously rearranged drinks in its wake. Call it kitschy, call it creepy, but it’s got the kind of charm you can’t bottle.
The Zodiac: Cosmic Spooks and Cold Breezes
Over at The Zodiac, the atmosphere isn’t just vintage—it’s otherworldly. Fans shake like they’re auditioning for a disaster flick, and boxes topple for no good reason. Ghost hunters have a field day here, especially when a sudden cold breeze cuts through the room like a knife in a gangster’s back. It’s the kind of place where you expect the unexpected, and it always delivers.
Fells Point: Sailors, Spies, and Specters
Fells Point is Baltimore’s answer to Casablanca: a waterfront haven teeming with intrigue. Back in the day, it was a sailor’s paradise and a smuggler’s playground. Today, it’s a hotbed of bars, restaurants, and ghostly encounters. Picture spectral sailors roaming the misty streets or shadowy figures slipping into alleyways. This is where the past clings like a dame with a secret, and every cobblestone has a story to tell.
Downtown’s Dark Side: Murder, Mystery, and Espionage
The Inner Harbor may be all glitz and glamour, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a history dripping with intrigue. During the Civil War, spies worked these streets like chess masters plotting their next move. Fast forward, and whispers of covert meetings and unsolved murders still linger in the air. It’s the kind of place where you can almost hear the soundtrack swell as the camera zooms in on a shadowy figure under a streetlamp.
A Nightlife That’s Larger Than Life
Baltimore’s nightlife isn’t just about the drinks or the music—it’s about the stories. It’s where the ghosts of history dance with the living, and every corner holds a surprise. Whether you’re sipping a Manhattan in a haunted bar or chasing the night through Fells Point, you’re part of a tale that’s as gritty as it is glamorous.
So, the next time you’re in Baltimore after dark, keep your eyes peeled and your wits sharp. In this city, the line between past and present is as thin as the mist rolling off the harbor, and every shadow has a story waiting to be told.