Masses of people visit walk-through haunted houses during the month of October each year. But would there be quite so many volunteers willing to walk through a building that truly was haunted?

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the fact remains sometimes things go bump in the night. And sometimes these things are without explanation.

After asking many residents, one of the most common places people have heard stories of strange occurrences is in the building that once was the women’s dormitory at Phillips University.

Stories run rampant among college students concerning that old dorm. Stories of accidental death, murder and suicide all are used to explain legends such as strange lights shining through windows when there is no electricity in the building.

But the fact is, those old dorms are old news.

Actually, many of Enid’s spooky tales have been told over and over throughout the years and are beginning to lose excitement.

There is one place that boasts old rumors of hauntings but has a recent new story.

Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse, built in 1920 as Alton’s Mercantile, long has been rumored to be one of Enid’s homes for the paranormal. Recently, an unexplained occurrence may bring new light to the old stories.

Once upon a recent evening, Mollie Babb, a volunteer coordinator for Leonardo’s, was sitting alone in the aging structure.

“I was here by myself in the office,” said Babb. “And I heard a thud on the third floor.”

Dedicated to her work, Babb has spent a lot of time in the building and has heard a plethora of sounds that can be made by a settling frame or a ventilation system.

“You hear a lot of noises, but it was kind of different,” said Babb.

The noise was unusual enough to cause Babb to abandon her work and exit the building, careful to lock the doors and set the motion-sensitive alarms.

Babb then made her way to her vehicle, safe from whatever may have been creating noise in the building.

Or so she thought.

“Just as I shut my (car) door, my phone rang,” said Babb.

Looking at the caller ID, Babb was baffled.

The call was coming from Leonardo’s.

Babb, knowing she was the last to leave the building, put the phone to her ear.

“Thank you for calling Leonardo’s,” said a recorded voice, the voice of Leonardo’s answering machine.

Babb then hung up the phone and left the premises.

When telling the story, Babb never used the word “ghost” or “haunt” and maybe there is no spirit residing at Leonardo’s.

However, an eerie phone call from an answering ma-chine is not what would generally be classified as normal.

Perhaps that makes it paranormal.

Intrigued by this new development in an urban legend, this reporter decided to see if any more new twists were out there.

So, I set my sights on the notoriously “haunted” Knox Building, home of Enid Sym-phony Orchestra.

The Knox Building was built in 1921 and was used as a Masonic Temple. The building was closed during the 1940s and sat vacant until some time in the 1980s, with the fourth and fifth floors remaining vacant until the 1990s.

Doug Newell, music director of Enid Symphony Orchestra, was more than willing to fill me in on the accounts from people who have had strange experiences in the building.

First, Newell shared a personal experience.

“I heard someone come down the stairwell one day and I went to see who it was,” said Newell.

As he reached the stairwell, Newell came upon a short man in a blue work suit with a cigar in his mouth. Newell offered up a kind hello, but the stranger never responded. He continued down the stairs, the sound of his footsteps disappearing the instant he did.

Remembering the name George on the monogram of the man’s blue work suit, Newell called the elevator company and thanked them for sending George to work on the elevator in the building.

The answer Newell received was not, “You’re welcome.”

The answer Newell re-ceived was the elevator company had not sent a repairman.

Perhaps this was not paranormal. Perhaps George was a worker from another company with some other business in the Knox Building.

But it was a strange coincidence when Newell discovered there were other stories of a ghost dwelling in the building because those who told the stories referred to the ghost as George.

Legend has it George was once a worker in the building during the early days. He met his untimely death when he fell down an elevator shaft.

With many other accounts of footsteps, doors opening and closing by themselves and even of sheet music sent flying across the stage, I decided a night in the Knox Building was just what I needed to see if the old stories of George could be brought to life with a new experience.

After a fair bit of pleading, I convinced my husband, Wade, to accompany me on my adventure to Enid’s haunted symphony hall. We were met, at 11 p.m. by the site manager, David Dougherty, who had agreed to lock us in the building.

Dougherty also had some stories to tell about George including some instances when he was so sure there was someone else in the building he searched high and low before he would succumb to the realization there was nobody to go with the footsteps and no hand to go with the opening of doors.

“I can’t explain it all by just drafts in the building,” said Dougherty.

Dougherty also told stories of patrons who complain or inquire about the smell of cigar smoke. With a strict no-smoking policy, Dougherty feels there has got to be another reason for the many people who smell cigars.

“It’s either their imagination or George just passed by,” said Dougherty.

Fully equipped with a camera, a video camera, some caffeinated beverages and a board game, I was ready for my night on the fourth floor.

With a flashlight, Dougherty led us to the winding stairs. All lights, except those in the stairwells, were to be kept off.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, Dougherty showed us where the bathrooms and fire escapes were located, gave us a quick, dimly-lit tour of the floor and was gone.

We made our way back to the symphony stage and looked around. It really was pretty dark in there.

In my previous list of things I brought I failed to mention one item. I also brought my violin. I am not what would be categorized as an excellent violinist so, I figured, this would be my only chance to play on a symphony stage.

But Dougherty also has said he believed George likes music. So, perhaps I could lure him in.

Standing on the darkened stage, I could vaguely make out the audience chairs in the hazy glow cast toward the windows from the streetlights below. I began to play an ancient Celtic melody and found the echoing lilts from the instrument were quite haunting in the dark. In a moment of cowardice I averted my eyes from the empty chairs, lest I see a ghostly observer.

As the night progressed, a few strange noises were heard. A few moving shadows were seen. But, as we all know, the mind is a tricky being and can often deceive.

In one last attempt to find a new story to tell from this building, now four score and seven years old, I tried a “technique” I had seen on television.

On a show about ghost hunters, I had seen the paranormal investigators wait until 3 a.m., the hour they claim spirits are most active, and then talk to the spirits, encouraging them to make a noise.

It was shortly after 3 a.m.

“Are you out there, George?” I called into the darkness.

Nothing.

“Maybe his name’s not George,” I said, with a laugh.

Feeling a little silly, I gave up my attempt of talking to the unknown.

I did not experience anything unusual that night.

But does that mean there is no ghost?

Perhaps there is no such thing as ghosts.

But sometimes things happen science and reason can’t explain, things that are not ordinary, things that are paranormal.

And whether or not spirits can remain in the physical realm, finding whatever is causing these paranormal occurrences may be one of the final frontiers.

In the meantime, if you are ever in the Knox Building and you can’t seem to make the elevator work, don’t worry, that’s common. In fact, no matter how often they replace the equipment, one of the elevators refuses to operate consistently.

Is it bad luck with elevators?

Or is it a fearful George trying to prevent people from dying the same way he did?