They say people go missing in Thompson Park.

Don’t worry: They usually only vanish for a moment, then later reappear confused and, occasionally, claiming to have traveled through time.

Retracing the Steps

The historic Thompson Park in Watertown, New York opened in the early 1900s. Since then, its been home to all sorts of paranormal events.

In the 1930s, for example, reports surfaced of “odd sensations” near one particular hill, along with alleged sightings of mist-like apparitions and unexplained noises. In recent years, Bigfoot and UFO encounters have joined the strange list of anomalous activity in the area.

However, Thompson Park is best known for its so-called vortex, a portal or space-time disturbance that exists between the park’s zoo and golf course. This is an area where many people have allegedly vanished, often to return in an entirely different location. In fact, if these legends are true, not only have people vanished — they’ve traveled through time, or into other dimensions. Some have never returned at all!

A local witch queen, who claims to have used her otherworldly connections to move the vortex away from the golf course, believes that different realities converge there.

She also claims to have, herself, become temporarily “lost” in the park multiple times, and even witnessed a man vanish, only for him to return a fair distance away.

What Makes A Vortex?

Years ago, a group of paranormal investigators known as the Shadow Chasers visited Thompson Park and encountered what they called an “unusual energy pattern.” While scanning the area, they discovered “bands of EMF” that created a grid within the park.

There are many claims involving unique areas like this around the planet. Ivan Sanderson’s Vile Vortices come to mind, as do ley lines, which are supposed alignments of places of geographical and historical significance. Some believe they hold spiritual or otherworldly power. Could Thompson Park be one such location?

Even Stephen Gibbs’ infamous Hyper Dimensional Resonator, the “real” time machine, is said to work best when used over something called a Grid Point Vortex. These are areas, believed to harbor paranormal activity, where electromagnetic fields are abnormally strong. More specifically, the Grid Point Vortex itself is a point at which two “grid lines” intersect, weakening the bonds of space and time.

If I had an HDR, I’d consider giving it a try at Thompson Park.

Skeptics have their doubts, of course. The area reportedly has high concentrations of certain minerals and rocks, such as limestone, which may affect the surrounding electromagnetic fields. Others write it off as nothing more than a peculiar urban legend, or just something to draw tourism.

Whatever the case, the mystery of Thompson Park continues. A few years ago, residents even erected a sign reading “Watertown’s Area 51” above an iconic green alien face. This, you should know, has a bit of a double meaning. Thompson Park is itself a curious place, but even stranger is that one of Area 51’s own nicknames is Watertown.