If you choose to enjoy the museum on your own during the day, you will be presented with a small brochure with information on the museum. Others say that it was given to him by one of the servant women of his family’s home and she used black magic or voodoo on the doll to cause misfortune to come onto the family because they fired her. East Martello Museum and Art Gallery housed inside the fort contain many haunted artifacts that convey the history of Key West through today such as art exhibits and is home to a vast collection of Key West and Florida Key's artifacts and historical records, as well as military memorabilia, but the eeriest display of all is Robert the Doll, dubbed as “the original Chucky.” One rule of thumb to remember when visiting Robert the Doll, be kind and courteous, and do not laugh at him. Cool! Feb 13, 2014 - See 57 photos from 596 visitors about permission. Eventually, one night, he took her body home with him in hopes to bring her back to life. The history of Robert was covered in an episode of the popular podcast, Lore, and in the corresponding Amazon Original. Robert . Robert the doll was then donated to the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida where today, he is a popular attraction within the museum and sits inside a glass box perched up. The construction for it began in 1862 by the Army and was built to add protection for Key West. The Otto family thought that once Gene grew up and got married, the doll would be gone for good, but they were wrong. The supposed haunted doll belongs to Key West artist Robert Eugene Otto and it was given to him by a Bahamian servant. I’m glad I finally got to meet Robert! The new owner of the Otto home thought that her young daughter would love the doll. The voice wasn’t Gene’s though, it was a deep, husky, and dark voice that would come from the general direction of the doll! Fun facts about Robert: 1.Chucky was inspired by Robert. Fort East Martello Museum. It is one of the most popular places to visit in Florida. 4 | Robert the Haunted Doll, Fort East Martello Museum – Key West | Built during the Civil War and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Fort East Martello in Key West is also home to Robert the Haunted Doll, one of the creepiest dolls in existence. This is the Martello Gallery, also known as the East Martello Tower.The museum is located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West. Fort East Martello Museum: Haunted Fort, Art and History Museum? Wikimedia Commons Robert the Doll behind protective glass at the Fort East Martello Museum. Guests of the bed and breakfast have not reported any spooky sightings as of yet, but we think that Robert could be still lingering, or at least his spirit could be. And in spite of his new living conditions, employees and visitors claim that they have seen the doll move or often see his smile turn into a scowl. All rights reserved. In Key West, visitors will find a museum that has quite the haunted history. After quitting his job, he spent a large amount of his time at the mausoleum he built at the cemetery for Elena. The Fort East Martello Museum is open to the public daily (except Christmas) from 9:30AM – 4:30PM. 1. - See 439 traveler reviews, 307 candid photos, and great deals for Key West, FL, at Tripadvisor. Robert is a handmade doll dressed in a sailor suit, and was built for Robert Eugene Otto, or Gene as people called him. Gene Otto died in 1974 and when a new owner moved into his home, Robert was still there. Some say this is where the legend of Chucky comes from. He loved him so much that he wanted the doll to be dressed just like him. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. There is a smirk on his face that just looks like he’s up to no good. The Otto home is now a bed and breakfast called the Artist House. Once the war was over, there was no use for it anymore, so the tower was abandoned and unfinished. If they want their picture taken with him, they have to politely ask for his permission. Robert the Doll was unleashed in 1904 by the Steiff Company. Today, the fort is now home to Robert the Haunted Doll, one of the scariest dolls that exist in the world. The East Martello Tower was used quite a bit during the Civil War. https://www.kwahs.org/exhibitions/robert-the-doll, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-story-behind-the-worlds-most-haunted-doll. Fort East Martello Museum: Haunted Fort, Art and History Museum? Each year, thousands of people flock to Key West. - See 441 traveller reviews, 308 candid photos, and great deals for Key West, FL, at Tripadvisor. The room was upstairs and Robert could look out of the window and onto the street. One of the strangest exhibits in the East Martello Fort is the true story about local Key West Resident, Dr. Van Cosel, who fell in love with a beautiful young woman, Elena, who came in as a patient. There were even claims by the staff in the home that they would find the doll in the main house even though he was locked in the attic! The museum has collected many letters of guests apologizing to the doll for any ill will they may have caused. Today’s haunted doll is… Robert. The doll originally belonged to Robert Eugene Otto, an artist described as "eccentric," who belonged to a prominent Key West family. Displays include early settlement, sponging and fishing, Cuban influence, military involvement, writers and other characters. Visitors have claimed that after leaving the museum they have had a string of horrible luck, including sickness, car accidents, and relationship troubles. In 1950, the Key West Art & Historical Society, with its own army of volunteers, cleared away years of debris and dust to … The doll’s face looks like it has tiny scars all over it and the eyes are black and beady. The doll wears a sailor suit, which is said to be the child’s that owned him. You can take a self guided tour of the museum by day, or join a ghost tour to get your spooky fix by night. For those who get a chance to see Robert the doll, they are met with a warning. This terrified the girl so her parents knew that they had to get rid of it. No matter what story you believe, Robert the doll is pretty creepy and terrifying. Each Saturday night at 10 pm, we lock the doors, turn off the lights, and give you free-reign of the fort, armed only with ghost hunting gear and a flashlight! 2.People claim that your camera will break if you take a photo of Robert without his permission. - See 436 traveler reviews, 287 candid photos, and great deals for Key West, FL, at Tripadvisor. Robert the Doll is alive and on the loose haunted doll exhibited at the East Martello Museum. The German toy manufacturer claimed Robert was never intended as a consumer product, but rather as a mannequin for window displays. He lived with her in his house for 7-8 years before his secret came out. The girl made many claims that the doll was alive and it would talk to her and look at her. The remainder of the museum is in the fort, the tower and in the yard outside. The city wanted to be able to defend itself against any possibilities of a Confederate sea attack. The fort is closed to the general public at night, making this the ideal controlled environment for ghost hunting and social distancing. The Key West Art & Historical Society maintains the culture of the Florida Keys through exhibits and education programs. Just make sure you ask his permission before taking a picture, and..." Anne was constantly asking Gene to give the doll away because it made her feel uneasy. There is only one area throughout the entire building that is air-conditioned, so on hot days you may want to start and end your visit in the basement area viewing art that was created by local artists. The staff were terrified of the doll and just knew that he had some evil attached to him. Even stranger yet, because of the high level of public interest in the case, her body was put on display in a funeral home before finally being put to rest for good in a secret grave. She would wake up in the middle of the night screaming because the doll had moved around the room. The Most Haunted Toy In History: Robert The Doll . Robert did it.” When Gene grew older, he became an artist and helped design the Fort East Martello Museum. KEY WEST’S HAUNTED DOLL David Sloan, creator of the new Robert the Doll Experience, introduces visitors to the world’s most haunted doll during nightly tours at Fort East Martello, a Civil War-era fort that's also said to be haunted. The story of Robert the doll begins with a child named Robert Eugene Otto. East Martello Museum 3501 S Roosevelt Blvd Key West, Florida 33040. In 1950, the Key West Art and Historical Society had different plans for the building. Having no use for the Fort once the war was drawing to a close, Fort East Martello was abandoned in its unfinished state by the Army. Otto, the child who owned the doll took him everywhere with him. © 2021 Copyright Southernmost Ghosts. Robert the Doll is one of the main reasons that the East Martello Fort Museum is one of the most haunted places in Key West. If you’ve ever seen a Child’s Play movie then you might already know that Robert was the inspiration behind the infamous character Chucky, minus the red hair and freckles, of course. Gene woke up to find that Robert the doll had moved from his side while he was sleeping, and now he was at the foot of his bed just looking at him! Fort East Martello Museum Travel Tips. Strange things did begin to happen shortly after he was given the doll. The site is now known as the Fort East Martello Museum & Gardens, and features exhibits of local history and art. The allegedly haunted doll once belonged to eccentric Key West artist Robert Eugene Otto (1900-1974), who … Learn more on our Fort East Martello page. Home to Robert the Haunted Doll. Fort East Martello in Key West is one of the most historic places in Florida, and it was built during the Civil War. Robert has been the focus of TV shows, articles and tours for years and is the main reason many people visit the museum. Get the true story of Robert the Doll written by David L. Sloan. It has become one of the most highly visited spots in Key West and those who visit it love the history and information about it. The family said that they could still hear him moving around while he was up there. Hotels near Fort East Martello Museum: (0.24 mi) Hyatt Residence Club Key West, Windward Pointe (0.39 mi) Hampton Inn Key West (0.58 mi) 2 bedroom Condo Presented Key West Style (1.07 mi) Barbary Beach House Key West (0.57 mi) Sunrise Suites Resort; View all hotels near Fort East Martello Museum on Tripadvisor Cool! The Fort East Martello Museum in Key West protects and preserves the unfinished remains of a fort dating back to the Civil War. The main attraction of the museum is the legendary Robert the Doll who is rumored to have been a victim of voodoo spells. The doll’s new owners donated it to the East Martello Fort Museum and this is where he still resides today. After the war ended, the fort was abandoned until the 1950’s when volunteers cleaned up the fort to open it as a museum. The Fort East Martello Museum is home to one of America's most haunted objects: Robert the Doll. 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