Most haunted houses give Halloween thrill-seekers what they want — elevated heart rates and goose bumps, or a chance to scream or shriek. Then the attractions pack up, close the doors, and wait until next time.

Rarely do these attractions host regular teas, guided tours, special exhibits, or decorate their halls with Christmas ornaments, as does one Federal-style, 14-room house on the Maumee River.

During the month of October, the Maumee Historical Society at the Wolcott Heritage Center offers visitors a chance to seek another type of thrill, that of trying to prove that the people who once inhabited the house still make their presence known long after they took their last breath here on Earth.

The Wolcott House’s paranormal tours are in their fourth season, said Amy Danforth, who came up with the idea during her first year as special events coordinator.

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“I was looking for a new event to bring in people who have never been here before and as a fund-raiser,” Mrs. Danforth said. “The biggest thing on TV these days are ghost shows.”

That first tour on Halloween was sold out, Mrs. Danforth said, even though the historical society didn’t have money for advertising.

“We had people calling, begging to get in,” she said.

For each year after that, added tours have quickly sold out.

“The second year we had three nights, with six tours a night. Last year, we had five nights with six tours a night,” she said, estimating that more than 1,000 people have been through the house on the candlelit night tours.

Many return to the house during the day for other, more worldly activities.

“People have come from Chicago, Marion, Ohio, Fremont, Norwalk, and Montpelier,” Mrs. Danforth said. “People are looking for something different from other haunted houses, something that is a true, documented, haunted house from a real family.”

Michelle Clements of Lambertville, who was waiting for a tour recently with her two daughters, Destiny, 18, and Aleah, 15, agreed. “We were looking for something to do that was kind of scary but didn’t have people jumping out at you with chainsaws.”

Indeed, the spirits at the Wolcott House seem to be a welcoming lot. Mrs. Danforth found help from someone as she struggled on warm, windless September day with a large floral arrangement. She was faced with the large wooden door that separated the pantry from the kitchen, she said, and was prepared to set the arrangement down to open the door.

She didn’t have to. The heavy door swung slowly open and held long enough for her to pass through. She squeaked out a “thank you.” No one was on the other side.

But not everyone has considered the spirits to be so polite. Mrs. Danforth points to a report by a paranormal team in 2002. The investigation was requested by curator Chuck Jacobs, who, along with his wife, felt as if he was being chased by something — or someone — he couldn’t see.

That first investigation reported orbs of light and strong presences of a male and female, and another, weaker female presence.

This was not the last paranormal investigation at the Wolcott House. Mrs. Danforth can show reports by several groups, and she said she was eagerly anticipating the finding of an investigation conducted in July by the ghost-hunting group Ohio Researchers of Banded Spirits (ORBS), whose investigations have been featured on television.

And in a new twist this year, ORBS will help two groups investigate three buildings at the Wolcott Heritage Center on Halloween.

ORBS will bring its own equipment; the Maumee Historical Society does not have ghost-hunting gear. For now, Mrs. Danforth relies on those touring the house to utilize specialized smart-phone apps or their own tools, such as ghost boxes, a device that uses radio waves to receive alleged communication from the dead; a K2 meter, used to detect changes in the electromagnetic field that is supposed to indicate the presence of a spirit, and a laser grid.

Mrs. Danforth said many people on these tours have said, “I’m not sure I believe in this stuff,” as she herself once claimed while working as a docent at the house.

After the tours, she said, these skeptics don’t seem quite as convinced that the paranormal is malarkey.

“There’s no logical explanation when you get similar reactions over several years,” she said.

The paranormal tours continue on Saturdays through October. For tickets, visit wolcotthouse.org and click on events.

Contact Heather Denniss at hdenniss@theblade.com.

First Published October 18, 2015, 4:00 a.m.