My Encounter With Robert The Doll - Worlds Most Haunted Doll / Inside The Artist House & Otto Grave
Robert The Doll in Key West
Transcript
0:03
welcome everyone Adam the woo here has a
0:03
recording of this it is Thursday January
0:05
5th 2023 I am wearing an appropriate
0:09
t-shirt because I am still
0:12
in Key West
0:16
well thanks
0:16
a day I will be venturing into a museum
0:21
that hosts and holds
0:23
dare I say the world's most haunted doll
0:28
Robert the doll named after a guy named
0:32
Robert in fact it sits right inside
0:36
this building right here you can see the
0:38
airport right behind there is a
0:40
helicopter going by if you've ever seen
0:43
the movie Child's Play Chucky
0:45
Loosely was based on Robert the Doll
0:56
crowded in mystery and stories Robert
0:56
the doll I was able to see him 10 years
1:00
ago or so very very briefly I returned
1:06
I I'm daring to go at I'm heading it
1:09
heading in the museum
1:12
it's kind of interesting because when
1:14
you go in there you have to ask Rob so
1:16
they say you have to ask Robert
1:18
permission to take photos and film him
1:20
or a ghost will follow you home more or
1:25
less
1:25
more info when I get in there join me
1:28
shall you this is known as the East
1:30
martello Museum Circa
1:33
1862 is on the National Registry it's a
1:37
historical site and it is open each and
1:39
every day for anyone
1:41
like to say hello
1:43
to Robert
1:45
it's a little placard right here
1:49
part of the East martello Fort
1:50
restoration made possible financially
1:52
supported Monroe County and take a look
1:54
down here here is Robert on the little
1:56
walkway in they really they Embrace
1:58
Robert here and there's a there's a
2:00
conch shell and the prices to go in
2:01
obviously there's going to be a lot more
2:03
in here than just Robert but adult 16
2:06
and they go down from there depending on
2:09
seniors youth etc etc
2:12
going in I have now made it indoors and
2:15
here's a water skier made out of looks
2:17
like automobile parts right here you got
2:19
the ski down here this is a doughboy as
2:23
according to that I'm Gonna Leave the
2:24
Middle East Bakery which at the sign
2:26
here and everything too and the side of
2:29
this whole Fort has the it has the the
2:33
fire
2:35
pit there
2:36
shows the art of baking Cuban bread and
2:40
all that if you go over here they have
2:41
quite a bit of merchandise we'll kind of
2:43
go on the way out before Robert
2:44
esophagus if you if anything happens
2:46
just blame it on Robert
2:48
it's kind of the
2:49
moral of the story right there's a
2:51
close-up version I'm going to get really
2:52
up close and personal I have to go
2:54
through this little like canopy first go
2:56
through the curtain here kind of
2:57
interesting here here is a look at Duval
2:59
Street back in 1865.
3:02
it's an older photographs and history of
3:04
the fort and the area as well
3:07
through here I can't even see
3:12
um
3:12
I already see
3:14
I already see Robert down there I don't
3:16
know what that noise was at first I was
3:17
kind of like what is it
3:19
creepy noise but it's this fan and
3:21
speaking of Dollhouse there's a
3:23
dollhouse right there too very
3:24
interesting with the sound the sound of
3:26
the of the fans really kind of adds to
3:29
the Ambiance quite a bit it's a creepy
3:31
old piano right here real quick like I
3:33
just stepped outside here into the inner
3:35
portion
3:36
of the Ford itself it was like almost
3:39
like a little dollhouse over there too
3:40
like in the middle of this
3:44
and then the airport's just right over
3:45
there
3:46
I don't know if the ceiling fan deters
3:49
from the creepiness I've ever kind of
3:51
adds to the creepy sound of it as well
3:53
but I'm gonna say it kind of adds to it
3:56
hypnotizing also it's also kind of
3:58
interesting that the traffic just goes
4:01
right outside the window here by the
4:03
water
4:05
traffic and a trolley
4:08
instead of going by probably telling the
4:09
lore of Robert the Doll there's a lot of
4:11
information local information in here as
4:15
well on the wall about Robert Robert is
4:17
a one-of-a-kind handmade doll created as
4:20
a turn of the Cent 20th century standing
4:22
40 inches tall stuffed with wood wool
4:25
known as Excelsior he is dressed in a
4:28
sailor suit
4:30
and once more painted features not
4:33
unlike those of a jester
4:37
usual size indicates he may have been
4:39
fashioned the image of his constant
4:41
companion a boy named Robert Eugene Otto
4:44
the doll took Robert as his name the
4:47
simple the boy simply went by Gene
4:50
together they would go on
4:52
to make history
5:14
Robert the doll and the Otto family used
5:14
to be at a place of still here in town
5:16
called the artist house it's a bed and
5:18
breakfast I'm gonna go by there it's
5:19
located at 534 Eaton Street constructed
5:23
at the end of the 19th century by Eugene
5:26
Otto's grandfather they were on the top
5:28
floor
5:30
into this they were on the very very top
5:33
when Gene's father died the family and
5:35
Gene and Anne inherited the house spent
5:37
many years living and working out of the
5:39
grand house on Eaton Street when Jane
5:41
passed on and am off the move out of the
5:43
out of the house into the state of
5:45
Massachusetts so Robert ended up here in
5:49
this Museum
5:50
and loathe the dog and refused to take
5:52
it with her so Robert remained in the
5:54
Attic of the honor house under
5:55
supervision of a new owners for a few
5:57
years they decided that in 1994 was
6:01
donated Robert to the Key West art and
6:03
historical society and then later on
6:07
Museum staff after they had stored
6:10
Robert at the Fort they stored Robert at
6:12
the four East Martella Museum although
6:16
he was not initially on display there
6:18
was noticeable shifted energies at the
6:20
Fort here where I'm standing once Robert
6:22
arrived
8:55
on October 11th 2005 President George W
8:55
bush wrote a letter to Mr Robert Otto
8:58
says Mr Otto happy 101st birthday Laura
9:01
and I send your best wishes on this
9:03
joyous occasion
9:04
your generation has taught America's a
9:06
Timeless lessons of Courage endurance
9:08
and love
9:10
and God bless you and may God continue
9:11
to bless America signed George W bush
9:15
and going on from there
9:18
there's also a letter from Jeb Bush who
9:21
at the time was the governor of Florida
9:23
says whereas on October 23rd
9:26
of that year 2005
9:29
celebrating his 101st birthday so Jeb
9:32
also congratulate going back to Gene
9:35
when he was younger Robert Jane
9:38
would shift blame when he misbehaved
9:41
upon the doll saying I Didn't Do It
9:44
Robert did it Robert frequently sat on a
9:47
third store window and gazed out at the
9:50
child of the children and others on the
9:52
street
9:53
some pacifier said his expression would
9:55
change a plumber working at the house
9:57
once I'm reading I'm reading this off
9:58
the
9:59
you know where the states here a plumber
10:01
working at the house once reported that
10:03
he heard giggling in the room and we
10:06
investigated found only Robert in a
10:09
different position than he had seen him
10:11
in earlier
10:13
they'll remain in the house after Gene
10:15
was married he continually take the
10:17
blame for Gene's wrongdoings that's
10:19
interesting stories of the doll strange
10:21
behavior from people who encountered him
10:22
became more commonplace after Gene's
10:25
death in 1974.
10:27
tenants heard Footsteps in the Attic
10:29
above them
10:31
while Solaris has reporter Malcolm Ross
10:33
visited Robert and said
10:35
it was like a metal bar running down my
10:38
back
10:40
first when he walked through the door
10:41
the look on his face like a little boy
10:43
being punished it was if he was asking
10:47
himself who were these people in my room
10:49
and what are they going to do to me
10:52
other visitors to the house claimed to
10:54
your unexpected goodly Moses also
10:56
emulating
10:59
in the room where Robert was stored
11:00
stories also circulated suggesting the
11:03
doll moved himself around the room
11:05
there was kind of an intelligence there
11:07
to dull
11:08
that's the stink hey I'm now walking
11:10
around in the courtyard spent enough
11:12
time with Robert in there
11:18
but yeah this is also as stated this is
11:18
also a doll house here
11:20
you can see even a couple other dolls in
11:23
here
11:24
Edna
11:25
walkowski's also had some dolls
11:28
obviously not as
11:32
gone on to tell the tale like Robert has
11:34
Robert has become quite
11:37
a story line
11:39
and quite a notable figure not only here
11:41
in Key West but all across the world
11:45
it feels like you know with a lot of
11:47
urban legends and things like that
11:49
they just continue to get bigger and
11:51
bigger with
11:52
you know over time
11:54
the Robert is right inside that door
11:57
right over in the
11:59
in the little corner over there
12:04
I also asked this permission when I
12:04
first walked up
12:10
mentally I didn't do it out loud I don't
12:10
know maybe maybe I should have said it
12:11
verbally out loud ass mentally I said I
12:13
feel like he gave me a little nod in
12:15
fact to be more technical he's in case
12:17
mate number five trivia
12:20
we are not joking be nice be respectful
12:23
and ask
12:24
before taking a photo I think that
12:26
should be asked for pretty much
12:28
I'm pretty much everything you should
12:30
ask everything before you take it and as
12:31
you exit out there is quite a bit of
12:33
merchant I'll say exit to the gift shop
12:34
but there is a gift shop and other
12:36
assorted things as well local stuff
12:38
local lore of the area in history but
12:41
also a lot of Robert the Doll
12:43
merchandise which I think I don't know
12:45
if I'm gonna get the actual straight up
12:47
doll itself I don't know if I want I
12:49
mean
12:50
I don't want to I don't wanna I mean
12:51
he's gonna follow me home anyway
12:52
mentally but I don't know if I want to
12:54
have like I don't know maybe I could but
12:56
I think I'm gonna pass on the Robert the
12:58
Doll miniature even though it is pretty
13:00
pretty neat forty dollars for that but I
13:03
think I'm gonna go with some other
13:03
options but there's a lot of Robert the
13:05
Doll
13:06
merchandise set here which is
13:09
I mean it does make sense it's probably
13:10
the most popular
13:12
attraction in this Museum
13:14
people from all over the world all over
13:16
the country and all over the world
13:17
stopping here to pay Robert his respect
13:19
his do his due respects and his little
13:21
homage to Robert and I was no exception
13:24
I did the same even though I did not get
13:26
a representation a smaller version of
13:28
the real Robert the doll I have him
13:31
press and ink here on the side of this
13:33
little tote bag and I got this from my
13:35
refrigerator so anytime I do anything
13:37
wrong or something goes wrong
13:40
can just say Robert did it
13:42
Robert did it wasn't me
13:44
it was the doll it was very sunny today
13:47
so I got my magnet in here got my bag
13:50
Robert did it I think now I'm gonna go
13:53
by the house I'm gonna go look in that
13:54
third story window I don't know if I can
13:56
get up there
13:58
wonder if anyone stays in there maybe it
14:00
is look I got my sunglasses the sun is
14:02
reflecting
14:03
over here in the shadows all the way out
14:05
since I exited through the gift shop
14:06
twice put back in the courtyard and
14:09
whatnot but I went back through and
14:10
couldn't help myself I went ahead and
14:11
purchased this figure get a little bit
14:13
more info here
14:14
the true biography of key West's hunted
14:17
doll they get a little more info on this
14:19
as I drive over to the third floor
14:21
window of the house
14:23
where the family lived all right had not
14:30
just kind of browsing through this book
14:30
real quick check this out young Eugene
14:32
Otto here sporting the now iconic sailor
14:36
suit
14:37
that Robert the doll was fashioned after
14:39
he was fashioned after the outfit that
14:41
young Eugene Otto used to wear
14:44
wow also went outside the museum the
14:47
doll didn't look too terrifying
14:49
but look how look at that's that is yeah
14:52
I don't know that would that would uh
14:55
okay
14:56
that's not a that's not an angle that
14:57
makes them look cute David Sloan is the
15:00
author of this book and I'm kind of
15:03
reading here that is a lesser-known
15:06
Robert resident so I'm going to go over
15:07
here afterwards too before he's moved to
15:09
the museum from the third story window
15:11
it would sit on this porch for quite
15:13
some time so I'm gonna head over there
15:15
check that out as well finding a parking
15:17
spot down here for just a brief time is
15:19
kind of difficult but I'm now here on
15:21
the cross streets of Eaton Street and
15:24
simmonton
15:28
Street
15:28
Simone Street but Eaton Street is where
15:31
the artist house is where
15:34
Robert the Doll used to live on the
15:36
third floor
15:38
right over here
15:44
so there's the which would be the
15:44
balcony so you got two stories you got
15:45
one story here two story here and then
15:49
that is where Robert
15:51
called home for many many years
15:54
I passed by this a couple times and I
15:55
was trying to find parking said No
15:57
Vacancy
15:59
so you see right here where it says No
16:01
Vacancy so evidently it's I don't know
16:03
maybe it's big it's Apartments maybe you
16:04
can't rent it as like an Airbnb
16:06
you could go in and ask maybe if they
16:08
rent off the oh here we go here's a
16:10
little
16:12
a little brochure here
16:17
Circa 1898 this Enchanted Guest House
16:17
offers charm character wants a home to
16:21
the auto family the artist house has
16:23
been converted to charmand
16:24
guess indulge in a complimentary
16:26
breakfast Happy Hour etc etc etc dip in
16:29
a pool
16:33
kind of neat though they still have the
16:33
little attic area up top
16:36
I'm gonna go in and ask to see if they
16:38
rent that out it'd be kind of neat to
16:39
stay up there we're not going to be able
16:40
to do it on this trip but
16:42
at some point we kind of need to rent
16:44
that out I thought
16:45
located here at 534 as stated in the
16:48
book and at the Museum and all that
16:52
Choir in
17:12
I think I will walk up the stairs and
17:12
look at the other room
17:14
so there's only three rooms
17:20
three rooms oh there's just three rooms
17:20
so there's this one the one above it and
17:22
then the the one that's in the third
17:45
all right there are seven rooms in here
17:45
and two of them are vacant so
17:47
receptionist said I could go look at
17:49
both the open revs I cannot go up to the
17:51
top floor
17:52
on the third floor She said I could look
17:54
around and in fact
18:00
good that door shut so I'm not going to
18:00
look in there however so this would be
18:02
where Robert would have been right here
18:06
right up there oh my gosh so someone's
18:09
staying there now
18:11
but she said that sometimes
18:13
it's open and you can rent it out to
18:16
stay there so
18:17
might have to do another
18:19
I have to do a stay there one day
18:22
so this is this is the stairwell where
18:25
Robert would have been placed in the
18:26
Attic hidden from all
18:28
Robert contemplating to himself looking
18:30
out the window at all the pastor buyers
18:32
that they could say he was changing his
18:34
faces
18:36
smiling at them nodding at them
18:39
Etc
18:53
I did not think that they were going to
18:53
allow me to walk around in there that's
18:56
awesome so it's like a little Airbnb
18:58
type of deal
19:00
right here
19:01
so as The Story Goes you know traffic
19:04
and people would go by
19:07
and Robert would smile at them nod their
19:10
head at them change facial expressions
19:12
according to the Legends anyway
19:20
of course Robert was up on the third
19:20
floor which at the time was an attic but
19:25
now it is part of the Airbnb I'm sure
19:27
it's probably sold out
19:28
pretty often it's always fun to stay in
19:30
places like that I think I'm gonna have
19:33
to remember next time in Key West to do
19:34
that because that I just love the story
19:36
of Robert the doll and all that kind of
19:38
urban legend stuff
19:48
just okay let's just imagine for a
19:48
second so up top
19:50
Shades would have been open you could
19:52
have the doll up there looking out so
19:53
anybody that would have been walking
19:55
riding a bike
19:56
you know any kind of vehicle going past
19:58
here could have seen that Eerie doll up
20:02
there that legendary doll peering down
20:04
at them
20:11
you know essay some say the world's most
20:11
haunted doll one of arguably one of the
20:13
world's most haunted dolls
20:15
lived right up there and I'm gonna go by
20:17
the other spot I found in that book
20:19
which I didn't know eventually I saw the
20:20
book that I bought at the store
20:26
the car just pulled up and almost went
20:26
up on the curb
20:28
okay so wonder which window would have
20:30
been the middle window probably I'm
20:31
guessed probably that one
21:18
the Hat kind of obscures the wind up
21:18
there there you go
21:25
say hello to Robert well he's not up
21:25
there anymore now again just going off
21:27
what I saw in the book here at 1722a
21:31
Von feaster Street
21:37
Key West Myrtle would sit Robert on the
21:37
porch
21:38
it was home from 1980
21:40
to 19
21:42
94.
21:45
you believe in the power of Robert the
21:46
Doll don't you pick a foot
21:51
I think you do
21:51
people he believes
21:57
the house was right over here this is
21:57
the house where that white car is right
22:00
on that porch right up there
22:02
pretty wild right back in there
22:05
oh that's the side yard anyway
22:15
I have found
22:17
the auto
22:19
plot family plot
22:28
I figured while I was in this area I
22:28
should probably search this as well
22:30
I don't know if I could walk in here
22:34
can I walk in here
22:37
oh yeah
23:08
and of course
23:08
the inspiration for the name of Robert
23:11
the Doll
23:13
also laid here
23:23
Robert Eugene
23:23
otta
23:25
passed away in 74.
23:28
okay that's interesting because the
23:29
letters that were at the museum were
23:32
dated
23:33
about to go back and watch it I think
23:34
they were
23:36
they were data that he lived to be 101
23:54
okay I got to go back and look at the
23:54
photos I took of
23:56
the little placards I was reading off
23:59
beloved pet of Jean and Ann Otto
24:06
Sunny Auto beloved Yorkshire Terrier
24:10
Gene and annada
24:16
looking back at the photo I have this is
24:16
from
24:17
President Bush here
24:19
George W
24:21
so this was dated on October 11th of 05
24:24
stating that Robert Otto was celebrating
24:26
his 101st
24:29
birthday on October 11th so remember
24:32
that day October 11th and then 12 days
24:34
later on October 23rd
24:37
this certificate was given by Jeb Bush
24:40
in honor of Mr Robert Otto on his 101st
24:44
birthday
24:45
October 23rd
24:48
except he only lived to be in his 70s
24:50
man nowhere on here
24:52
does it have October 11th or 23rd it
24:55
states October 25th
25:01
which wouldn't make sense because well
25:01
no it wouldn't because 1900 101 years
25:06
would be 2001 my math is correct
25:15
which would not have been 2005.
25:15
huh
25:17
something's not winding up here or maybe
25:19
I'm just not understanding it and then
25:20
my next thought would be maybe his
25:22
father lived to be 101 but his father
25:25
who was born in 1865
25:29
passed on in 1917.
25:32
father of misfa Joseph Osgood and Eugene
25:35
also known as Robert Eugene
25:40
so it would not be for his dad
25:46
so this is the family plot so let me
25:46
just look at some of the other Autos so
25:48
we have Thomas Osgood Otto II so it
25:52
possibly could be the third of the Autos
25:56
but
25:57
born in 1897 and in 62 which is not 100
26:01
years
26:06
I am very very confused
26:18
and that's going to do it for today
26:18
from Key West Florida
26:20
the legend the urban legend the mystery
26:23
the unusual circumstances regarding
26:25
Robert the Doll will buy a couple of the
26:27
houses by the artist house and then
26:30
ended here in utter confusion
26:33
of
26:35
yeah I don't understand the bird the 101
26:37
birthday thing
26:39
or possibly they're just honoring
26:43
Robert Otto
26:46
even though he had passed on on what
26:48
would have been his 101st birthday by
26:50
the president
26:51
and the then governor
26:57
see the next video the Vlog
26:57
is over