Annabelle’s New Home? Matt Rife Makes Shocking Paranormal Buy

Worlds are colliding right here in Connecticut. Where does the stand-up comedy universe intersect with the paranormal world? Monroe, Connecticut.

Monroe has been home to the Warren Occult Museum since 1952. The house displayed hundreds of objects that the Warrens claimed were haunted or tied to paranormal events. Although the museum closed its doors in 2019, it has remained a fixture in the national conversation thanks to its most infamous attraction: the Annabelle doll.

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The doll has essentially gone on a national tour, drawing crowds of curious paranormal enthusiasts in cities and towns across the U.S. Tragedy recently struck the Warren Occult universe when Annabelle’s handler, Dan Rivera, 54, died suddenly while on a tour stop in Pennsylvania. According to published reports, Rivera passed away in his hotel room, and the doll was not present at the time. Still, the intrigue surrounding Annabelle, the Warrens, and the museum shows no signs of fading.

Read More: The Skull & Bones Society: Connecticut's Ultimate Conspiracy Theory 

Now there’s a new—and truly unexpected—development involving Annabelle and the museum. Enter comedian Matt Rife. Rife is an extremely popular headlining act who sells out shows everywhere he performs. But now, he's planning to sell a different kind of ticket to a brand new audience. In a recent social media announcement, Matt revealed that he and a partner have purchased the Warren Occult Museum with the intention of reopening it to the public—and even allowing fans to stay on the property.

@matt_rife INSANE ANNOUNCEMENT I have officially purchased Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home and Occult Museum, including being the legal guardian for at least the next 5 years, of the entire haunted collection including THE ANNABELLE DOLL, with my good friend @Elton Castee !! If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted. You also may know The Conjuring films are my favorite scary movies of all time. So I’m incredibly honored to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history. Ed and Lorain Warren arguably put demonology and paranormal into the mainstream and are the very heart of some of the most famous haunted stories of all time, The Conjuring House, Amityville Horror, et… We plan to open the house for overnight stays and museum tours so you yourself can experience and learn all the haunted history surrounding this amazing place. #TheConjuring #Annabelle #AnnabelleDoll #haunted ♬ original sound - Matt Rife

I’ve been invited to be around this doll many times, and I always pass. I don’t buy into every ghoulish tale, but this one has a pretty legit history of leaving devastation in its wake. You can call it coincidence—and maybe it is—but I’m not getting close enough to find out. Best of luck to Rife and his fans.

P.S. So, he owns the museum and the property... but not the items? From his statement, it sounds like he’s renting the artifacts for five years? OK.