Katharina Buczek
By the time Otto moved out of his childhood home and began living in his own, known as “The Artist House,” Robert was always positioned right in front of the upstairs window.
And neighbors and schoolchildren alike claimed that the doll would vanish and reappear– making Otto’s home the most avoided property on the block.
Then, after Otto eventually died in 1974, a woman named Myrtle Reuter purchased The Artist House– and with it came Robert the Doll.
Over the years, Myrtle’s house guests swore they often heard footsteps scurrying in the attic and children giggling.
Some even claimed that Robert’s facial expression would transform in an instant if the doll ever “heard” someone speaking badly about Otto.
Myrtle, too, claimed that Robert had a life of his own. He reportedly moved about the house on his own, whenever he pleased, for the twenty years that she was the doll’s owner. And eventually, she decided to say goodbye to the antics and donate Robert to the museum.
Locking Robert away inside the glass case at the museum did little to banish him from the public eye, though.
Instead, he has only grown in popularity across the United States. Visitors now race to the museum just to catch a glimpse of the supposedly haunted doll, and Robert has become a famous character in popular media.
In fact, the doll has appeared on television shows, inspired horror movies, and even has his own social media accounts, website, and Wikipedia page.
Horror enthusiasts obsessed with Robert can also purchase Robert the Doll replicas and merchandise.
Plus, those who are daring enough can even volunteer to spend an evening locked in the museum with Robert.
