Mysterious posters banning Ouija boards in Portland park 'due to recent events' sparks concern

Visitors to a Portland park were dumbfounded when they saw bizarre signs saying Ouija boards were banned from the area - but officials have confirmed the posters are nothing more than an odd prank.

Signs were placed outside the bathroom in Fernhill Park over the weekend at one of the largest parks in northeast Portland. 

A Ouija board is a way to communicate with spirits and the dead, but many consider the boards as a Satanic practice, or believe it can lead to demonic possession. 

The sign, which said it was issued by the Multnomah County Parks Department read: 'DUE TO RECENT EVENTS OUIJA BOARDS ARE NO LONGER PERMITTED AT FERNHILL PARK.'

But a spokesperson with Portland Parks & Recreation has since been revealed the signs were not posted by any city official. 

'Fernhill Park is in our portfolio at Portland Parks & Recreation (the City of Portland’s parks bureau), and the Multnomah County Parks Department doesn’t exist,' Mark Ross told DailyMail.com.

He also said he only learned of the sign when a local TV affiliate saw a blurb on Reddit. 

'No idea who put them up but if they’re not already down, our maintenance staff will likely remove them by tomorrow.'

He added: 'Ouija believe that people can be silly round here?'

Before it was revealed it was just a hoax, one person went to Reddit and posted a photo of the sign, asking 'What happened?' 

Another person on the social platform indulged in the supernatural and paranormal activities even further.

'My guess is someone used it in the park recently and inadvertently created a portal to the underworld allowing a demon to enter the terrestrial plane,' they wrote. 

'Happens all the time - people are freaking out over nothing.'

One person walking their dog told the news outlet they've 'definitely never seen anyone play Ouija boards in the bathroom,' while another chimed in 'just dogs, kids and sports.'

Ouija historian Robert Murch told Smithsonian Magazine that the origin of the Ouija board is from American 19th century obsession with spiritualism, and the belief, he said, that the dead are able to communicate with the living. 

Since he began his research on the story of the board in 1992, he was surprised how no one knew where the Ouija board came from since, he explained the board, 'strikes both fear and wonder in American culture.'