On my post about ghost tours, Autumnforest (from Ghost Hunting Theories) made a comment about how she advises people interested in ghost hunting to try a tour on for size first. She even stated how her group, MVD Ghostchasers, conducts ghost hunting workshops four times a year.
This is a wonderful idea. More and more I’m seeing such groups offer opportunities like this. Sometimes you have to join the group (usually it’s a modest annual fee to do so), but other times you only need make a reservation for the night of the hunt. (Again, usually there’s a nominal cost involved, about equal to what a dinner and/or movie out might cost you.)
Another nice thing about ghost hunting with an established group is they often provide access to equipment it might otherwise cost you a small fortune to buy. That way you’re not pouring money out for a hobby you discover you have no interest in.
WHERE TO FIND A GHOST HUNTING GROUP NEAR YOU
- Try the Shadowlands List of Local Ghost Hunters, Investigators and Researchers
- Check out the Society for Paranormal Investigation’s list of ghost groups
- Scan Ghostvillage.com’s list of Paranormal Investigators
- Search for ghost hunting meetup groups in your area on Meetup.com (Alternately, you can find ghost tracking groups on Meetup.com also)
However, some haunted sites that draw tourists on their own also offer ghost hunting. Sometimes it’s in conjunction with a paranormal group, sometimes it’s with a ghost tour company. Sometimes it’s just offered by the place itself.
PLACES THAT OFFER GHOST HUNTING TOURS
- One Feather Productions – Spirit Adventure Tours (conducted in a variety of areas, including Sedona, Tombstone, Santa Fe, the Oregon Trail, Gettysburg, St. Augustine, and Great Britain).
- Preston Castle – Overnight ghost tours conducted in conjunction with Ghost Trackers Paranormal Research Group (Tour offered June-November).
- The Whaley House – A 90 minute investigation led by the San Diego Ghost Hunters.
- Walking Ghost Tour and Ghost Hunt – Look for ghosts in Old Town San Diego.
- Queen Mary Paranormal Investigation Tour – Try your hand at hunting for ghosts aboard this famed ship.
- Lizzie Borden B&B Weekend Paranormal Retreats – These are offered in conjunction with Haunted Times and there’s only one weekend left for 2009, September 4-5. (Click here to read a blog I wrote about other locations where Haunted Times holds ghost hunts.)
- Haunted Tours at Historic Fort Wayne – Take a tour of the fort, learn its history, then stay and search the grounds for evidence of what still lingers.
- Copper Queen Hotel – Every Thursday night the hotel offers guests to do more than stay the night in Bisbee.
- Old Montana Territorial Prison – It’s a tour where they turn the lights out and take you to five of the hottest of the prison’s hot spots. They encourage you to bring your camera, video recorders and other ghost hunting devices to see what evidence you might capture.
- Haunted Detroit Tours – The tour guides come equipped with digital camera, infra-red thermometers, and EMF detectors for your three hour ghost hunting adventure of Metro Detroit.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
You know, the one thing I've always wondered is whether ghosts offer tours of tourists? "Form a single file vapor trail, please. No flash photography–humans scare so easy." heh heh.
Seriously, I have wondered about ghosts in known tourist spots. You'd think they'd prefer less trafficked places rather than jaunts where ghost hunters routinely bring their equipment. Maybe some ghosts like the fame and are attention seeking?
–Lisa
http://authorlisalogan.blogspot.com
HAHAHAHA! What a great, not to mention very cleverly worded, comment.
And what an awesome point you bring up. Are some ghosts shy and others more attention-seeking? That is a really cool question. Thanks for bringing it up!