Ghost Hunting – Haunted Hotels

With its recent surge in popularity, ghost hunting is becoming just another vacation activity for many. Though many professional ghost hunters swear by certain methods, recreational ghost hunting is less intense. Be sure you are traveling with a buddy because ghost investigations are a two person job. Recreational ghost hunting is usually done in the evening, between the hours of 9 at night and dawn. Not all places will let you investigate at night, so be sure to call ahead and check the restrictions.

The materials for ghost investigating are relatively simple. If you are investigating just for fun, all you really need is a couple of good flashlights, a few disposable and/or digital cameras, an audio recorder, and, if possible, a video camera. Most of these are fairly inexpensive, and you may already have some of the items. If you are more serious about your investigation, an Electro Magnetic Field detector is also a good tool to have. EMF detectors detect EMF waves, which can be a sign of a ghost or entity manifesting itself. Don’t forget your good ole’ pad and pen to write down your experiences!

One of the best ways to ghost investigate is to find a haunted hotel. Once you find the haunted hotel, search online for rooms that may be more haunted than others. Most hotels will let you request a certain room, as long as they are not booked. After making your reservations, go to your favorite search engine and search for the name of your hotel and the word “haunted.” In most cases, when a hotel or any other place is haunted, witnesses will post what they have heard or seen at the location. Begin a log of all of the activity, focusing on activities seen by the most people. Wherever this incident takes place is considered a hot spot, and should be a focus of your investigation.

Once you arrive at the hotel, it’s usually best to let them know you will be investigating. This will keep them from being suspicious when you are wandering around the hotel late at night. Also, staff members may share their experiences with you, which is beneficial. Use your best judgment on the validity of their statements. If you are lucky enough to be staying in a haunted room, set up your camera on something that has been known to move, such as a door closing or a lamp sliding. Go ahead and spread out your other materials and prepare all of your items.

Once it is late enough, turn all of the lights out and take out your audio recorder. Place it on a steady surface, being sure the speaker is exposed. If you know any information about the room or hotel you are staying in, ask questions regarding that information. For example, if you know the name of the ghost you are trying to reach, use the name in your questions. You may not hear anything at the time, but when reviewing the tape the next day, you may hear responses, or Electronic Voice Phenomena’s. Gather all of your data from the camcorder, audio tapes, and your journal. Review everything and share your results!

Haunted Hotels in the United States:
• Lighthouse Inn – New London, Connecticut
• Mason House Inn – Bentonsport, Iowa
• The Omni Parker House – Boston, Massachusetts
• 1891 Castle Inn – New Orleans, Louisiana
• The Sagamore – Bolton Landing, New York
• Beverly Hills Inn – Atlanta, Georgia
• And many more!