Ghosts and
hauntings are popular topics today.
Many people want to know how to find
places where they can encounter
ghosts, too.
It's best start ghost hunting near
your own home. Here are ways to find
local haunts:
Search online
for your city, town, state, and
region, using words such as "ghosts"
and "haunted." Many websites list
every location that is even rumored
to be haunted. In our experience,
only a small percentage of these
will have ghosts. However, if the
sites are near your home, it's worth
checking every location.
Check recent news headlines
for reports of hauntings. Some
websites list the best regional news
stories about ghosts.
Read books
at the library. Most public
libraries have a section about the
paranormal. Also look among books
describing your local area.
Libraries usually have a section
specifically about their town or
city, and the region in general.
While "ghost" books can be
unreliable, they are a good place to
start.
Ask people.
You may be surprised at how many
believe in ghosts, or at least know
a few places with ghost stories and
haunted histories. Generally,
college, high-school and middle
school students know rumors about
local haunted places.
Check back issues of local
newspapers.
Most newspapers feature haunted
sites in their issues the week
before Halloween.
Ask the police.
You may be surprised that the police
are often the best resource for
information about hauntings.
Generally skeptics, the police know
which places generate complaints
about odd activity--noises, weird
lights, and so on--but have no
reasonable explanations.
Some of the classic clichés can help
you to locate places that are
haunted. Here are "tried and true"
choices for ghost hunters:
Cemeteries
are usually mildly haunted. Older
cemeteries--from the 19th century
and earlier--are more likely to have
ghosts. Explore the oldest sections
of cemeteries for the best results.
However, many cemeteries are closed
between dusk and dawn. Be sure to
observe local laws whenever you go
ghost hunting.
Abandoned building sites
are often haunted. People don't
usually walk away from a perfectly
good house or building unless there
is something significantly wrong
with it. What's wrong may be a
ghost.
Theaters--the
kind that have a stage the people
have performed on--are almost always
haunted. Usually, these are fun
ghosts. Look for ghosts around the
stage, in the audience, backstage,
and just outside the doors to the
seating areas.
Most colleges and some schools
usually have at least one
poltergeist. However, you'll
probably have to ask the students
for help in finding them. An EMF
meter can be especially useful for
locating poltergeist activity.
Avoid investigating private homes
when you are new to ghost hunting.
In addition to issues of safety and
the law, people who are troubled by
ghosts--or proud of them--have
expectations that you may not be
able to meet.
These should be a enough ideas to
get you started when you are new to
ghost hunting or are looking for
some good local haunts. However,
also rely on your gut instinct. If a
location looks haunted, it might be
a good place to investigate.
Ghost hunting can be a fun hobby,
and even more exciting than TV shows
about hauntings. Almost every
community has a ghost or two. Use
common sense and observe local laws,
and
you may return home with ghost
stories to impress friends and
family.
host stories to impress friends and
family.
