How to start ghost hunting

YOUR FIRST GHOST HUNT

Here's what to do the very first time that you go looking for ghosts. Follow these ten easy steps, and you'll gain both experience and confidence as a ghost hunter.

1. Find someone to go ghost hunting with you. Never go to haunted places by yourself.
2. Find a local place that's supposed to be haunted. It should be a public place; never trespass on private property. We include list of real haunted places here at Hollow Hill. You can also find extensive (but unverified) lists at sites such as The Shadowlands. Ask friends, or check the Halloween issues of local newspapers.
3. Check it out in the daytime. See if there are any obstacles such as low fences, or risks such as gopher holes or evidence of spiderwebs that you might not notice in the dark.
4. Go there at dusk. Unless the site closes, it's almost always best to visit a site at dusk, and remain there for at least a little while as the surroundings get darker. Be sure to take a flashlight with you.
5. Observe what happens. It may sound silly, but many beginners expect ghosts to jump out at them, or be very obvious.

   Often, hauntings are subtle. You're looking for unexplained things, quiet whispers or unusual noises, odd 'impressions' that you get, and strange temperature changes. Watch for flickering lights or shadows, and things--perhaps figures--that you see out of the corner of your eye.

6. Leave when you feel that you've stayed long enough. This is another point that can sound silly. However, you'd be surprised at how many new ghost hunters stay at a site after they've started feeling too scared, bored, tired, or cold. Especially on your first few ghost hunts, plan to spend no more than a half hour at a haunted site.
7. Double-check the site in the daytime.
If you thought that you saw or heard something weird, return to the location in the daytime. See if you can find something that could explain what you saw or heard.
8. Make a second visit. If the site seemed haunted, or you're not sure, go back again at dusk or later. This time, take a camera. (See our article, Ghost Photography 101 for free tips to get the best results.)
9. Take--and keep--notes. Write down what you experienced, even the small stuff that you're not sure about. Keep all of your photos until you've done enough ghost photography to be sure if a picture contains anomalies. (They can be difficult to see, at first.) Always review your notes before returning to the site, later.
10. Repeat these steps. Visit new, haunted places. Revisit old favorites, and sites that you weren't sure about. Invite more friends to join you. Check out locations that 'feel haunted' to you or your friends. Expand your ghost hunting tools to include EMF meters, digital voice recorders, and so on.

With each new ghost hunt, you'll learn something new, even if the site isn't haunted. This is how all beginners start ghost hunting, and experience is the very best instructor.

As you become more confident, you'll also have more questions. Be sure to read our free how-to pages in the Ghost Hunters Guide section of this website.

We also share professional tips in our weekly newsletter. Be sure to sign up for it... it's free!

Mostly, keep going on ghost hunts. Join a local group (or start one) and see how others approach ghost hunting. Keep it simple, fun, and interesting. You'll soon be an 'experienced' ghost hunter, sharing these kinds of tips with beginners.