27 replies to this topic

[Corey]

I ask because I've seen some places online that offer ghost tours into cemetaries and such. Seems like it would be a pretty big risk. These days some folks would sue you for stepping on their toe.
Imagine running a tour and someone falls and hurts themselves?

[Aesalon]

The teams the run 'ghost hunt ride-alongs' usually do so to the types of locations that we were talking about in the beginning, I do not know of any teams that actually give tours of normal residences. (They may exist, but none that I have met.)
Example: Location Charges $25 per investigator - the team brings 4 guides and 4 'Guests' charging the 'Guests' $50, which includes paying for the guide, use of equipment, and entry into the location.
There is always an 'at your own risk' waiver that is signed by the ride-along that will state that the person is fully aware of the dangers of wandering around in the dark, and does not hold the investigation team or the property management liable for injuries. And museums almost always have insurance to protect the property at the location. (One of those things that they need to charge people so they can pay.)

[dannyau]

Axman, on Nov 28 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

If the government got involved there would be a Department of Paranormal Resources and we would have to purchase a ghost hunting license.

wont be long dude they charge for everything else

[RiverTownParanormalSociety]

Our group has paid to go to different sights in the area. We considered the time spent a learning experience, including the history that is given about the possible haunting. We want to support our area and realize the time an effort folks have to put in to make the event happen.

Last Halloween we held a fund raiser for one of the local landmarks. Participants paid in advance for a five hour evening including refreshments. They recieved the history of the building, was shown how to use equipment, seen our evidence, went on a guided tour using our equipment and sat down with us for a ghost box session. The majority had a great time! And said they would never had the chance to do this any other way. There was only one person who said our amount was too much. There is always one no matter what it is. The evening was a win win. The landmark raised money for repairs and we got our name out to the community.
Deb

[CaveRat2]

i consider most pay to hunt places more of a social event anyway. From my experience little real evidence is obtained under those conditions, and what is obtained must be highly suspect. You don't have good control over the location so often it is other people who inadvertantly cause false positives. Thus my stand on public investigations or pay to hunt places.

But as social events they are fine. Go, pay your money, and enjoy the event for what it is. These are different than private client cases which should always be done at no fee to the client.

[Aesalon]

CaveRat, on Dec 20 2009, 12:38 PM, said:

i consider most pay to hunt places more of a social event anyway. From my experience little real evidence is obtained under those conditions, and what is obtained must be highly suspect. You don't have good control over the location so often it is other people who inadvertantly cause false positives. Thus my stand on public investigations or pay to hunt places.

But as social events they are fine. Go, pay your money, and enjoy the event for what it is. These are different than private client cases which should always be done at no fee to the client.

True, most of these are basically just meet-n'-greets anyway - though you can find a few that are pretty good. Saturday the 19th my team paid to investigate a local building (Money goes to the county historical society.) and the three investigators present had complete run of the building with the HS volunteer basically sitting in the office the entire night waiting to close up behind us.

[loganinkosovo]

I'm all for it!

In fact I've got a Haunted Shed I'll let you investigate for only $450 a night and I'll even throw in some S'mores!

[PJay]

RiverTownParanormalSociety, on Dec 18 2009, 05:51 PM, said:

Last Halloween we held a fund raiser for one of the local landmarks. Participants paid in advance for a five hour evening including refreshments.
Deb

How much did you charge per person for that? One of our local resturants advertised a ghost tour, $30 for 3 hrs, and $50 for 5 hrs. Just want to see how it compairs.

[Kittie Danger]

2 yrs ago I got suckered into a ghost hunt at a B&B, $40 per person, they let over 30 people sign up for the "investigation" you were allowed to bring your own camera & voice recorder. If you caught any evidence & the "leaders" found out, your footage automatically became their property. They wouldn't allow you to go w/the group if you didn't sign a release form. Then they form a "club" w/a few women who pose nearly naked in a cemtery for a calendar. This cemetery is 'private' they knew someone in the local fire dept. or something, who had access to a key, they didn't gain consent from the families involved to do this calendar. It was in very poor taste and very disrespectful. Needless to say I think one guy left the group, & the leader is under investigation for multiple fraud charges, etc. Karma will get ya.

[BringOnTheGhosts]

Good question.

I'm just assuming that the ghost hunts they charge you for is to make a profit off of the equipment they bought. And that would make sense if your an amateur investigator. If your bringing your own equipment, it does seem a little ridiculous to have to pay so much to get in. I know of a place that charges $35 for kids, and $50 for adults. They supply equipment and everything. I do agree $500 dollars is a bit pricey, but that sounds weird to me for Eastern State. The TV show Ghost Adventures is hosting a ghost hunt there in June. You investigate twice, and you are also invited to conferences with other famous investigators, including John Zaffis. The fact that all that is less than one night investigating there on a regular basis is cheaper, is a little surprising. So I don't have an answer for that.

[grimshawl]

Corey, on Dec 3 2009, 07:13 PM, said:

What about a group that charges to come along on an investigation? Can you legally charge money to take people along on an investigation if you dont own the property?
You have a group and you want to charge to take people into a supposed haunted cemetary and relay the history of it. Is that even legal?

There are all sorts of haunted historical tours that do this type of thing, they dont own the haunted locations/cemeteries/bars/etc. they tour you past but often have agreements with the property owners to either pay them an amount or kick up business and act as advertising or some such. Troy Tailor has some tours like this he has been involved with for years. It generally benifits all concerned.

[grimshawl]

I am all for this option by the way. Many places wouldnt be open for any investigations if there wasnt money involved. some of them wouldnt even be standing today if the revenue from paranormal investigations werent coming in and as far as to the question of a place being haunted or not its all let the buyer beware. you need to do your homework and see if there is any evidence or historical acounts of a haunting or see if you can find someone who can vouch for the place being active and then make your own mind up about whether its worth it or not. I have been on both sides many times buying my way into Waverly Hills, Prospect Place and many others and while some have produced no positive results and others have I havent regreted any of my investigations so far. I have also been involved in running/hosting investigations for a historical building for more than a year now and gave the tours and collected the money for the Twin City Opera House and I have enjoyed being a part of the whole experience from this side as well. The money goes to the opera house to help keep them open and I get to investigate the place myself ocasionally and also I get to tell others about the opera houses history and about some of the experiences I have had there and about the people who used to run the place and what they saw and experienced. www.twincityoperahouse.com

I think just like anything else there can be a downside to pay-to-investigate but I think their is alot more to recomend it. I wish all places were more affordable but thats no different than me wishing that DisneyLand or Bush Gardens or a trip to the Mediteranian was more affordable.

[ktranger]

I have no trouble paying for access to some locations, such as historical sites or museums that are either private or public if the money is going to location. I actually work with museums myself to run either "Ghost Tours" or "private group investigations" so that museum can earn funds to maintain it's self. I have enve done the same for historical buildings.

Ralph