Hi Everyone,<br><br>I have a weird request of sorts!<br><br>In the next few months I am giving talks and a paper on &quot;Things Shouldn&#39;t Go Bump in the Night!&quot;: Paranormal Investigations in Museums and Historic Sites.<br>

<br>The interest in the public in ghost hunting and the paranormal is at an all-time high due to several successful TV shows and publications. It is understandable that many institutions want to do this for publicity and marketing - if not to simply explore the stories and experiences attributed to their sites. People love a good ghost story - and many have programs that are very popular.<br>

<br>(Isn&#39;t the AAM touring the haunted Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia?)<br><a href="http://www.easternstate.org/">http://www.easternstate.org/</a><br><br>As a preservation professional I sometimes cringe when I see some of the practices on TV in museums and historic sites. On the other side I have several friends who pursue this who are careful and thoughtful people - and because of my background as a preservation professional I have helped them in everything from history research to how to properly use their equipment  and interpret the results.<br>

<br>I am using this project to develop both awareness and a pilot workshop / program for both groups on this issue. I want to educate those many groups out there that may be calling you to get in an do an all-night paranormal investigation about museum and historic site values, priorities, and practices and then to educate those of you on the museum side about how these groups work and how to sort out those that are careful and professional from the hobbyists - there can be hidden benefits from collaborating with them.<br>

<br>I will be writing an informational pamphlet with guidelines on the topic that I will be happy to share.<br><br>So, I would love to hear all your experiences, good and bad, and thoughts, ideas, or anything else on this. If you have photos to share I would love to see them!<br>

<br>Send your responses to me off the list, if you want, and I will do a summary of my findings and post it on here.<br><br>

If you are considering developing your own ghost tour or program then you may find this useful.<br><br>Cheers!<br>Dave<br><br>David Harvey<br>Senior Conservator<br>Los Angeles, CA<br><br>
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