MANSFIELD — New to paranormal investigating and interested in learning more?
The Ohio State Reformatory will again host Ghost Hunting 101 this year after the program’s successful inception last fall. The classes will take place Saturday, May 19 and Saturday, Sept. 1.
“It was well-received and we really felt like it was a missing component to our paranormal program here,” said Mary Cabrera Kennard, OSR’s deputy director.
Paranormal investigations aren’t new to OSR. In fact, the historic prison’s paranormal program was one of the first in the country and has been used by other sites as a model, Kennard said.
“What we found was the people that already had a working investment in that field were getting a lot out of it, and they would come back because they knew how to curate their experience so they got the most out of it,” Kennard said. “But people who were traveling or who were brand new to ghost hunting, to paranormal investigating, weren’t having that same experience.”
To address this, OSR added Ghost Hunting 101 to its paranormal offerings.
This two-part course is taught by expert paranormal investigator Sherri Brake. Participants receive hands-on training in professional ghost-hunting technqiues. They learn how to use ghost-hunting equipment, document evidence and communicate with entities. Brake also touches on the history of paranormal investigating.
“She brings a wealth of equipment with her so people can try out the equipment, learn how to use it properly and best practices,” Kennard said.
Participants can choose to attend one of two two-hour seminars that will take place the day of the investigation (each session allows for up to 50 people). Seminar times are 1 and 4 p.m.
They’ll reconvene later that night for a private ghost hunt from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.
“Sherri is here throughout that evening to review evidence with them, to give advice and really make sure that they’re getting the most out of it that they can,” Kennard said.
Participants will have access to about 85 percent of the building, according to Kennard.
“Our paranormal programs in general provide more access than any other program because we have a waiver that they sign off on and we can open up more spaces to them than we do on our regular tour,” she said.
The night ghost hunt will max out at 100 participants.
“We’re dealing with 250,000 square feet here, so even with that number, there are areas in the prison where you’ll still feel alone when you get to your independent investigating portion of the night,” Kennard said.
The program, which costs $115 per person, is open to those 13 and up (13 to 17-year-olds require parent/guardian participation).
“The neat thing about this one is it’s meant to be a family experience,” Kennard said.
Not only that, but it can help paranormal novices gain knowledge and experience they can rely upon if they choose to do other paranormal investigations in the future.
OSR holds both beginner and intermediate/advanced paranormal programs throughout the year. Check the OSR website for more information.
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