http://www.crescent-hotel.com/ghosts/index.htmlThe Eureka Springs episode, which focuses primarily on the historic Crescent Hotel, is expected to air in early fall, possibly September. While show officials remain mute on whether actual evidence of paranormal activity was found (a standard policy), Lynn Berry, marketing director for the City Advertising and Promotion Commission, commented “(The series producers) said that the footage is awesome.”
“Ghost Hunters” features Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson with other research members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) as they investigate supernatural stories throughout the U.S.
Hawes said the team was lured to Eureka Springs by stories someone sent to them about hauntings in the town. Wilson said there are numerous historical elements, such as the Crescent Hotel’s period as a cancer research hospital, that "leave an emotional imprint on this place."
"There are a bunch of different claims here," Hawes explained, such as an entity in the former morgue of the Crescent that didn’t know it was dead and a man in time-period clothing.
Steve Garrison has worked as a cook in the Crescent Hotel kitchen for about 14 years and was interviewed by TAPS. “I’ve lived here all my life,” he said. “I’ve never been one to believe this stuff.” However, he claimed that while slicing and dicing vegetables in the kitchen he once saw a little boy with bottle-pop glasses dressed in very old clothes such as knickers skipping around. “I don’t drink on the job,” Garrison added. “I don’t drink period.” Another experience Garrison has had on more than one occasion was to flip on the lights in the kitchen when he first showed up for work and see some or all of the pots and pans fly off their hooks.
TAPS takes mysterious situations and stories like those at the Crescent Hotel, and tries to recreate them. It doesn’t take ghost tales at face value and doesn’t consider people’s experiences evidence unless TAPS can capture it on audio or video.
"It’s good science," Wilson said.
A New Jersey man once built speakers into his wall to trick TAPS investigators into thinking his location was haunted. It didn’t work.
"We go in to try to disprove a haunting," Hawes explained. They use video and audio equipment to capture the unnatural scenario and then try to duplicate the situation. If they can recreate it, they throw the case out. If they can’t, they work to find more substance or proof for the owners. "Eighty percent of the time it’s not a ghost," Wilson said.
They have disproved photographs by showing a camera strap or hair in front of the lens caused the apparitional-like effect. Any case involving children takes priority. In one case, a little girl began waking in her bed each night in terror from someone touching her, but no one was there when she awoke. Her parents were fearful as was the little girl.
"We can show her a video of her brother poking her," Wilson explained. The brother slept in the bunk bed above and would jab his sister during the night. By the time she came fully awake, the brother pretended to be asleep. Yet the sister was distraught, not knowing who lay a hand on her night after night.
"There’s really very little to be scared of most of the time," Wilson said. "You get surprised sometimes."
Hawes said he used to get the heebie jeebies during ghost hunting work, but not anymore. "Now we just laugh at the other staff that do."
The purpose of TAPS is to help and give answers to people experiencing fear and uncertainty from possible paranormal occurrences. Wilson said many people feel that if they have a haunting they have no where to turn. It’s not like having a sink back up or a toilet clog and being able to call a plumber.
Although, if you call TAPS for haunting troubles and happen to have some plumbing needs, Hawes and Wilson both have regular jobs for Roto Rooter; so, they can likely shed some light on both subjects. "I’m good at what I do as a plumber," Hawes said. "Roto Rooter has been a very supportive company."
While the ghost hunters are serious about helping people, Grant added that TAPS likes to investigate locations that people can visit. "Like here (at the Crescent Hotel), someone could rent a room and check it out," Grant said.
"This place is awesome," said Hawes. "I had a totally wrong conception of Arkansas. This is beautiful."
"It’s like a movie set down there (in the historic downtown)," Wilson added. "And the people are so nice."
While TAPS has enough New England cases to keep it busy all year long, it also receives requests to investigate cases throughout the world. TAPS has branches across the U.S. and affiliates in 12 countries. Hawes began TAPS in 1990; originally it was called Rhode Island Paranormal. RIP began investigating cases within the New England area outside of Rhode Island and ended up changing its name to The Atlantic Paranormal Society. It has outgrown that name as well, which is evidenced by its recent visit to Eureka Springs.
Hawes said the TAPS mentality is "to make the paranormal a respected field." One way they achieve that is by ghost busting for free.
"There’s a lot of people out there that charge money and that hurts the field," said Hawes. Grant added, "You also run the risk of being a charlatan because if you’re paid, it’s incentive to find a ghost."
TAPS uses state-of-the-art equipment such as a DVR system, numerous cameras that work best in total darkness, thermal energy cameras to detect temperature changes, air ionizers, remote cameras, and more. Staff members are currently working on a motion detector system using microwaves to ascertain changes in room density.
