Fans Gather at Pennhurst Leading Up to Live Ghost Hunting Special

EAST VINCENT-Recently there have been a barrage of “paranormal” movies, tours and reality shows that all seem to sensationalize what happens to someone who experiences the unexplained, fueling even more of a frenzied public demand for over-the-edge terror rides and attractions that have become a Halloween cash cow.

“Terror Behind the Walls," which turns a truly frightening place in its own right, Eastern State Penitentiary into little more than an amusement park, has actors portraying the guards and scary beings that go bump in the night.

The fascination with the paranormal sparked several shows focusing on the topic.

In 2004, the Science Fiction Network launched the first show of its type, a show which focused on people who were afraid of something that could not be explained and whose “paranormal activity” was sought out by two gentleman who by day were plumbers, but when the lights went out set out to debunk or confirm any unexplained activity.

This evening Ghost Hunters, the paranormal reality show, will broadcast live from our area at Pennhurst on All Hallow's Eve, with investigators and co-founders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson leading the way, set to undertake an evening of investigation at Pennhurst.

The team arrived on Thursday and has spent three days getting ready to broadcast live to the world with streaming video from Pennhurst. This is a daunting task considering there is no power to be had on the property.

On Monday afternoon fans and paranormal enthusiasts alike from Chester, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Delaware counties flocked to the outer limits of the Pennhurst property, which is being secured by EPS services, just to see the Ghost Hunters and their army of tech people in action.

“We have been huge fans of the show since it came on,” said Linda Widmer, who traveled from south of Coatesville to get a glimpse of the Ghost Hunters. “To be here and see them getting ready is great. They put a lot of work into it. I have enjoyed them because their first inclination is to debunk or find a logical explanation. I never expected to even get close today. This is just amazing. I know people that have had experiences, and it’s great that they try to help.”

In today’s world of sensationalized programming and marketing, GH has always stayed firm to their original caveat, which was to help people first and try to bring an explanation or theory to any claims of “paranormal activity," taking into account its impact on the people affected, without shameless self-promotion and monetary gain as they provide their services free of charge to any client that contacts them.

“This is great to see them here in our area,” said Pottstown native Gabrielle Dyszel. “How they debunk some stuff and can’t explain some other things really helped me realize that there are more things than people can see with their eyes or hear with ears. It opened my mind up to accept that some of the things I have heard are real.”

Even the security people on site were sharing their own experiences with onlookers and fans as the afternoon progressed getting ready for the big night.

“I have been here a lot and witnessed some really strange stuff,” EPS agent Brian Gaily shared with some of the people that had made the trek to Pennhurst. “We have had many reposts from several of our people about some really weird stuff. The GH people and their staff have been very nice while they have been here and I can’t wait to see what they find once the cameras start rolling.”

To view the live broadcast go to SyFy on your local cable or satellite provider to see the live feed directly from Pennhurst from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m.