
Ghost Hunters Academy
Ghost Hunters Academy is a paranormal reality television series that premiered on November 11, 2009, on the Syfy channel. The program is the third spin-off series based on Ghost Hunters. The show features TAPS members Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango as they lead a group of prospective investigators on various ghost hunting cases at locations that are allegedly haunted, and which had been previously investigated by TAPS. The tagline of the show is: "Get schooled...in the paranormal."
- Created By
- First Aired on
Nov 11, 2009
- Popularity: 1.2625
- 6 votes
- Networks
- (US)
- Status: Ended
Show Ended
2 seaons till Jul 07, 2010
Last episode: Finals At The Stanley Hotel
Seasons & episodes
Total 2 seasons, 12 episodes

Season 1
Aired
Episode 1Web of Deceit min
Location: Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The search is on for the next addition to the Ghost Hunters team! We kick off with Jason and Grant, founders of TAPS, briefing the new recruits on the job ahead of them and introducing them to Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, who will be serving as their instructors. From there, the veterans take their charges to Philadelphia's historic Fort Mifflin, site of a previous TAPS investigation. As the investigation gets underway, the team leaders brief the recruits on not only what makes a good investigation, but also what makes a good investigative team: Trust, hard work and a keen eye for detail. Over the course of two nights at Fort Mifflin, we learn a bit about the recruits. Heathyr Hoffman, an experienced medium, chooses not to tour the facility with Steve and Tango, preferring to count on her own intuition. Biology student Chris McCune is excited to get his first investigation underway, but his enthusiasm leads him to do a bit of kissing up to his instructors, which Steve and Tango quickly nip in the bud. Most shocking is the revelation that Susan Slaughter has been hiding what she feels are empathic abilities from the team, because she feared it would lead to an assumption that she wasn't enough of a skeptic to investigate with TAPS. The recruits turn up some decent evidence, including an EVP recording that seems to indicate a spirit saying the name of team member Ben Smith. Steve and Tango are impressed, not only with the evidence, but also with the recruits' ability to spot false hits like a reflected dust mote on the IR camera. Before moving on, they take time to talk with Susan about her deception, and strike a deal with her to not judge her investigative integrity if she will be honest and at face value with them going forward. That settled, the GHA crew leaves a successful first foray into the world of the paranormal behind and rolls on to their next adventure. Today's Lessons: - Taping wires is the worst punishment a recruit can face. - Don't let the power of suggestion interfere with a keen investigative eye. - Honesty and trust among team members are crucial.
Episode 2The Honeymoon's Over min
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina The Ghost Hunters Academy team lands in Wilmington, North Carolina for their next investigation: A stem-to-stern scouring of the USS North Carolina, a famous vessel from World War II. The ship has been the site of numerous reported paranormal phenomena, including objects moving, shadows, noises, strange lights and even apparitions. With two full nights to spend on the ship, the recruits are ready and enthusiastic to get things underway. Unfortunately, the beginning of the investigation is decidedly inauspicious. Equipment setup is delayed because the recruits didn't take notes on Steve and Tango's initial tour, and they quickly manage to get lost in the maze-like bowels of the ship. In addition, they have to show Heathyr, who once again refused the initial tour in an effort not to influence her work as a medium, the various hot spots. At 10:44, Steve and Tango find the equipment still not set up, and cut off the recruits' wanderings with a message that they have to get started on setup immediately. While the investigation gets underway, we hear from some of the recruits. Chris feels he's a natural-born leader, and that he will automatically segue into that role. Karl sees some butting heads among the team, but doesn't think it's a problem yet...but Susan feels corners are being cut, and that the team will pay for it later. During the first night, there are a few minor incidents. Chris, Ben and Susan hear some noises in the kitchen, and later get a very high EMF reading. Heathyr and Karl get a lesson from Steve and Tango on double-checking their equipment. Ultimately, the first night is relatively fruitless thanks to the problems and delays in setup. On night two, Steve and Tango decide to take matters into their own hands and lead the setup so as to allow more time for the recruits to investigate. In addition, they give some instruction on the use of the thermal cam to Chris and Susan, who use it to investigate, but quickly realize that its utility is limited in an environment covered with metal and glass that reflects a lot of infrared imagery. Meanwhile, Heathyr is having a medium moment. She says she's feeling something from a sailor named Thomas Greenwell. The other recruits aren't quite sure what to make of her claims or status as a medium, but she's convinced she's contacted a spirit. Steve and Tango wrap up the investigation and throw a special curveball at the recruits for the analysis phase: This time, it'll be each recruit for his- or herself, analyzing data alone, and the team leaders will see who does best. Chris finds a lot of noises on the EVP, and makes sure Ben and Karl know about it, but in the end, none of it would matter. Steve and Tango only need to listen to a couple of noted incidents to realize that the recruits did not take their advice about tagging their recordings, meaning any ambient noise could be mistaken for paranormal phenomena. In their opinion, this makes the entire investigation suspect. The mood is decidedly darker this time around as a disappointed Steve and Tango prepare to drive the recruits to their next destination, where the fate of one or more of the current team members may hang in the balance. Today's Lessons: - Always take notes when the team leaders are talking. - Double-check your camera angles. - Tag audio in your EVP sessions...or else.
Episode 3Back to Basics min
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *** WARNING - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS *** Eastern State Penitentiary was one of TAPS' most frightening investigations, and now the recruits are being brought to this historic prison for their latest test. As a special treat, they will be given access to Cell Block 14, a newly-opened part of Eastern State that was built and designed by inmates. But Steve and Tango aren't content to let the scope of the venue provide the entirety of the challenge; they've brought in new recruit Jane Riley, an experienced paranormal investigator from New Jersey. The established team is a little hesitant, and the tension builds as the team leaders confirm that someone will be going home at the end of this investigation. Perhaps the pressure gets to the recruits, as Ben's attempts to take charge of tech backfire, and the setup process again runs long, frustrating Steve. At 1:25 AM, he calls off the night, saying that things have gone too far off the rails. The team is devastated, and Chris comments that he could have made things run smoother if he'd been in charge. On night two, Steve and Tango once again take charge of setup, and the team is able to pull it off in 45 minutes. The lights go out, and the investigation begins. We first see Chris and Susan in the newly opened Cell Block 14. They hear a few sounds and then suddenly come upon a great deal of fog. Undaunted, they investigate...only to find Steve and Tango, who were testing them by creating an artificial apparition. Steve is pleased with the way Chris and Susan handled it, and high-fives are exchanged. Jane and Ben are investigating the guard tower, and as Steve and Tango observe, they see Ben basically mimicking everything Jane does. They call him on it and tell him to be more proactive. The official reprimands continue as Chris and Heathyr spend an inordinate amount of time on one tier of Cell Block 12 thanks to Heathyr's insistence on trusting her medium abilities. Eventually, Steve wraps the investigation and says the team really pulled it together on night two, but criticizes Jane for some of her poor tech work, which causes her to cry and leave the room. Steve is taken aback at how quickly she broke down, but impressed when she regroups and apologizes. The team moves on to the analysis phase, and everyone is nervous about the impending cut. Nothing is found on DVR, and while EVP turns up a couple of hits, Steve and Tango aren't convinced, and take the recruits back into the prison for a lesson on the way sound can travel and cause false positives on an EVP. At the end of the lesson, Steve dismisses everyone but Heathyr and Jane. One of these two will be going home. Steve says he and Tango questioned Jane's abilities and honesty, but admired her resilience. Meanwhile, he calls Heathyr one of the smartest people he's talked to, but questions her dependence on her mediumship. Ultimately, Heathyr is told it's time for her to go, as Tango explains that, while they attempted to open the door to a psychic, it wasn't helping them get the hard proof they needed. Everyone is dismayed to see Heathyr go, and tearful farewells are exchanged. More ominous, however, is the implication that none of the recruits are safe, and that, as they drive off to their next destination, they will have to step up their game if they want to stay on the team. Today's Lessons: - Watch out for pranks from the Team Leaders. - Be proactive. - Psychic abilities are no substitute for good science.
Episode 4Drama Queen min
Location: Buffalo, New York *** WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS *** The team is unsettled heading to their latest investigation at Buffalo's Central Terminal, both because of the loss of dismissed recruit Heathyr and because the enormous terminal presents a daunting investigative challenge. When they arrive, Steve and Tango detail some of the paranormal phenomena that have been sighted, including full-bodied apparitions in the concourse, spirits around an alcove on the third floor where a water fountain once stood, and female voices coming from an elevator shaft in the baggage claim area. There's also an abandoned apartment where the owner of the building used to reside, and some claim that his presence still lingers. After the tour, it's time for setup...and for the first time, the team really pulls it together. Equipment is placed and the place is wired in record time, but not without incident. Some tension brews between Jane and Karl when she claims that Karl wouldn't let her put cameras where she wanted to put them. Steve and Dave take note of Jane's attitude, but it's time to get the investigation underway. Lights out! We return to Karl and Jane in the abandoned apartment. Jane presses the issue, claiming Karl isn't listening to her ideas. Karl claims he's just trying to make sure her bases are covered, and Steve and Dave watch with trepidation as Jane continues to get defensive. Eventually, Karl manages to defuse the situation and the team is able to continue investigating. Team dynamics continue to play a big role in the proceedings, as Ben, Chris and Susan learn an important lesson about sticking together when Susan splits off for an hour to do her own EVP work. Meanwhile, Jane and Karl smooth things over and share a personal experience when they think they see something in the station's trolley lobby. The recruits are also showing definite improvement in their investigative skills. Chris hears a noise but is able to quickly deduce that it was caused by falling debris. Susan hears the sound of trickling water near the old water fountain, and repeated attempts to recreate the noise by Ben and Chris aren't successful; Susan feels they did a good job sorting that out. Karl and Jane even outwit a trick from Steve and Tango, cleverly deducing that mysterious lights they see are coming from an outside source (although they miss out on catching our merry pranksters). When the investigation wraps, the recruits feel better about themselves than they have after any previous effort. Steve and Tango are equally pleased, but call out Jane for some of her defensiveness. Still, things went fairly well, and the team is optimistic heading into the analysis phase. Unfortunately, little of value is found, and personal experiences from Karl, Jane, and Susan remain unconfirmed. At the least, however, everyone feels like they did a thorough job, and Steve and Tango are happy enough that no one is sent home. Everyone's feeling good as the Ghost Hunters Academy RV rolls out to its next destination. Today's Lessons: - Don't throw your teammates under the bus. - Don't go off on your own. - Don't trust Steve and Tango.
Episode 5The Blame Game min
Location: Saint Augustine, Florida *** WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS *** This week, the recruits get their cardiovascular capacity ready for the many stairs of the St. Augustine lighthouse, location of numerous full-bodied apparitions, disembodied voices, and other catalogued phenomena. The curveball this time around is the addition of Chris Smith, a new recruit...and an indication that Steve and Tango are going to be sending someone home at the end of the investigation. The rest of the recruits are nervous, but do their best to welcome their new team member and get him up to speed. It seems like everyone has the hang of setup, now, as it goes without a hitch and makes Steve happy. The lights go out, and the investigation gets underway. Almost immediately, Steve and Tango are a little disappointed in Jane's work, as she seems to lack attention to detail and basic common sense such as using her walkie talkie to communicate with other team members. Meanwhile, Karl gets high marks for his work in attempting to open a dialogue with spirits, while Susan impresses the team leaders by making use of "trigger objects" - in this case, a cigar and whiskey placed in a room in which witnesses had claimed to smell cigar smoke. Chris S. has a lot to learn about investigating, but his friendly demeanor and ability to soak up knowledge impress his new teammates. Jane and Chris M., however, have worse luck, as Steve and Tango are forced to stop them from wandering the grounds aimlessly. Steve drives home the point that research into and knowledge of the stories about sightings on the grounds would have allowed them to focus their investigation. With that, Steve and Dave wrap up the investigation, and Tango states that he was impressed with the way things went, overall. The recruits are feeling pressure going into the analysis phase, but none more so than Jane, who feels like she could be the one to go and gets quite emotional about it. Still, there's a job to do, and everyone settles down to go over evidence. Unfortunately, they only really find one piece of evidence, a personal experience recorded by Ben in which he heard knocking noises in the lighthouse tower. Steve says not to let the fact that they only found one thing get them down...but that he still has to send someone home. After some constructive criticism of Ben, we immediately see Jane aggressively start to throw blame around, including ratting out Chris M. for a statement he made saying he didn't want to be there. Steve and Tango aren't impressed with Jane's attitude, but more importantly, they think no one who doesn't want to be investigating should be. And thus it is that Chris M. is the recruit let go, while Jane gets to stay despite the fact that the team, as a whole, doesn't have great feelings about her. Jane, for her part, is happy to stay, but feels bad because she knows the only reason she's still around is because Chris stated his distaste. Steve emerges from the RV and informs the recruits that, with one investigation left, he and Tango are really going to be looking for the potential in the team, and they need to show him something. And with that, the recruits pack up and roll on to their final exam. Today's Lessons: - There's no substitute for desire and passion. - Sometimes, even the most promising investigations don't turn up hard evidence. - Leave your baggage at the door.