Sci Fi series "Ghost Hunters" takes us along on adventures with a dedicated team of Little Rhody plumbers who moonlight as real ghost hunters by night.
This one-hour weekly reality drama follows a group of real-life paranormal researchers as they investigate haunted houses throughout the country, encountering every type of unexplained presence and haunting.
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, real plumbers by trade, head up TAPS — The Atlantic Paranormal Society — a group of ordinary people who have dedicated themselves to validating or debunking what goes bump in the night in your house.
Lead Hunters Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes return for their fourth season on March 5 at 9:00 pm on Sci Fi.
Monsters and Critics had a chance to visit with Jason and Grant, currently in Yarmouth, Cape Cod as they film another spine-tingling episode of unexplained haunting.
Why are we fascinated with the paranormal and ghosts? And why is it popular?
Jason Hawes: Well see I, you know, I’ve seen a bunch - some people, of course, get - have their own experience and they want to understand it. But what I’m seeing more and more of is people who just want to know that there’s something after this life, that when they pass on they’re going somewhere.
And I’ve just seen more and more of those people getting involved in this field.
The Earth is all - we know it, you know. And so I think the last frontier is really paranormal and everyone just wants a little bit of mystery in life because science has taken over and they’ve got answers for everything.
Can you explain the phenomenon of cold spots?
Jason Hawes: Well that’s one of the theories, is that an entity is drawing the energy from the air, in return making that area around it colder.
What’s the explanation for them showing up on the thermal imaging as a heat signature?
Jason Hawes: That’s actually a good question. The thing is we got the thermal energy camera in hopes to see these cold spots that we’ve been experiencing and that doesn’t - it doesn’t work like that.
Instead, we are catching these other things that don’t really stick in with that theory, so to speak. So it’s kind of new ground for us. I mean, just catching what we catch on it.
Grant Wilson: Yeah. A lot of times we’re catching things that are giving off a signature. But - and you’re able to see it through the thermal but not with the naked eye.
Jason Hawes: Actually in Season Four you’re going to see something that fits that theory a little better that we caught on the thermal. So yeah, it’s all learning ground for us. You got to remember that. There’s no - it’s not really - it’s not like there’s a scientific field for this so we’re pretty much learning each case by case as we’ve been doing for the last 17 years.
Why didn’t you guys put Steve in that solitary confinement cell?
Jason Hawes: We tried to get Steve in there, didn’t we? Let me think - yeah, I’m sorry - I don’t remember the exact details, but I think we were trying to get Steve in there. I’m not sure if they showed it but Steve wasn’t too keen on the idea of there being spiders and stuff down there.
That place had a connection to Eastern Penitentiary. You guys planning on going back to there any time soon?
Jason Hawes: Well we went back there once on the show and since then we’ve been back a couple of times doing private investigations. And, you know, each time we come across the same type of phenomena - the (shadowy) stuff.
Have you ever actually had the feeling that maybe a ghost or some sort of paranormal entity followed you home after doing one of these expeditions?
Jason Hawes: The way I look at it is I’ve got five kids. The least thing they want to do is come to my house. But on a serious note, you know, we’ve had some people say that they believe things have followed them back. I’ve never personally experienced it myself.
We’re not the kind of people out blessing ourselves with holy water or doing smudges. That’s not what we’re about. We just feel your strength comes from inside of you to keep these things away and keep yourself safe.
Grant Wilson: Right, I’ve never had that happen either. I’ve never actually seen it happen. What I have seen is that some people who start investigating them eventually will start to think their house is haunted.
And whether that’s just because now they’re in the field, that they’re just kind of going that way and they hear sounds or, you know, it’s hard to say something ever has followed you home.
I mean, it’s not like you can even - you’re lucky if you catch a picture of these things, you know, much less identify it well enough to recognize it in a different location.
Has there ever been a particular moment for either one of you where you were ghost hunting and you just got so scared you wanted to stop right then and there?
Grant Wilson: No honestly, we’ve never had that. Don’t get me wrong, you know, some of these places you’re in you get an uneasy feeling like you got to look over your shoulder. You’ll be startled by things.
But, you know what? You were called in by people to investigate this. They called you in as professionals, looking for your help and guidance. If you run out of their house or, you know, you just tell them I can’t do this, I got to leave, then those people are stranded.
And not just stranded, but now they’re even more fearful when the professional that they called in is terrified to be in their house.
Grant Wilson: And now you know what? We’re there for them. I don’t care how scared you can get at certain times. You’ve got to keep yourself in a professional manner and try to help out those who need you the most.
What do your families kind of make of your job? Are your kids following in your footsteps?
Jason Hawes: Well I’ve got five kids. I’ve got three daughters and twin sons. And all my children are highly interested in the paranormal and they would love to follow in my footsteps.
Mainly my kids look at me as a plumber. Yeah, he investigates the paranormal but my main job is I’m a plumber.
Grant Wilson: Yeah, you ask my kids what dad does for a living and they say oh, he’s a plumber. But they watch a lot of Scooby-Doo which is good because it’s always Old Man Jenkins instead of a ghost. So they’re good. They investigate.
They think my barn’s haunted, but I know that it’s just the light outside that’s reflecting on the window. And I go get it - love to get it out.
What is scarier: plumber work or ghost hunting work? And has there ever been a point in either one job - in either job where you were just too frightened?
Jason Hawes: Well the problem is, half the plumbing jobs you can - you get can actually be listed under paranormal. So...
Grant Wilson: When I was alone.
Jason Hawes: So of course plumbing is more frightening. You never know, what if you make a mistake and somebody’s house blows up? Yeah, so…
Grant Wilson: There are a lot of similarities, though. I mean, in both situations you got people who…
Jason Hawes: Call you in because they need your help.
Grant Wilson: …they don’t understand the situation. And then you go in, you - with the knowledge, you help them out and you leave them feeling better. And, you know, you never know what house you’re walking into.
Jason Hawes: And it’s also problem-solving. Plumbing, just like the paranormal - you’re going in trying to figure out what is going on. You try to help these people, as you are in the paranormal field.
What are the differences between creaky, leaky pipes versus creepy ghost noises in a house?
Grant Wilson: Well people bring us into their homes for that reason, you know. What - to fix their plumbing. And if you don’t - you can’t recognize the sounds then, you know, you’re not a very good plumber.
But you - yeah, definitely most plumbing - most ghosts disappear when you find out they’re plumbing problems or electrical problems.
Jason Hawes: Like Grant was saying - you can definitely tell the difference if, they’ve got a 30-pound pressurized water line feeding into the house that is leaking or a drain line that’s dripping, or whatever. And it’s not really paranormal.
Will we see you guys appearing on Ghost Hunters International in the future?
Jason Hawes: Well you know what? That’s up in the air. But we wish them the best of luck over there, overseas. But the main reason Grant and I are not on that is because first off, there’s enough cases here in the United States that request our help.
And also, we’ve got families and children. Being overseas for long lengths of time, it’s kind of rough on us. It’s kind of up to Sci-Fi Channel, Pilgrim Films and Grant and I to all be in agreement that if we do appear on that show, what point we will appear on that show.
It looks like an awful lot of work, dragging in equipment, the travel, the long nights. What is it that really keeps you guys going every time?
Jason Hawes: Well I think there are a couple different things that keep us going. First off, being able to help those people who need us the most and give them the power to have their home back and their children are able to sleep at night.
That right there is important enough to us. But also the endless possibility that we might be able to catch that one piece of evidence which is the holy grail that we could put out there for the world that people are just wow, there is something out there in the universe.
Grant Wilson: Yeah. I’m motivated mostly by the fact that everybody seems to have, at one point in their live, had no concept of what was going on around them and they had questions that they needed answered.
And we all have that feeling of having no one to turn to. And we don’t want people to live like that. There’s a place they can turn to. We’re here for them and each case can present huge answers that can be used on the next case.
Has anyone ever intentional faked phenomena in order - either just to try to get some airtime with you guys or to see if they could trick you?
Jason Hawes: Absolutely.
Grant Wilson: Of course.
Jason Hawes: We have gotten that, we’ve been doing this for 17 years and we go in with a skeptical mindset. We’re going in trying to debunk the claims of paranormal activity.
We did have one gentleman who built a speaker inside a wall. He would try to make sounds come from that wall. We were able to track the speaker wire up to the wall. We did a restaurant which I don’t think we will air. But the whole place was rigged with fake paranormal activity and Grant and I were able to figure it all out, and find that.
Grant Wilson: We actually fixed a lot of it.
Jason Hawes: Yeah.
Grant Wilson: So it worked right.
Jason Hawes: Yeah, just being wise-asses would be the best term to use on that one. But yeah, so you do get that. But that’s a rarity, but it does happen. And people always need to keep their eyes open for that.
What’s the difference between going in to debunk or going in to prove the opposite?
Jason Hawes: First off, anybody can walk into a house and say this place is haunted. Where’s the proof to solidify those claims? If you’re basing that just on feelings you have, then you’re not helping the field. You’re setting the field back.
It’s not going to be torn, it’s not going to be that middle ground so I think that’s the main important thing. Also, if you go into a place believing that it’s haunted and going in trying to prove that it’s haunted, you’re willing to accept any evidence you catch as proof of the place being haunted.
Grant Wilson: Well think about it - I mean, the homeowner already thinks the place is haunted or they wouldn’t have called you in. So I mean, you’ve got to come at it a different angle in order to help the homeowner. You’ve got come at it from a different angle and that’s it.
Do you feel there are areas of the country that are more psychically active than other regions?
Jason Hawes: Okay. Well it’s funny because you’ll definitely find them in like New England. It seems to be a lot more active around Halloween into the winter months. And now there’s a reason behind that.
First off, that’s when all the spooky movies are coming in. Secondly, it’s when everybody is spending more and more time in their homes. Your heating system is turning on which is, you know, it is actually removing the moisture from the wood and everything.
So your house is popping and cracking. You’re getting sounds of footsteps and it’s not really going on. But, you know, the imagination is of course kicking in more.
Grant Wilson: Do you know how many flippin’ towns tell us that they’re the most haunted town in the country? I don’t even know who does that sentence, but no it’s equal everywhere - even old houses.
You know, there are ancient houses that look straight off Scooby-Doo that aren’t haunted and there are brand new houses that are more haunted than old houses. So it’s just - there’s no rhyme or reason to it.
April MacIntyre: Follow-up question - what’s the most, for lack of a better word, haunted residence or home, that you’ve ever set foot in?
Jason Hawes: That’s a tough one.
Grant Wilson: Well yeah, it’s tough because some of the most haunted locations we’ve ever been in have been far before the show has been on. We’ve done cases for state senators, police chiefs, you name it, lawyers, doctors.
We did a Police Chief’s house in - right around Rhode Island I should say, that we caught some activity being that it was some of the best activity we’ve ever caught. But those fall under a confidentiality agreement.
So - since the show has been on, some of my favorites have been the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado and St. Augustine Lighthouse. Now that being said, that was within the first three seasons.
The fourth season, we went to some incredible locations, caught some of the best evidence we’ve ever caught on any of our shows throughout the fourth season.
Jason Hawes: Oh man.
Grant Wilson: And I’ve definitely got some new favorite locations, but I can’t say those yet.
April MacIntyre: Okay, darn it.
Grant Wilson: Sorry. No, but you have to look forward - I think probably one of the best EVP’s we’ve ever caught.
Jason Hawes: Oh yeah, that. But people definitely want to watch this season and that’s not just us trying to push the season.
Grant Wilson: I can’t wait to see it.
Jason Hawes: Yeah. And honestly, the first episode -- Fort Mifflin was an incredible location and an incredible investigation. And we came away with some great stuff.
What would you say is the most invaluable tool that you guys have?
Jason Hawes: Honestly, I would say it’s not any of our electronics.
Grant Wilson: Yeah.
Jason Hawes: It’s common sense.
Grant Wilson: The investigators.
Jason Hawes: Yeah, each person individually on the (cast) team. But with that being said, you know, I like thermal imaging and I also like, of course, video because it’s hard to dispute.
Grant Wilson: Yeah. I think that you’ll never be able to build a device that can do debunking, which is the main goal. But I like EVPs probably best because they’re evidence in and of themselves, but then that evidence can give you clues. It can give you a name. It can give you a motivation that you can then act on where most other evidence doesn’t do that.
But yeah, video is - you can see it straight up. But the EVPs are good. You get that clue.
What about the Geiger counter? Are you guys going to employ that again?
Grant Wilson: I don’t even - honestly, personally I don’t understand the logic behind using Geiger counters so I’m not a fan. I don’t see what they’re going after - radioactive isotopes? What the heck does that prove?
Grant, in your bio it says you’re quite the Italian cook. You want to tell us what your signature dish is? To feed the ghosts?
Grant Wilson: That kind of got exaggerated on TV. I love to cook and people tell me I cook well, but I’m not an accomplished chef. So I don’t know where that came from. But I like to make up stuff and I make a nice Lemon Chicken Alfredo. Send Maureen your email and I’ll send you the recipe.
What’s your favorite behind the scenes thing with your crew? Something that happened with the crew or maybe that was off camera that you can share with us?
Grant Wilson: Okay, hold on. At one point we were challenged - Steve challenged us to a go-kart race.
Jason Hawes: Oh yeah.
Grant Wilson: And whoever won if we won - if they won, we would have to review the evidence. If we won…
Jason Hawes: It wasn’t even just Steve. Steve and Brian challenged…
Grant Wilson: Brian, right.
Jason Hawes: …Grant and I to a go-kart race. And it was if Grant and I won, Steve and Brian would clean our yards. They’d rake up all the leaves and mow our grass.
Grant Wilson: Which we have big yards.
Jason Hawes: Yeah, we do have big yards. And if they won, Grant and I had to analyze the evidence. Well…
Jason Hawes: So either way - but as we were racing, Grant and I came up with this thought where it didn’t matter if I won or Grant won, as long as one of us won. So we manipulated the scenario so I could wipe out Steve and Brian, and Grant could make it to the finish line in time.
And that worked out great. We won. Our yards look spotless.
Grant Wilson: But the reason I bring that up is because they wanted to film it and so the camera crew had a good time because they got to - got all sorts of cameras to the go-karts and actually had a pacer go-kart that was following us around with cameras rigged all over it.
And I mean, we do that kind of crud all the time.
Grant Wilson: Yeah, talk about St. Augustine’s on the mopeds.
Jason Hawes: St. Augustine, yeah - think of 12 guys, you know, cast, crew and production guys driving around on mopeds. We were like the 80-year-old Harley Davidson bike rider guys.
We can’t control the big bikes, we’re on mopeds.
Jason Hawes: We’re also very big on passing shocking instruments to each other.
Grant Wilson: Yeah, gag pens that shock you or lighters, or gum - whatever.
Then a follow-up question. I’m from the Boston area, but I lived on the Cape for awhile. Do you ever go to Cape Cod and investigate the many interesting places?
Grant Wilson: Are you kidding me? We’re on the Cape right now.
Jason Hawes: We’re in Cape Cod right now investigating.
April MacIntyre: Oh really?
Jason Hawes: Yeah, but I’m not telling you where.
April MacIntyre: You’re not in Woods Hole, okay, not in Falmouth?
Jason Hawes: We’re in Yarmouth.
Grant Wilson: It’s pretty - that’s crazy.
April MacIntyre: Wow. Did you guys ever go to the Daniel Webster Inn? That’s reportedly a hot location. That’s in Sandwich.
Grant Wilson: Nope.
Jason Hawes: Nope, haven’t been there yet.
April MacIntyre: It’s supposed to be quite the haunted place.
Jason Hawes: Yeah, I know what you’re doing. You’re going to keep on asking us which - if we’ve been here, we’ve been there and you’re finally going to hit the place we’re at, right? I know this game.
April MacIntyre: I’m going to whittle you down.
Jason Hawes: I’m just kidding.
You’re going to be out at the Queen Mary, in Long Beach, California?
Jason Hawes: Yeah, we fly in there on Sunday. Well we’ve been to the Queen Mary a few times. We investigated a bunch of places in California and we’re in the midst of setting up a couple other investigations out there for the end of this filming schedule for us.
I love heading to California. Of course, I’m an East Coast boy so I, you know, the best part is when I head home. But, you know, it’s definitely - we like being at the Queen Mary, checking out. A lot of great people over there.
We do these events with - we try to keep it down to about 250 to 300 fans and we do these events. And, you know, we do a fundraiser for charity. At one event Grant and I were able to raise almost $18,000 for a family that was dealing with cancer to help pay medical bills.
Grant Wilson: And that’s out of 150 people, it’s incredible.
Jason Hawes: Yeah. So that and I think the last one we were - last time we were at the Queen Mary we were able to raise almost $27,000 for charity. That’s what it’s about, giving back as much as we can. And I think that that’s the most important thing. The last one we did was for a Shriner.
Grant Wilson: Yeah, a children’s hospital.
Jason Hawes: These are things that are very close to our heart. Actually, Grant and I are working along with Citadel Broadcasting, a radio company, to work with Cure Kids Cancer this year.
Last year we worked with them and all of us combined were able to raise over $850,000 for Cure Kids Cancer, and we’re going to try to see if we can beat that this year.
I’ve got five kids. Grant has three, so these are things that are very close to our heart.
Jason Hawes: You know, Citadel, you know, running the commercials, you know, doing - spending an entire three days doing interviews with these children. Grant and I were able to go and sit down with a young kid, (Chase), about a week and a half ago and do an interview with him.
And his cancer just came back, so he’s fighting his second battle. And, you know, so it’s pretty much - it’s everybody putting their foot forward and trying to make this happen.
Lead Hunters Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes return for their fourth season on March 5 at 9:00 pm on Sci Fi.
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