At today’s Ghosthunting 101 outing in Aurora, participants will learn why abandoned houses are so popular with the undead. Then they’ll take a field trip to one of the eerie abodes. There won’t be any Proton Packs or Ecto-Traps on hand, but budding ghostbusters will get to test electromagnetic-field meters and dowsing rods.

The four-hour event begins with a two-hour class that covers basics like lingo and equipment training. Then tour guide Sherri Brake-Recco takes folks on a two-mile jog to an old house and farm, which are — you guessed it — haunted.

Brake-Recco advises ghost hunters to bring cameras and tape recorders. “We’ve recorded some electronic voice phenomena [in the past],” she says. One of the voices even gave its name: Randy. “Through research and talking to the people in town,” she says, “we came to find that Randy was the name of a young boy who died of cancer on the property.” Spooky.
Sat., March 3

This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2007.