Ghost Adventures Title sequence
My name is Zak Bagans. I've never believed in ghosts until I came face to face with one.
So I set out on a quest to capture what I once saw onto video...
With no big camera crews following us around, I am joined only by my fellow investigator Nick Groff and our equipment tech Aaron Goodwin.
The three of us will travel to some of the most highly active paranormal locations, where we will spend an entire night, being locked down from dusk until dawn...
Raw...
Extreme...
These are our Ghost Adventures.
Bartonville Insane Asylum, IL
Walkthrough Part 1
Zak walked down the stone path as Nick and Aaron filmed him. I watched from a distance, getting my audio pack set to go.
"A few miles outside of Peoria, Illinois rests the Bartonville Insane Asylum. This 60,000 square foot building has been widely known for stories of inhumane treatments on mentally ill patients, is now being known for the ghosts that are said to haunt to this placeā¦"
Built in 1895 and reopened in 1902, the Asylum held those who were deemed "incurably insane" by society, left with the nightmares in their minds and those around them.
Countless eyewitnesses have seen apparitions, heard blood-curdling screams and attacked forcibly by sinister spirits.
"Tonight, we investigate these buildings and face the entities that taunt the living."
Just as they gather to figure out the next spot to introduce the location, Zak saw me waiting by their GAC minivan in the gravel road.
"Hey, look who's back." he smiled and pointed out as Nick and Aaron turned. I walked swiftly over to reunite with them.
"Sorry, I'm late. My plane was delayed, so I took an airport shuttle here."
"Good to have you back." Zak gave me a friendly hug, Aaron semi-hugged with a camera in his hand. Nick did the same, trying to balance his shoulder camera.
"How've you been?" he asked.
"Great, had all sorts of investigations done at home. But nothing compares to you guys."
"We're almost ready to start the interviews." Zak said.
"All right. Let's do it." I replied excitedly.
We entered the Main Entrance to the Bowen Building where the first interview was shooting, I stood behind Nick as Zak spoke.
"Elizabeth Kinsey is a Historian of the Asylum. So Elizabeth, what sort of things happened here?"
"This Insane Asylum was in operation until 1972. It housed 2,800 patients and they were given a series of cruel treatments, such as shock therapy, water submersion and several others. It was believed that you would come to your senses after enduring pain. In 1902, Dr. George Zeller brought a new approach, he refused to use restraints or place bars over the windows which was unheard of during those days. Dr. Zeller even saw an immediate need for a system of burying the patients that passed away. At least one person died every day, the older graves in cemeteries didn't even have names. They were mostly numbered if the patients didn't have names." she continued to tell the history as we all listened.
"So no one would come and claim their loved ones?" Zak asked.
"No one would come." she replied.
"Many patients spent their lives in this Asylum, some died from the influenza outbreak and others died during a riot in 1934. The staff tried to lock down the building wards, but many were caught in turmoil."
Zak shook his head,
"Wow, that's nuts."
We walked to the old cemetery across the road where Keith Caswell, owner of the Asylum told us what he knew about this building's dark history.
"There's a story that a patient nicknamed "Old Book" once lived here. He suffered from a mental illness that prevented him speaking, so he was transferred here despite his physical body being normal. He was beloved by the hospital and the staff for his gentle nature and hard work. He would attend the burials and weep for the deceased, he was also well known to sit by the elm tree that's also known as "Graveyard Elm". When he died, the whole hospital attended his memorial service. As they paid their respects, they suddenly heard sobbing and over 200 witnesses saw his ghost crying under his elm tree. When they opened his casket, the crying stopped and his ghost disappeared."
We all shared expressions of amazement.
"When "Old Book" died, the elm tree also began to die. Every time workers tried to get rid of the tree, they would hear wailing emitting from it. So now, the Graveyard Elm still stands."
"Aaron, we should set an X camera in the cemetery and see if we catch "Old Book" near the tree." Zak took his camera, ripped some duct tape and formed an X on the gravel trail.
Keith spoke up again, ready to tell us about others experiencing paranormal activity.
"Recently, we conducted Ghost Tours here and several witnesses came to us with incredible stories."
