Ghosts and GhoStock

Buried not far under the surface of downtown Savannah, beneath the dainty gift boutiques and scenic, moss-covered city squares, are the graves of the earliest residents of Savannah. Two yellow fever outbreaks, two wars, a hurricane, and a devastating fire contributed to the untimely demise of many poor souls who claimed the "Jewel of the South" as their home. As Savannah grew, city planning moved many of the deceased to new burial grounds, but just as many were left behind in not-quite restful sleep under the city streets and celebrated architecture that make up downtown. This story of Savannah's dead serves as the foundation for its reputation as America's most haunted city; a literal foundation beneath our feet of spirits in unrest, and a figurative foundation that make the dozens of stories of Savannah's ghosts and haunted houses that much easier to believe.

Frankly, Savannah is proud of its ghosts. There are least a half-dozen "ghost tour" operations in the city, taking tourists and locals alike on walking and driving tours to all the spectral hot-spots. They can't guarantee you'll see a spirit, but most can affirm that you'll have a spooky night out and get to hear some really good stories. But, If you're looking or a deeper experience, Savannah's best kept paranormal secret is GhoStock,a twice-a-year convention for ghost hunting enthusiasts. Created in 2005 by Patrick Burns, GhoStock not only offers expert panels and lectures, but a chance to join other attendees on investigative ghost hunts. The first 100 people that register for GhoStock are assigned into teams for exclusive, private investigations into some of Savannah's most supernaturally active locations. These teams then meet again during the conference and exchange their findings and evidence with the other teams.

GhoStock's founder Patrick Burns also co-hosts the investigative program "Haunting Evidence" on TruTV and started the Ghost Hounds Paranormal Investigators Network, located online at www.ghosthounds.com. His website encourages a healthy exchange of information amongst professional and would-be ghost hunters, with an active message board and enough investigative videos, evp recordings, and photographs to make even the harshest skeptic start to question their beliefs. Burns carries this open exchange philosophy into GhoStock as well, streaming video from many of the conference's events for free on the GhoStock website for those unable to attend.

If you do have room in your schedule for a GhoStock event, tickets can be purchased directly on www. ghostock. com. GhoStock 6 will take place on May 8th through 11th at Savannah's historic Hilton DeSoto Hotel. Single day passes for either Friday or Saturday will also be available for purchase at the door. Group discounts are also available, and can be purchased by contacting ghostock@ghosthounds. com. For more information, including the tentative schedule of events, hotel information, guest information and to purchase tickets, please visit the official website at http://ghostock.com.

**Story Credit John Gholson**