Zak Bagans is an American paranormal investigator, television personality, museum operator, and author best known as the host and executive producer of the long-running Travel Channel series Ghost Adventures.
Born April 5, 1977, in Washington, D.C., Bagans has become one of the most recognizable figures in paranormal television. His confrontational investigation style, distinctive voice, and the success of Ghost Adventures have shaped how mainstream audiences engage with ghost hunting for nearly two decades.
Born: April 5, 1977, Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Paranormal Investigator, Television Host, Museum Owner, Author
Known For: Ghost Adventures, The Haunted Museum, Demon House
Active Years: 2004–present
Notable Works: Ghost Adventures (2008–present), Demon House (2018), Dark World (2011), The Haunted Museum (Las Vegas)
Website: thehauntedmuseum.com
Early Life and Background
Zachary Alexander Bagans was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. His mother, Nancy Knapp, worked as an interior designer, and he has an older sister named Meredith. Bagans developed an early fascination with the macabre, often accompanying his mother to antique sales in search of unusual collectibles.
He graduated from Glenbard West High School in 1995 and briefly attended Western Michigan University before leaving after eight months. He later enrolled at the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan, where he studied filmmaking. This education would prove instrumental in shaping his documentary-style approach to paranormal investigation.
Before his career in paranormal television, Bagans worked as a wedding DJ and video editor in Las Vegas. According to his own accounts, his passion for investigating the paranormal began after a personal encounter with what he believed to be the spirit of a suicidal woman in his apartment building in Trenton, Michigan, around 2002. This experience reportedly transformed him from a skeptic into a dedicated paranormal investigator.
Career and Major Works
The Beginning: Ghost Adventures Documentary (2004–2007)
In 2004, Bagans teamed up with Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin to produce a documentary-style film called Ghost Adventures. The independent film focused on their investigation of alleged paranormal activity in and around Virginia City, Nevada, including the historic Goldfield Hotel. The documentary won several awards and gained enough attention to catch the eye of television executives. The Sci-Fi Channel premiered the film on July 25, 2007.
Ghost Adventures Series (2008–Present)
The success of the documentary led to Ghost Adventures being commissioned as a series by the Travel Channel. The show premiered on October 17, 2008, and has since become one of the longest-running paranormal investigation programs on television.
As of June 2024, over 278 episodes have aired across 28 seasons, including numerous specials. The show follows Bagans and his team as they investigate allegedly haunted locations, conducting lockdowns from dusk until dawn. Beginning in 2021, episodes began premiering exclusively on Discovery+.
The current investigation team includes Aaron Goodwin (who has been with the show since its inception), Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley. Nick Groff, an original co-founder, departed after Season 10.
Demon House (2018)
In 2014, Bagans purchased a house in Gary, Indiana, that was the subject of the widely publicized Ammons haunting case, described in media as a “portal to hell.” He paid $35,000 for the property sight unseen. Over the following years, he documented his investigation of the location, which resulted in the feature-length documentary Demon House, released on March 16, 2018.
The film received mixed reviews. Steve Barton of Dread Central described it as one of the most compelling documentaries on the supernatural, while critics like Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times were less impressed, calling it an extended episode of the television series. Bagans demolished the house in January 2016 after completing filming.
Spin-off Series
Bagans has hosted and produced numerous spin-off series, including Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks (2014), Deadly Possessions (2016), Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room (2020), Ghost Adventures: Quarantine (2020), and Ghost Adventures: House Calls (2022). In 2021, he partnered with filmmaker Eli Roth to create The Haunted Museum, a horror anthology series for Discovery+ that dramatizes the histories of items from his museum collection.
Investigation Style and Methodology
Bagans employs what he describes as a “religious, scientific, and emotional approach” to paranormal investigation. His style is notably more aggressive and confrontational than many of his contemporaries, a method he defends as necessary for provoking responses from hostile entities.
The show popularized the concept of the “lockdown,” where investigators remain sealed inside a location overnight. Bagans and his team utilize various equipment including EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) recorders, thermal imaging cameras, spirit boxes, and the Xbox Kinect motion-tracking system adapted for detecting anomalies.
Bagans has stated that he only provokes entities he believes to be malevolent: “I don’t want the public perceiving us as the taunting, provocative ghost hunters. We do that only to the bad spirits who we know are attacking the living.”
His opening narration has become iconic among fans: “My name is Zak Bagans. I 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.”
The Haunted Museum
In October 2017, Bagans opened The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, located in the historic Wengert Mansion at 600 East Charleston Boulevard. The 1938 building had its own reported history of dark occult activity before Bagans purchased it in 2014.
The museum houses Bagans’s extensive collection of allegedly haunted and cursed objects, including the infamous Dybbuk Box (which inspired the film The Possession), Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s “death van,” the staircase from the Gary, Indiana “Demon House,” and various items connected to notorious figures and events.
All visitors must sign waivers before entering, acknowledging potential “spiritual or paranormal interactions.” The museum has won multiple awards, including the Las Vegas Mayor’s Award for historic preservation in 2018 and repeated recognition as Best Museum and Best Attraction from local publications.
Notable acquisitions include the transaxle from James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder (added in 2021) and materials from Bobby Mackey’s Music World, the subject of the very first Ghost Adventures investigation.
Reception and Criticism
Positive Reception
Ghost Adventures has maintained strong ratings throughout its run, becoming one of the Travel Channel’s most successful series. The show has cultivated a dedicated fanbase, and Bagans has been credited with bringing paranormal investigation into mainstream entertainment.
In 2004, Bagans founded the Ghost Adventures Crew (GAC), which has grown into one of the largest paranormal organizations, reportedly consisting of thousands of members worldwide.
Criticism
Ghost hunting shows in general, and Ghost Adventures in particular, have faced accusations of fakery and manipulation. Skeptics have criticized the dramatic presentation style and questioned the authenticity of evidence presented on the program.
Writing for Skeptical Inquirer, paranormal investigator Kenny Biddle has criticized Bagans’s book Ghost-Hunting For Dummies (2019), observing that Bagans displays a strong bias against skeptics and scientists. Biddle also noted similarities between passages in the book and content by other writers. Author Troy Taylor stated he received “a substantial payment” from Bagans in a settlement related to material used in the book without permission.
Some critics, including skeptical investigators who have visited The Haunted Museum, have questioned the provenance of certain artifacts and characterized the experience as more theatrical than educational. However, Bagans has stated that his team also debunks their own findings when warranted, emphasizing that they frequently use the word “unexplained” rather than making definitive claims.
Personal Life
Bagans resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has publicly disclosed having fears of heights, snakes, and “creepy-looking dolls.” He has dated several public figures, including Christine Dolce and Holly Madison (2019–2021).
Bagans is known for collecting properties with dark histories, including the purchase of a Los Angeles house connected to the Manson Family murders in 2019 for $1.88 million.
Legacy and Influence
Zak Bagans has become one of the most influential figures in contemporary paranormal investigation and entertainment. Ghost Adventures helped establish the template for modern ghost hunting television, emphasizing immersive documentation, lockdown investigations, and the use of evolving technology to capture potential evidence.
His museum has become a significant cultural destination in Las Vegas, attracting visitors interested in both paranormal phenomena and macabre history. Through his television work, books, and museum, Bagans has brought discussions of the supernatural to mainstream audiences while remaining a lightning rod for both devoted fans and vocal critics.
As of 2025, Ghost Adventures continues to produce new content, and Bagans remains actively involved in paranormal investigation, media production, and museum curation.
Selected Works
Television
- Ghost Adventures (2008–present) – Host, Lead Investigator, Executive Producer
- Paranormal Challenge (2011) – Host
- Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks (2014–2016) – Host
- Deadly Possessions (2016) – Host
- Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room (2020–present) – Host
- Ghost Adventures: Quarantine (2020) – Host, Executive Producer
- The Haunted Museum (2021–present) – Host, Executive Producer
- Ghost Adventures: House Calls (2022–present) – Host, Executive Producer
Films/Documentaries
- Ghost Adventures (2007) – Director, Writer, Star
- Demon House (2018) – Director, Writer, Star
Books
- Dark World: Into the Shadows with the Lead Investigator of the Ghost Adventures Crew (2011) – with Kelly Crigger
- I Am Haunted: Living Life Through the Dead (2015) – with Kelly Crigger
- Ghost-Hunting For Dummies (2019)
Music
- NecroFusion (2012) – Album with Praga Khan (Lords of Acid)
See Also
The Haunted Museum (Las Vegas)