YouTube and TV aren’t hurting for ghost hunting shows, but none are on the same level as Ghost Adventures. This show has been going strong since 2008 and has so far aired well over 200 episodes and over 40 specials. It originally starred Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, and Nick Groff, but now consists of Bagans, Goodwin, Jay Wasley, and Billy Tolley.
As is obviously the case with ghost hunting programs, some episodes are better than others. Some places are simply less “active” than others, and because Ghost Adventures doesn’t fake evidence, this can result in some particularly dry episodes. These are the ten worst episodes of Ghost Adventures, according to IMDb.
Alcatraz - 6.9
You’d think Alcatraz would make for an amazing location. Well, you’d be wrong. There are currently no user reviews for this episode, but the mere 48 people who bothered to rate it have given it a tenth-lowest 6.9/10. This episode didn’t really contain a whole lot of intriguing evidence, and at one point Zak ran the spirit box for twenty minutes without a single response.
The rest of the episode contained lame stuff like mists, balls of light, and both Nick and Billy feeling drained of their energy. In other words, absolutely nothing happened. We expected better from the famous prison.
The Haunted Museum Live - 6.8
Doing a live ghost episode is always a risky endeavor. OK, let’s be honest, it’s stupid. A lot of the evidence involved in these types of shows includes a gross over-exaggeration of common events (creaks, animal noises), various editing tricks, and condensing hours of footage into twenty minutes of intriguing material.
But a lot of the frenetic magic is lost in a live episode. After all, watching people stand around for HOURS waiting for a slight creak in the foundation doesn’t exactly make for stellar TV. Plus there was the whole controversy with the rabbi. Let’s not even get into that…
Haunted Victorian Mansion - 6.7
Part of the fun of watching Ghost Adventures is seeing them travel to interesting locations. This is the Travel channel after all. So excuse us if we tune out during these mundane house visits. In this episode, Zak and company travel to Massachusetts to explore an old Victorian mansion belonging to Lillian Otero and Edwin Gonzalez.
It’s up to the Ghost Adventures to suss out the source of the supposed paranormal phenomenon and rid the house of its demons (both metaphorical and literal). Lame evidence plus lame location equals dull episode.
Rose Hall - 6.7
Unlike the Haunted Victorian Mansion, Rose Hall is actually a very interesting location. Rose Hall is a massive Georgian style mansion located in Montego Bay, Jamaica, that is home to the legendary White Witch of Rose Hall. According to the legend, the ghost of Annie Palmer roams the grounds of Rose Hall.
However, numerous historical studies have proved that this story is false, which sort of puts a damper over the whole ordeal. They also investigate the former home of Johnny Cash, but this is yet another unique location without a semblance of spooks.
Execution Rocks - 6.6
With a name like “Execution Rocks,” you’d expect something a bit more exciting and visceral. This is a lighthouse located in the middle of Long Island Sound, between New Rochelle and Sands Point. The lighthouse supposedly has a history of brutal tortures and numerous shipwrecks, which of course has led to its supposed haunting.
It’s a cool location, but the episode is marred by a pitiful lack of evidence. All we get is some nonsensical words in the word database, an EVP the crew can’t even translate, and some EMF fluctuations. All of which is code for “nothing happened.”
Mustang Ranch - 6.4
Old episodes of Ghost Adventures saw them traveling to beautiful and historic locations like prisons and mental asylums. Later episodes saw them traveling to brothels. The Mustang Ranch is a modern-day brothel that is home to a supposed history of sex, violence, and corruption. So, that means it’s haunted? By that logic, wouldn’t most brothels be considered haunted?
Of course, nothing really happens in this episode, aside from some words in the word database, a mist, and a hilarious EVP supposedly saying “gunshots hurt.” Now that’s credibility.
Terror In Fontana - 6.4
“Terror in Fontana” is a highly controversial episode of Ghost Adventures. It sees the gang traveling to a suburban home in California that is supposedly haunted by demons or something. Everything is about demons in these latest episodes, just go with it. This played out like an SNL parody of Ghost Adventures more than a legitimate episode.
It featured a troubled family (no ghosts or demons) and contained the iconic moment when Zak literally crawled into a bed with the mother and her children. Has this what the show has come to?
The Riviera Hotel - 5.6
It’s odd to see an early-season episode with such a low rating, but “The Riviera Hotel” deserves it. It’s an amazing location, but the whole episode is ruined with some bizarre creative choices and horrible guest appearances. Joining the gang in this episode is Motley Crue’s Vince Neil and professional poker player Jamie Gold, neither of whom make for particularly engaging ghost hunters.
The episode sees these people trying to invoke the spirit of Frank Sinatra. Is that in bad taste? We can’t tell. Oh, and who can forget the iconic spirit box line, “Your Motley Crue.”
Demons In Seattle - 4.2
If there’s an episode that proves the Ghost Adventures don’t fake evidence, it’s “Demons in Seattle.” This horrible episode sees the gang traveling to Seattle to investigate the home of Keith Linder. Now, Keith is what some may call a faker. A phony.
He wants us to believe that demons not only spray paint things like 666 on his walls but also staple his jeans to the drywall. It’s a good thing demons have access to staplers, otherwise, how would they have pulled that off? To no one’s surprise, the gang doesn’t find anything. Just a man way too desperate for attention.
Panic In Amarillo - 3.1
“Panic in Amarillo” is a lot like “Demons in Seattle,” only significantly worse. It’s yet another episode where a family claims that they are being haunted by some type of demonic entity, only for the gang to show up and realize that it’s a troubled family desperately in need of Child Protection Services.
The house was rotten and filthy, the mother clearly suffered from some type of mental illness, and many fans believe that the child was likely being abused. There are no ghosts or demons here, just a troubled family desperately in need of some help.
