Ghost Hunt Returns to Kent Stage

Ghost hunters both professional and just the curious return to the tonight for a late night of normal-paranormal activity.

The Spiritual Insight Ghost Hunting Team of Ohio (SIGHT) will lead the annual progressive ghost hunt from 9 p.m. tonight to 3 a.m. Sunday morning at the theater.

Laura Lyn, a psychic medium who leads investigations with SIGHT, said the two Kent buildings that are the focus of tonight's hunt — the restaurant and the stage are full of spiritual energy.

"We believe that this is actually normal presence," Lyn said. "They call it paranormal, but we feel that spirits are always among us."

The hunt starts at the Pufferbelly with dessert and a tour of the building and its basement, where Lyn said much of the spiritual energy is concentrated at the former railroad depot.

At the stage, new this year, participants will get the chance to tour some of the building's private apartments that, like the theater itself, are said to be haunted, including tenant Doug Hite's apartment.

Hite has lived in the building for more than a year and said he's felt a presence more than once.

"I'd like to think the ghost is friendly," Hite said in prepared remarks. "I think she just wants to have a good time. Sometimes she turns on the TV and then flips it right back off."

Participants on the tour also will get to see some of the more exclusive areas of the stage building from the dark corners of the basement to spooky spots on the second floor.

Lyn said participants will get to experiment with equipment provided by SIGHT for detecting spirits.

"What we’re going to do is go to the hot spots and we’re going to use the meters and the electronic equipment that we have," she said. "And we’re going to hand it to them, the equipment, so they can experience it for themselves. Basically what we’re going to do is help them learn to tap into themselves so they can feel the presence of the spirit."

Tickets for the ghost hunt are $68. For tickets, visit www.kentstage.org or call 888-718-4253.