ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – They’re back! Attention Ghost Hunter fans: Third time’s a charm! The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum will be featured at 9 p.m. Wednesday, September 4 on A&E in a new episode of Ghost Hunters called “Return to St. Augustine.” Prior to 2019, the original Ghost Hunters (TAPS, The Atlantic Paranormal Society), filmed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse in 2006 and 2008.
From the A&E website: “Grant (Wilson) returns to the St. Augustine Lighthouse, site of some of the most compelling paranormal evidence ever captured in Ghost Hunters history when the team is summoned to investigate a reported increase in paranormal activity, both in and around the undeniably haunted landmark. …”
The film production company (Pilgrim Media Group) reached out to lighthouse staff in March, asking if Ghost Hunters could return to the Museum.
“I’m working on the new season of Ghost Hunters and we want to have our team revisit a handful of the BEST locations from the show’s first 11 seasons. Obviously, St. Augustine is one of the best episodes we’ve ever done, so naturally we’d love to come back if you’ll have us… We’d like to have our team spend 2-3 nights investigating, after hours,” said John Fitzpatrick, Segment Producer with Pilgrim Media Group, a Lionsgate Company.
Filming took place in May of this year, organized by Kelcie Lloyd, Special Programs Manager for the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Lloyd is a guide and manages the staff for Dark of the Moon Ghost Tours. She also will be featured on the episode.
“I’ve been here for a number other filming including the WWE, some smaller companies, and many YouTube videos. I’m behind the scenes in most of the videos, as I have a preference to not be on film, but that wasn’t the case for Ghost Hunters,” Lloyd said.
“The Ghost Hunters and the crew are some of the nicest people I’ve met. Some nights they filmed until the wee hours of the morning and were still polite and thankful that we (staff) were there. They were very respectful of the fact we were a historical site and an active attraction,” Lloyd explained.
Dark of the Moon Ghost Tours feature ghost stories that include history about the first lighthouse, called the Spanish Watchtower, and the current St. Augustine Lighthouse. The most popular story includes the two Pittee sisters and their playmate who drowned in 1873 during construction of the current tower. Another popular story includes lighthouse keeper Joseph Andreu, who fell to his death white-washing the Spanish Watchtower, and his wife, Maria, who became the first female lighthouse keeper in Florida.
“Our Dark of the Moon Ghost Tours help to support our Lighthouse Archaeology Maritime Program at the nonprofit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, explained Executive Director Kathy Fleming. “Everything we do at the Museum saves our maritime past.”
Also on September 4, the episode featuring the St. Augustine Lighthouse from 2006 will be shown at 4 p.m. on A&E, followed by the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse at 5 p.m., and the Pensacola Lighthouse at 6 p.m.
From the A&E website: “Fifteen years after introducing the world to the field of authentic paranormal investigation, ‘Ghost Hunters’ returns to television. The series that terrified and captivated fans for 11 seasons will follow one of the original team leaders, Grant Wilson, and his handpicked group of professional ghost hunters as they use their decades of field experience to investigate hauntings across the country. Engaging forensic experts, historical records and the most innovative technology available, the new squad will help everyday people who are struggling with unexplained supernatural phenomena. The team is committed to discovering the truth to give relief to those plagued by paranormal activity and will follow the evidence they uncover wherever it may lead.”
“It’s going to be exciting to see what kind of things the Ghost Hunters find. It might make working nights a little more unsettling,” said Megan Cejmer, Specialty Program Assistant Manager and Dark of the Moon Ghost Tour guide at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.
For more details about the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, visit staugustinelighthouse.org or call 904-829-0745. Stay updated on social media at facebook.com/staugustinelighthouse, Instagram.com/stauglighthouse and twitter.com/firstlighthouse
ABOUT
THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE & MARITIME MUSEUM:
A pivotal navigation tool and unique landmark of St. Augustine for over 140 years, the St. Augustine Light Station is host to centuries of history in the Nation’s Oldest Port®. Through interactive exhibits, guided tours and maritime research, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is on a mission to discover, preserve, present and keep alive the stories of the Nation’s Oldest Port® as symbolized by our working lighthouse. We are the parent organization to the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. (StAugustineLighthouse.org)
About the American Alliance of Museums:
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. (www.aam-us.org)