Zachary Bagans is an American paranormal investigator, actor, television personality, museum operator, and author. He is the principal host of the Travel Channel series Ghost Adventures.
Zak Bagans | |
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![]() Bagans in 2018 | |
Born | Zachary Bagans |
Occupation | Paranormal investigator |
Years active | 2004–present |
Bagans was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He graduated from Glenbard West High School.[1]
In 2004, Bagans teamed up with Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin to produce a documentary-style film called Ghost Adventures. The film aired on the SciFi Channel in 2007. A successor series premiered in 2008 on the Travel Channel and has aired for 19 seasons as of 2019. Ghost hunting shows in general, and Ghost Adventures in particular, have been accused of fakery.[2][3]
From 2014 to 2016, Bagans helmed a spin-off series titled Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks, which focused on changes to people's lives after prior Ghost Adventures investigations.
On April 2, 2016, Deadly Possessions premiered on the Travel Channel; the show featured Bagans finding items for a prospective "haunted museum" in Las Vegas, Nevada. The museum opened to the public in October 2017. It consists of 33 rooms with various artifacts on display. Visitors are given guided tours of the rooms. Some of the items on display include Bela Lugosi's mirror, the Dybbuk box, Peggy the Doll, and Jack Kevorkian's "Death Van".[4] Some of the claims attached to the artifacts have been criticised. Both the Lugosi mirror and Captain Smith mirror kept in the museum have been claimed to have dubious provenance.[5][6]
In 2018, the museum received Las Vegas Mayor's award for historic preservation and adaptive reuse.[7]
In 2021, the transaxle salvaged from the American actor James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder was added to the museum's collection.[8]
In May 2021, Discovery+ Channel announced its plans to broadcast The Haunted Museum, an upcoming horror anthology show for which Zak Bagans will be the host and an executive producer. The series will be filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada and Toronto, Canada by the Cream Productions with Eli Roth as a filmmaker and Matt Booi, Kate Harrison Karman and David Brady as executive producers.[9]
Bagans co-wrote a book with author Kelly Crigger titled Dark World: Into the Shadows with the Lead Investigator of the Ghost Adventures Crew. On September 23, 2011, the book debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list at No. 18.[10]
In December, 2019, Bagans published the book Ghost-Hunting For Dummies. The book 'outlining the history of ghost-hunting, including true accounts and stories from Bagans’ famous cases and investigations, and explains how anyone can get started in investigating the supernatural."[11] Writing for Skeptical Inquirer magazine, paranormal investigator Kenneth Biddle observes that throughout much of the book Bagans displays a strong bias against skeptics and scientists.[12] The Skeptical Inquirer and the Society for Psychical Research noted similarities between several passages in the book and those by other writers.[12][13]
Bagans lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He previously lived in Summerlin, Nevada.[14][15]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2004 | Ghost Adventures | Himself | Documentary |
2018 | Demon House | Himself | Documentary[16] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2008–present | Ghost Adventures | Himself, also creator and executive producer | 213 episodes and 47 specials |
2011 | Paranormal Challenge | Himself, also creator and executive producer | 12 episodes |
2012 | Paranormal Paparazzi | Executive producer | 8 episodes |
2012 | Nightline | Himself | Guest |
2014–2016 | Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks | Himself, also creator and executive producer | 25 episodes |
2015 | The Late Late Show with James Corden | Himself | Guest |
2015 | Today | Himself | Guest |
2016 | Deadly Possessions | Himself, also creator and executive producer | 6 episodes |
2021 | Haunted Museum Series | Himself, also creator and executive producer | N/A |
2021 | Halloween Wars | Himself | Host (2021–present) |
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