Hiding in the shadows of traditional attractions lies a spooky alternative: a paranormal tour. American Ghost Walk tells supernatural stories from America’s past and made a thrilling appearance on Shark Tank. Unfortunately, the founders scared the sharks out of making a deal, and American Ghost Walk is worth an estimated $1.5 million.
Founder Profile
Brother and sister Alison Anderson and Mike Huberty have built their business not just to scare people, but to educate customers about the paranormal history behind some of America’s most haunted locations.
Growing up, the siblings were fascinated by all things paranormal because of the shows they watched, which inspired Alison to become a paranormal investigator and become a bit of a celebrity in the Milwaukee area.
Mike’s passion for the paranormal was born out of music. He joined a band called Sunspot, which sought to promote weird Wisconsin rock. In 2008, Alison was inspired by Richard Crowe to start a ghost tour in Milwaukee. Not long after, her brother ran into financial difficulties, so she helped him start a similar venture.
The Birth of American Ghost Walk
The company was founded in 2010 as Madison Ghost Walks, but as it expanded across the country, the name was changed to Madison Ghost Walks. Allison joined her brother and threw herself into the business. They scoured archives and interviewed locals to get more historically accurate information for their tours.
They also share real stories of public executions, gang activity, and voodoo culture. They’ve slowly expanded their group, touring outside of Wisconsin and now hosting live events. Considering it’s such a niche industry, they were thrilled to be featured on Shark Tank’s first Halloween-themed episode.
After Shark Tank
Although American Ghost Walks is already an established business, it has benefited greatly from exposure on Shark Tank. Fans of the show have taken to Twitter to ask if there are any ghost tours near them.
You can visit their website at AmericanGhostWalks.com, and prices start at $25 per person. Currently, they have 25 destinations, which should grow to at least 30 by next year.
The destinations span seven states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Louisiana and Maine. They even went to Puerto Rico, and their tours have an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 23 reviews on TripAdvisor.
Dark tourism is now a $30 billion industry, which highlights the potential of ghost walks in the U.S. According to Explore.com, a surprising 82% of travelers have visited at least one dark tourism destination. In an interview with jsonline.com, the owner said that the whole experience was fun and Kevin O’Leary was friendly, but the way the show was edited made him look like a bad guy.
Categories: Shark Tank
Source: svlsf.edu.vn