The History of Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters
Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters (S.C.G.H.) began in 2009 with two friends, Maryanne Porter and Deena Smith, who shared something more than a curiosity about the paranormal. Both had experienced unexplained events from childhood into adulthood, leaving them with questions they wanted to find the answers to.
Their curiosity about the unknown led them to embark on a journey to discover what was real, what could be explained, and what might remain unexplained.
Rather than simply accepting the paranormal claims popularized on television, they wanted to investigate for themselves. They began exploring locations throughout the San Lorenzo Valley, researching local history and folklore, and looking for evidence that could either support or debunk reported paranormal activity.
After Porter captured her first Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), she was hooked.
What began as a personal journey soon became something much larger. In 2010, Porter took it one step further and founded Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters. A website was established, creating a home for their investigations, historical research, discoveries, and community interest.
Eventually, the friends parted ways when Deena moved across the country, leaving the two to carry the memories they shared while continuing their separate adventures states apart. Maryanne continued the work, initially with family and later with a growing team of investigators and researchers.
Over time, S.C.G.H. developed into a diverse group whose members brought experience in law enforcement, crime-scene investigation, historical research, audio & video technology, technical engineering, cemetery preservation, and other specialized fields.
From Paranormal Research to Haunted Tours In 2012,
Porter acquired the rights to Santa Cruz Haunted Tours, originally created by a young high-school student. The tours soon expanded into the San Lorenzo Valley and Watsonville areas, combining local history, haunted stories, and paranormal exploration.
A 1988 Buick hearse was transformed into a mobile haunted tour, bringing a unique twist to the experience. Years later, S.C.G.H. acquired a second hearse, allowing the idea of mobile tours to continue evolving.
The tours became a successful part of S.C.G.H.’s public outreach. However, when COVID-19 changed the landscape, the tours were placed on hold.
The tours may be on hold, but the journey isn’t over. Future events are still ahead.
Rispin Mansion Investigation In 2012
Maryanne Porter and the Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters team conducted an exclusive paranormal investigation of the historic Rispin Mansion on Wharf Road in Capitola, accompanied by the Mayor of Capitola. The mansion, a landmark property with a long and unusual history, had once served as a monastery before becoming the subject of local stories of unexplained activity.
The investigation brought renewed attention to the mansion and its reported paranormal activity. Porter’s investigation and documentation helped generate interest from Discovery Channel’s Ghost Adventures, which later featured Rispin Mansion in 2025. Porter also made a cameo appearance in the episode, bringing the story full circle more than a decade after the original Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters investigation.
The Brookdale Lodge Investigation
The historic Brookdale Lodge, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, became an important chapter in the story of Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters.
For S.C.G.H., the Brookdale Lodge represented an opportunity to bring together the things that had always been at the heart of the organization--history, research, haunted lore, and paranormal investigation.
In 2017, S.C.G.H. joined forces with United Kingdom paranormal researcher Don Phillips and the American Supernatural team together they filmed a week-long investigation of the Brookdale Lodge.
The collaboration brought together researchers from the United States and United Kingdom and resulted in the feature Brookdale Lodge Uncovered, a film currently available on YouTube.
The production later returned to the Brookdale Lodge for its 2019 public debut, hosted by Porter & Philips it drew in nearly 200 guests. The event also included unexpected guest by actors and relatives of the famed Al Pacino, Katherine Kovin Pacino and William Lashbrook, who stayed to enjoy the film and walk the historic lodge and actor Gary Martinez, who played Darth Vader's Admiral in the original Stay wars.
Media & Publication
Historical research has always been at the heart of S.C.G.H.’s investigations.
Understanding who lived in a location, what happened there, how the property changed, and what events may have contributed to its reputation allows investigators to separate documented history from legend.
That research eventually led to a growing presence in the media.
Porter appeared through multiple news media outlets, including KSBW-TV (Channel 8), Univision 67 (KSMS-TV) and KION-TV (channel 46), she was also featured in newspaper articles in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Good Times, Mercury News, The Pajaronian, Press Banner, Monterey Herald, San Louis Obispo and others. Podcast interviews became a regular part of the journey, with appearances ranging from local programs to outlets across the United States, including New York.
Radio also had become the norm; Porter became a frequent guest with local radio station KSCO. Debut on 104.3 The Hippo with Kenny Allen. KZSC with Bruce Bratton and KBCZ 89.3. Magazine features followed, including stories in Santa Cruz Waves and other publications exploring the haunted history of the area.
In 2015, Arcadia Publishing and The History Press came across the S.C.G.H. website and approached Porter with a request to write for their Haunted America series. In 2016, Haunted Santa Cruz, California was published, documenting stories and locations from Santa Cruz County’s darker and unusual history.
Film, Television & Media Over the years
Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters has also been featured in film productions.
In 2019, the team was featured in Haunted Routes 666: Wicked West Coast, a production whose producers received a Telly Award. S.C.G.H. was subsequently invited to the Shock Fest Film Festival in Las Vegas and nominated for Excellence in Paranormal Media Productions. Following in 2019, S.C.G.H was featured in Brookdale Lodge Uncovered - with Don Phillips of American Supernatural, from the United Kingdom and in 2025 did a cameo appearance on Ghost Adventures Mysteries of Rispin Mansion.
The team’s involvement in media has continued to provide opportunities to share Santa Cruz County’s history and unexplained stories with audiences beyond the local community.
Education & Community Outreach S.C.G.H. has also brought its research into educational settings.
In 2016, the team was invited to participate in the first Social Fiction Conference at the University of California, Santa Cruz. S.C.G.H. continued returning to UCSC for presentations for an additional four years, addressing cultural perspectives surrounding death, dying, history, spirituality, and paranormal experiences.
The team has presented to students, authors, historians, researchers, and community groups, encouraging responsible preservation of local history. As well as community venues such as, the Museum of Arts & History, Book Shop Santa Cruz, Local Libraries and Nursing homes within the community for the elderly, just to name a few.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Team
The years 2020 and 2021 brought an unexpected and devastating change to the Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters team.
After more than a decade together, the team had built strong friendships, shared countless investigations, and become a close-knit group. Then the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
The effects were felt far beyond the shutdowns and restrictions. Some team members moved away from the area, while others experienced lasting and debilitating effects after exposure to the virus. Some suffered from devastating family loss, while others chose to retire from paranormal investigations altogether and focus on spouses and travel.
Slowly, the team that had spent over a decade together exploring the unexplained began to go their separate ways.
Even founder Maryanne Porter stepped back from paranormal adventures. With a changing world ahead, Porter shifted her focus toward her career, her children, and the responsibilities of a new, yet uncertain chapter in life.
The team may have gone their separate ways, but more than ten years of investigations, friendships, experiences, and memories left a lasting mark. COVID-19 did not simply interrupt the work of Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters—it changed the course of the team and its members for years to come.
2026 — Rebuilding and Looking Ahead
In 2026, Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters is beginning a new chapter. Porter has returned to paranormal investigating, traveling to locations outside the area under the pseudonym Legends Paranormal, while also working toward rebuilding a new local Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters team.
Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters continues to value collaboration with other paranormal teams throughout California and across state lines, sharing investigations, experiences, evidence, and a common interest in exploring the unknown.
Today, Porter is also completing her second book, a gothic horror anthology based on both historical fact and gothic fiction. The collection features two stories rooted in local history and a third story from outside the area.
Locally, S.C.G.H. is once again looking toward the future. Paranormal tours are being considered from a new perspective, and private and commercial investigations are once again becoming available throughout Santa Cruz County—from the San Lorenzo Valley to South County Watsonville, and everywhere in between.
After years of change, Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters is rebuilding with a new team, new collaborations, and a renewed interest in investigating the unexplained—while continuing the legacy Porter and the original team established nearly two decades ago.
Our Approach Today, Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters remains dedicated to paranormal investigation, historical research, education, and preservation.
We conduct both private and public investigations.
Our philosophy is simple: investigate first, question everything, and follow the evidence. We look for natural, environmental, historical, and explainable causes before considering a paranormal possibility. We believe investigations should be conducted with integrity, compassion, ethics, discretion, and respect for the people and places involved.
We do not promise that every unexplained experience is paranormal.
We simply believe the unexplained deserves to be investigated.