Haunted houses are perennially popular myths. Every physical example that has ever been investigated has turned out to be a hoax, often perpetrated by multiple people over decades, to keep the legend alive.

AMITYVILLE

All haunted house tales fall completely apart under investigation. Yet the news media shamelessly promote the original tales, over and over, every time the theme of ghosts comes back into prominence. 

Right: Trevor Hall (1910 - 1991) was a British magician who spent much time investigating psychic claims. Left: Milbourne Christopher (1914 - 1984) was a famous American magician, the first to have hour-long specials on live TV, who spent much time investigating psychic claims. Both men in their day investigated and debunked many claims of "haunting." Another famous investigator of the period was Eric Dingwall (1890–1986).