Meet Jacob Rice

Hi. I’m Jacob Rice, but I go by Jake.

I grew up in the dark forests and eerie lakes of Wisconsin, where ghost stories and monster sightings were part of everyday life. When I was a kid, I had my first paranormal encounter. It was with a monster in a well on a snowy, December night. You’d think that would turn me into a cryptozoologist, but …

In 2007, I had another spooky encounter. This time, it was a ghost in the elevator of my apartment building in Chicago. That encounter sent my curiosity into overdrive, and I bought every book I could about ghosts and hauntings. That’s when my BFF, Saleen, and I started ghost hunting in a rather lackadaisical way. It wasn’t until 2009 that we officially became Ghostly Activities, the group (or duo in our case).

We started putting our ghost hunts on Tumblr in January 2013 because no one was sharing their evidence. Odd, I know? By July 2013, the Ghostly Activities site you know today launched. Today, I live in the mysterious Pacific Northwest, but I’m still a Midwestern guy at heart.

As for me, I’d say I’m part ghost hunter, part haunted historian, add a dash of folklorist, and 100% paranormal nerd. I guess you could add reporter to the list since I feel compelled to document everything. In fact, I’ve written 3 books and produced nearly 20 documentaries on spooky subjects. Now that I think about it, I’m still working on my monster hunting skills, too.

Ghostly Activities has been around for more than 15 years, but my mission hasn’t changed. I want to make paranormal investigating accessible, interesting, and a little bit of fun.

What You’ll Find Here

• Investigating Guides & Tips → Affordable gear, methods that work, and ethical ways to investigate haunted places and monsters.
• Spooky Stories & Haunted History → True ghost stories, folklore, and paranormal encounters, written with research and respect.
• Podcast Episodes → Short-form explorations (about 15 minutes each) featuring haunted sites, monstrous habitats, folklore, and interviews.

The Ghostly Activities Club

Behind the scenes, I’ve got a small circle of friends I call the Ghostly Activities Club. It’s just us, my buddies and me, having spooky fun on dark history tours, filming documentaries, and solving spooky mysteries. But you can join us through the blog, podcast, and videos.

The Paranormal Isn’t Hyperbolic

Ghost (and monster) hunting doesn’t need to be all adrenaline and drama. It rarely is … really. I believe in:

• Respect for people, history, haunted places, and dark denizens
• Research that ties ghost stories and monster encounters back to real events
• Accessibility so anyone can explore the paranormal
• Storytelling that’s spooky but not exploitative

Proof You Can Trust

Ghostly Activities isn’t just a passion project. It’s recognized among the best in its field.

Ghostly Activities is a Top 20 ghost hunting podcast

Millionpodcasts.com, Top 70 Ghost Hunting Podcasts, September 2025

Google.com, Best ghost hunting podcasts, September 2025

Ghostly Activities is also a Top 25 ghost story podcast

Join the Spooky Side

Want to keep up?

• 🎧 Subscribe to the Ghostly Activities Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app
• 📖 Read the blog for spooky stories, haunted history, and how-to guides
• 📺 Watch YouTube for spooky documentaries and podcast episodes
• 📌 Follow on Pinterest for shareable stories & ghost hunting resources

Now, grab your flashlight and EMF meter. It’s time to find what’s really going bump in the night.