Brandon Alvis (born June 22, 1987) is an American paranormal investigator, filmmaker, and television personality.
He is known for directing, co-producing, and co-leading the series
Haunted Discoveries, which currently airs on Canada's
T+E network,
and his earlier role as a co-investigator and technician on the
A&E reboot of
Ghost Hunters (2019–2021).
Early life
Brandon Alvis was born on June 22, 1987, in
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of th ...
.
He developed an early interest in ghost stories and paranormal folklore, which later evolved into a more focused interest in the paranormal following the deaths of two of his brothers—one from cancer in 1995 and another by suicide in 2004.
In his book ''Elements of a Haunting'', Alvis describes immersing himself in paranormal literature before beginning his career in conducting field investigations.
Career
At age 17, Alvis worked as a stagehand and sound technician at the
Buck Owens Crystal Palace
Buck Owens Crystal Palace is a music hall located in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, w ...
in Bakersfield, California.
He later founded the American Paranormal Research Association (APRA), a group focused on investigating claims of paranormal activity at historical sites. According to Alvis, he has conducted investigations at over 200 locations.
In 2017, Alvis produced a short YouTube series titled Ephemera, which explored overlooked aspects of California history.
He subsequently directed the documentary Cemetery Park, which premiered at the 2019 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The film examines the City of Ventura's controversial repurposing of a historic cemetery site as a dog park.
That same year, Alvis joined the cast of the A&E reboot of Ghost Hunters as the team's paranormal technician, a role he held until the series concluded in 2021.
In 2022, he co-authored ''Elements of a Haunting: Connecting History with Science to Uncover the Greatest Ghost Stories Ever Told'' with fellow investigator
Mustafa Gatollari.
In October 2024, Alvis purchased the historic Dr. Jefferson Polk House in
Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville () is a home rule-class city along the Chaplin River in western Boyle County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 751 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
H ...
, a contributing property to the
Perryville Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home itself has connections to the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the Ame ...
.
He established the site as the Dr. J.J. Polk House Museum and Paranormal Research Center. Alvis expressed interest in collaborating with local organizations to preserve the property and promote its historical and cultural significance.
''Haunted Discoveries''
In 2023, Alvis and Mustafa Gatollari co-founded A & G Creative and partnered with Stargazer Television to produce Haunted Discoveries, a paranormal docuseries exploring reportedly haunted historical locations across Kentucky. The series airs on Canada's T+E network.
Its goal is to emphasize a scientific and historically grounded approach to paranormal investigation, avoiding the genre's common tropes in favor of documentary-style research.
In 2024, Alvis produced, directed, and appeared in the spin-off, ''Haunted Discoveries: Family Spirits'', which debuted on T+E on March 16, 2025.
The spin-off centers on individuals who believe they are haunted by a deceased family member or ancestor.
See also
*
Paranormal television
Paranormal television is a genre of reality television that purports to document factual investigations of the paranormal rather than fictional representations seen in traditional narrative films and TV. Over the years, the genre has grown to be ...
*
Ghost hunting
Ghost hunting is the process of investigating list of reportedly haunted locations, locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. The practice has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method. No scientific study has e ...
*
List of reportedly haunted locations
This is a list of locations that are (or have been) said to be haunted by ghosts, demons, or other supernatural beings throughout the world. Reports of haunted locations are part of ghostlore, which is a form of folklore.
Argentina
* Cinco ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvis, Brandon Josef
1987 births
Living people
Paranormal investigators
Participants in American reality television series
People from Bakersfield, California
Ghost Hunters (TV series)
21st-century American novelists
American male novelists
21st-century American male writers