Everything To Know About American Ghost Walks From Shark Tank

If you're a relatively casual "Shark Tank" viewer, you might think the show only works with products that have some sort of practical, tangible use. This isn't the case with American Ghost Walks, a country-spanning ghost tour company that offers some seriously original experiences.

American Ghost Walks' founder Mike Huberty and business partner Allison Jornlin appear on the October 27 episode of "Shark Tank" to give the Sharks a look at exactly what this innovative and family-run ghost tour company does. The brother and sister actually started the company that would ultimately become American Ghost Walks sort of separately, according to their official website. Jornlin was the mastermind behind the first ghost tour in Milwaukee in 2008, and in 2010, Huberty started one in Madison, Wisconsin. The pair have been expanding their operation ever since. As their site puts it, the tours are for anybody and everybody: "Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, we promise an unforgettable journey into the realms of the history as well as the unknown."

Here's what you need to know about American Ghost Walks as you check out their episode of "Shark Tank."

Obviously, Mike Huberty and Allison Jornlin first centered their business in the Midwest where it all began, and according to the American Ghost Walks website, they've got locations and tours scattered across Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the latter, they've got tours in Bayfield (including one of an allegedly haunted inn) and a ton in Milwaukee, among others. Minnesota offers ones in Red Wing, St. Paul, and Stillwater as well as Minneapolis. Elsewhere, the brother and sister also have operations in Illinois, including a Chicago tour dedicated to the infamous H.H. Holmes murders.

As their website notes, American Ghost Walks was partially inspired by the work of Richard Crowe, a well-regarded ghost researcher from Chicago. They also employ Ursula Bielski, the founder of Chicago Hauntings who has decades of experience in the region. Besides Chicago, American Ghost Walks has tours in Aurora, Lake Country, Naperville, and Woodstock.

A walking ghost tour in a rough Midwestern winter can definitely provide a challenge. Thankfully, American Ghost Walks has come quite a long way since its early days confined to the Midwest. In 2020, the duo started running tours in San Juan, Puerto Rico, focusing on forts, cemeteries, and other haunted locations. 

After that, Mike Huberty and Allison Jornlin brought their tours to the 50th state later in 2020, touring Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii. The 2023 wildfires halted those tours, but as the website notes, the company is working hard to bring tours of Maui back once the island recovers from the devastating natural disaster. If you're looking for ghost tours in Hawaii, though, you can check out their tour on Hilo, which Jornlin and Huberty describe on their website as "the New Orleans of the Pacific" thanks to its numerous hauntings.

In 2022, the company purchased Maine's Red Cloak Tours from its original proprietor Sally Lobkowicz — which is huge for American Ghost Walks when you consider that Red Cloak Tours was Maine's biggest independent ghost tour company before the sale. Then, in 2023, the company launched a bus tour in Los Angeles, California, developed by Scott Markus of "What's Your Ghost Story?"

You can also explore New Orleans via American Ghost Walks. Their tours pass by infamous spots like the home of Madame Lalaurie and the highly haunted Magazine Street. 

If you don't happen to live near one of the many places where American Ghost Walks operates tours, you can still get your fill of supernatural stories, strange phenomena, and extraterrestrial theories on the podcast "See You On the Other Side." Hosted by Mike Huberty and his bandmate Wendy Lynn Markus, the podcast isn't just limited to the types of spectral hauntings you hear about during the company's tours. Episodes have covered everything from the mysterious crash of NWA Flight 2501 to theories about the connections between UFOs and Christmas traditions. 

While the most recent episode of the podcast was released on December 25, 2021, there are 296 episodes in the back catalog to check out. There have also been some large gaps in their release history, so there's always the chance that new episodes will come eventually. Perhaps the newfound "Shark Tank" fame will inspire another fresh batch of episodes from "See You On the Other Side."

Mike Huberty and Allison Jornlin of American Ghost Walks dress up the tank with haunting visuals and props, but they waltz in with a plan that leaves the sharks confused. The duo begins their pitch by recounting how American tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt escaped the financial turmoil of Black Friday by consulting with ghosts and otherworldly spirits. Huberty and Jornlin pivot by discussing how authentic, chilling American stories like Vanderbilt's are at the heart of their tour company.

They ask for $250,000 for 15% of the company — a number that surprises the sharks considering American Ghost Walks is barely boasting a profit. But there's a reason for that, Huberty explains, as the siblings are obsessed with growth and adding more tours, reinvesting profits right back into the company.

As passionate as the siblings are about their ever-expanding tour company, the sharks fail to see the vision. Blumhouse boss Jason Blum can't hop on board for a deal, suggesting that the two are spread too thin and aren't focused on cultivating (and prioritizing) the tours that they already have. Based on Blum's analysis, Lori Greiner similarly declines an invitation to invest. Barbara Corcoran is also out, noting that American Ghost Walks failed to provide an adequate pitch that shows how profitable the company currently is. Mark Cuban goes a step further, pointing out how the pitch lacked specificity, vision, and growth strategy. Kevin O'Leary doesn't envision a future with the company, as he can't see a way for him to make a profit with an investment.

Ultimately, American Ghost Walks leaves without a deal, but they're (hopefully) on track to grow with plans to break into merchandising and cruise tours. After the two leave the room, O'Leary suggests he would have hopped on board if the siblings asked for a more modest $50,000.