Gambling with the ghosts of Absecon Light

When it comes to the subject of the paranormal at the Jersey Shore - or New Jersey, in general - attention tends to shift immediately to Cape May.

The Wildwoods' Victorian neighbor to the south is widely considered to be "America's Most Haunted Seaside Resort" - and for good reason, if even a small percentage of ghostly tales from the town's many inns and other historic structures are true.

Tonight, however, another of the Jersey coasts' prime destinations will get its turn in the spectoral spotlight, as an investigation of Atlantic City's legendary Absecon Lighthouse will be featured on Ghost Hunters.

The show will air at 9 pm on the SyFy network.

For those unfamiliar with Ghost Hunters, the program follows Rhode Island-based TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) through every stage of a paranormal investigation, from case introduction, through analysis of evidence, to the "reveal."

In that final stage, any findings and opinions are shared by TAPS founders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson with the owners / managers of the establishment in question. The group approaches each paranormal claim skeptically, and attempts to debunk claims of unusual activity.

Absecon Lighthouse represents one of the show's most unique investigation opportunities to date, from both a physical and historical perspective.

At 171 feet, the beacon is the tallest in New Jersey and the third-tallest in the country. Designed by Civil War general George Gordon Meade, it was built in 1857 and still has its original 1st Order Fresnel Lens.

Reports of strange happenings at the lighthouse are no recent phenomena. In 1905, a local newspaper article cited the lighthouse's keeper, who claimed he saw the Jersey Devil at the top of the tower. In the many years since, various stories of ghostly apparitions, disembodied sounds and smells, and even a "smoke-like" presence have persisted.

A preview trailer for tonight's show is now up on the official Ghost Hunters website, HERE.

Also, see Absecon Lighthouse's official site HERE.