Year: 2019

Walking Ghost Tours in the Midwest

by Catherine Jozwik

With its abundance of dense forests, farmland, cornfields, and ramshackle barns, it’s no surprise that plenty of paranormal activity has been documented in the rural Midwest. But its urban areas, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Topeka and Indianapolis, with their colorful industrial pasts, contain plenty of chilling surprises of their own right. Many buildings–from taverns to former speakeasies to historic hotels to mansions formerly owned by beer barons—are rumored to be haunted.

A walking ghost tour is an ideal experience for supernatural enthusiasts and history buffs who enjoy exploring a city on foot. Below is a list of some popular ghost tours in the Midwest. As many of these tours take place outdoors during the Midwest’s chilly fall and winter months, it’s a good idea to dress warmly and wear a pair of comfortable shoes.

1. American Ghost Tours, www.americanghostwalks.com

American Ghost Walks offers nine walking tours in Wisconsin and three in Minnesota. Tours, which span 1.5 miles and last two hours, cost $20 per person. Knowledgeable tour guides (some donning gothic garb) take visitors on creepy strolls through downtown Lake Geneva, a hip Milwaukee art district, the Wisconsin tourist town of Wisconsin Dells, and downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, all the while revealing those areas’ spookiest secrets.

2. Gothic Milwaukee, www.gothicmilwaukee.com

Join Milwaukee native, author and city folklore expert Anna Lardinois on a 90-minute trek through downtown Brew City. With splendid architecture, Milwaukee’s many Victorian-era buildings, including the Pfister Hotel, which opened in 1893, and City Hall, completed in 1895, are the sites of many chilling tales. Gothic Milwaukee’s 90-minute tour starts on the corner of Jackson and Wells Streets, at Cathedral Square Park. Private tours for groups are available year-round, and tickets are $20.

3. Chicago Gangsters and Ghost Tours, https://gangstersandghosts.com/

During the Prohibition era, few cities were more synonymous with lawlessness than Chicago, where gangsters such as Al Capone ruled the underworld. Although this time in Chicago history has long passed, some say that spirits still linger.

This 1.5-mile, two-hour walking tour showcases many stops in the Chicago Loop, where nefarious, headline-grabbing activities took place during the 1920s and 1930s, including Palmer House, Death Alley and Congress Hotel. Four tours, beginning at Wyndham Grand Riverfront Hotel, 71 E. Upper Wacker Drive, are held daily, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults ages 18-64, $25 for seniors 65 and up, $17 for youths 7 to 17, and free for children 6 and under.

4.  Bizarre Bucktown and Wicker Park tours, https://www.bizarrebucktown.com/

Enjoy mile-long walking tours highlighting churches, factories, taverns, and the Flat Iron Arts building. Offered in two Chicago neighborhoods, these tours, which run for 60 and 90 minutes, are filled with freaky facts about murder, corruption, and scandal in the Windy City. Tours cost $20 per person.

5. Haunts of Mackinac Downtown Haunted History Tour, www.hauntsofmackinac.com

Michigan’s picturesque Mackinac Island, a sort of vacationer’s utopia where cars are banned and fudge shops reign supreme, has an eerie past. Inspired by Todd Clements’ 2006 book “Haunts of Mackinac: Ghost Stories, Legends & Tragic Tales of Mackinac Island,” the walking tours span one mile and begin at the Haunts of Mackinac ticket office, located in the Bicycle Street Inn atrium, 7416 Main St. Tickets are $20, and children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult 18 or over. Visit the website for tour times and more details.

6. Unseenpress.com Inc. Ghost Walks, Indiana, www.unseenpress.com

Committed to sharing the history of the Hoosier State’s ghostly past, Unseenpress.com Inc., in addition to publishing nearly a dozen books on Indiana ghosts and serial killers, and even a Haunted Nightscapes coloring book, offers five different ghost tours in Indianapolis, Anderson, Westville and Noblesville. Choose from the Haunted Indianapolis Downtown Ghost Walk, Chilling Chatham Arch Lockerbie Ghost Walk, Haunted Underground Railroad Ghost Walk, Nefarious Noblesville Ghost Walk, and Anomalous Anderson Ghost Walk. Tours are $18, and $15 for seniors ages 65 and up. No children under 10 are allowed on the tour. Reservations are required.

7. Ghost Tours of Kansas LLC, www.ghosttoursofkansas.org

Embark on a spine-tingling tour of downtown or North Topeka and hear the stories of Shadow Man in Jayhawk Tower Alley, and the dark history of the state’s Capitol Building. Or, learn about mortuaries, murder and mayhem in small town Holton, devilish dramatic theater in Atchinson, and the haunted happenings in Leavenworth’s former brothels, bookstores, and the notoriously spooky Santa Fe Depot Diner. Tours run approximately an hour and twenty minutes and span about one and a half miles.

8. Deadwood Haunted History Walking Ghost Tour https://www.deadwood.com/business/tours/haunted-history-walking-ghost-tour/

South Dakota’s historic Wild West town, where gunslinger legends such as Wild Bill Hickock and Doc Holliday gulped whiskey and gambled in saloons, is also known to be one of the most haunted areas in the state. Deadwood, which attracts thousands of tourists every year, also boasts a Ghost Tour operated by a town historian and resident. Visitors walk past museums, saloons, homes and hotels said to be plagued by ghosts and apparitions. Held three times a day, at 1:45, 3:45 and 5:45 p.m., tours begin inside the Old Style Saloon #10, 657 Main St. Tour admission is $10 for ages 12 and up and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Parents should be warned that some of the tour’s graphic material may not be suitable for children.

9. The Ohio State Reformatory Ghost Walks, https://www.mrps.org/explore/paranormal-programs/ghost-walks

From March through December, visitors can roam the dark and eerie halls of the reputedly haunted Ohio State Reformatory, now a museum, during a two-hour ghost tour. Built in 1886, Reformatory events inspired “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” a 1982 novella by Stephen King which was later made into the 1994 “The Shawshank Redemption.” Items such as ghost hunting books, equipment and other merchandise in the museum store. Ghost walks are not open to those under 13, and those 13 through 17 must provide proof of age.

10. Edinburgh Manor, Jones County, Iowa, https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghManor/

Built in 1910 as a home for the mentally ill, poor, and elderly, the sprawling, mysterious manor offers fall weekend day tours and, for intrepid explorers 14 and up, overnight stays, which begin at $225. Day tours cost $10 and run approximately 1-2 hours. Tours are not recommended for infants and young children. Contact emanor@email.com for more details.

by Diane Bajorinas, Special to FATE Magazine

I’ve often been asked how I knew I should be a paranormal investigator. Even though I’ve been what I would call a ghost enthusiast since I was a young girl, I never thought of investigating…not really, until I was in my early thirties. As I think back on it now, I have the feeling I just didn’t know how to get started and, besides, with movies like Poltergeist, and The Amityville Horror, I wasn’t sure I was brave enough.

Back in 1998, I had a work friend named Bryant (I am withholding his last name as to not embarrass him.) He came in to work right after Halloween and told me about a haunted house turned restaurant called Carousel Gardens in Seymour, Connecticut. Not only did the owner acknowledge the ghosts, he invited diners to walk around freely, take pictures and investigate however they wanted, as long as the other diners weren’t disturbed, of course. When Bryant asked me to go with him, I immediately said yes.

When we got there, the hostess seated us immediately and, after we put in our drink order, we got up to take a walk around the house; Bryant with his video camera and me with my regular camera. Starting upstairs, we went from room to room, taking pictures went. The last room was where our paranormal encounter happened.

Since the restaurant had been a private home, the upstairs bedrooms were used for small parties and an office. We went from room to room, taking pictures and video as we went. The last room we went into was called “The Rose Room.” It was a rather large room measuring about 15” x 20” feet. Since we were alone in the upper floor, we kept the lights off, adding to the mysterious feel. While we were taking pictures in the Rose Room, Bryant said, “It feels creepy in here.”

I replied, “I don’t feel anything.” Now, even back then, I knew better than to say that and yeah, I got a good psychic slap because of it. For those of you who don’t know, a psychic slap is when someone says something about not believing in ghosts and the ghost goes out of their way to prove their existence. In this case, it waited until I got out into the hall, up at the top of the stairs.

Bryant was about ten feet away from me, filming down the stairs as I took random pictures when I felt something shove me from behind. I said something to Bryant about it, and right at that moment, we heard something metallic hit the wall in the Rose Room. Without missing a beat, Bryant said, “I’m out of here!” and high-tailed it back to our table.

I, on the other hand, stood there for a moment, thinking, ‘this is so cool!’ before going to join him.

Back at the table, our drinks were there and with it, a book explaining the history of the house. We leafed through it thoroughly and made a few discoveries. As it turned out, the former owner was a woman named Ruth Wooster, daughter of the man who built the home. Ruth, it seemed, lived in the house her entire life and The Rose Room had been her bedroom. It is believed that she is the spirit haunting the house.

When the owner came by and checked on us, we told him of our experience and he said that Ruth liked to throw dimes at people and if we were to go into the Rose Room again, we would find a dime on the floor. I was all for going up to the room, but Bryant refused to go and I wasn’t quite brave enough at the time to go by myself.

That was 21 years ago and Carousel Gardens is long gone. The house itself is still there, but it is now home to a Cosmetology school. There is no word from the new owners about any paranormal activity, but I can pinpoint that moment on the top of the stairs as when I knew I was supposed to do paranormal investigation.

Bryant, however, pinpoints this as when he knew he was not.

  Diane Bajorinas is a paranormal investigator and researcher.  She was formerly the Assistant Director of the Smoking Gun Research Agency (SGRA), based in Westport, Connecticut.

by Christopher Olson & Jim Malliard

Location history, interviews, investigation, review, final thoughts…throw in a handful of perfectly timed, suspense inducing commercial breaks, and now you have the quintessential paranormal investigation television show. While this process in of itself is not bad, (in fact, personally I think this formulaic approach in some instances is actually good) the way the end product itself is presented is in no way representative of how things really play out during an actual investigation. There always seems to be enough perfectly timed evidence to keep the audience engaged through the entire hour-long time slot and provide absolute irrefutable proof that particular location is haunted. But what about the real world? How do investigations actually look without the magic of television?
Let’s start with locations and their history. First, I would like to say that this part in my opinion is just as interesting as the actual investigation itself. In the world of television, we are usually offered a few snippets of the location’s history, followed by a few stories of some “dark” entanglement, and then possibly an interview or two; all rolled up and delivered in a nice short easy to understand package. What isn’t shown is the countless hours upon hours’ worth of work that sometimes turns up absolutely nothing at all or the complete stonewalling you may receive from the proprietors of the location, or the lack of people that want to even discuss any experiences they might have had. There may be other times where you are just able to stand back and gaze longingly at the location from afar. The moment you set foot on the premises; you are risking trespassing charges because you don’t have the large network television bankroll to pay the landowner their absurdly inflated fees. If anyone is familiar with a particular “domed” area just outside of Phoenix, they understand this problem all too well.
Now there are the investigations themselves. Here we often see our team traipsing through the location, catching evidence in seemingly timed intervals, while perfectly framed on camera, that miraculously lasts the entire length of the investigation. Then there is reality. Just like sex in the movies, how it really goes down is nothing near what real life is like. Investigations can be incredibly boring, frustrating, or sometimes truly frightening. I have been to locations that I know personally to be very active and the only exciting thing to happen that night was having the pizza guy show up. I’ve witnessed a flurry of activity that can only be described as surreal yet none of the equipment had been unpacked yet. I’ve been to locations where the only unusual thing about it was how anyone thought it could possibly be haunted. I don’t doubt most of the evidence that is presented is legitimate, but it is pretty safe to say that the “one night” that we see on television is more than likely three or four with large crews manning multiple equipment setups.
Now one element to investigating that often fails to make an appearance on screen is that of the actual evidence review. We may see a snippet of one of the team members going through a few pieces on an audio recorder, but that is not the real review process. Each piece of media has to be reviewed individually: every camera, piece of audio, and photo. To say this is a grueling process is an understatement. To put things into perspective I’ll use one of my most recent ITC sessions. This was somewhat of an impromptu session, but I happened to be in a known paranormal location and experimenting with a new piece of equipment so why not take full advantage of the situation? I ended up with approximately an hour of recorded material. It took me four days to review (which even then, I still feel like I could go through it several more times) and the final product itself was an eleven-minute video with three of those minutes dedicated to showcasing the incredible views the location offered.
Now to take that same standard and apply that to twenty different cameras, countless audio devices, and who only knows how many photos. Suffice it say, you’re staring at a computer screen for a very long time. To make it look like three or four individuals can pour over this mass of information and cobble together this conclusive evidence in a matter of a few days is absolutely absurd. Josh Louis from HOPE paranormal is actually very good at addressing this element during his investigations. Often when he is conducting an ITC session, he regularly mentions that he tries to keep sessions shorter so that it is easier to review.
It may seem rather counter intuitive to try and limit the amount of material collected, especially when it comes to audio evidence, but one of the main reasons is that it is no different than any other type of work. You begin to stare at something for too long, you become somewhat desensitized to what you are looking at and something obvious can be completely overlooked. Keeping things short allows for a fresher mindset and enables the reviewer to catch more. Also, it is always best to review the material after some time has passed from whatever investigation or session that was completed. Coming at the evidence with an analytical approach instead of an investigative approach is easier to do once you’ve separated yourself from the situation.
One element that is often over looked at an alarmingly high rate is that of the post investigation. Not the evidence review portion that follows, but the actual life, that happens after the investigation is complete. The way television makes it look is that you just pack up your gear and head on to whatever is next, the location owner goes on about their day, and the world continues to spin. However, things are not always that simple, and the side effects from an investigation can be problematic.
So now that the cameras are off, the evidence is gathered, and the investigation is over, what happens next? If we are to believe what TV shows us, you move to your next location and start the process over. Once again, we have a case reality versus expectation. What isn’t shown is the absolute exhaustion that can come after an investigation. Exhaustion that comes from many different sources. Depending on the location, you may have traveled quite a ways on foot, or possibly even navigated some sketchy terrain and a full night of that will certainly wear you down. Then there is the draining experience that can happen when encountering spirits. Anyone that has been in those hotspots knows the feeling. We won’t go into the full details of how or why here, that is another article for another day, but the fact is that you walk away from the situation absolutely gassed.
But the most overlooked category within this category is that of the property owner themselves. Depending on the nature of the investigation, they may have long lasting negative effects on their home that they never wanted to begin with. The spirits that may been riled up during the investigation just don’t go away after the cameras are gone. While the investigators may have been able to walk away with some great evidence, the family that may be living in that home now have to deal with the repercussions from something they may have never wanted to deal with in the first place. Which leads to another potential rant for another day on how the aggressive, provocation approach has got to be one of the worst ways to go about investigating a location. In some very limited circumstances it may be justified, but overall it is a terrible idea.
Paranormal investigating certainly can be an exciting experience for anyone that may be interested in the subject, but like many things that get “mainstreamed” because of television, the real product is far different from that of the perceived product. The shows can actually be fun to watch, but always remember to take them with a grain of salt. Do not let what you see on TV be the foundation for what you set as your goals in the paranormal investigation process. If you do, you will find yourself more frustrated than not. If you are going at with the intent to be the next big network thing, then you are going about it all wrong. Make sure to have fun with it, explore your curiosity, and always keep a healthy respect for the other side.

Jim Malliard is a paranormal researcher and radio host.  He hosts The Malliard Report on Tuesdays at 9 PM ET .