Haunted History After Dark just completed a tour of Old Town Fort Collins and this one of the scariest tours to date. Grace and I had a very spooky and eventful night with brave Fort Collins residents Mary and Whitney along with Mary's son, Jonathan, who was visiting from California. Being a guide for a haunted history tour I went into this business knowing that I could expect and would most likely experience a few goosebumps, cold chills, weird feelings, and even apparitions. I've experienced all of those on our tours. It comes with the territory. I'm just a historian, but I knew what to expect when I got into this. I didn't anticipate a tour as active as tonight.

The streets of Old Town were electric tonight with partygoers and an amazing street show from MarchFourth,  but the most action we witnessed tonight was with the spirits of early residents. They were literally everywhere we turned. Even in the crowds that hovered around Old Town Square. What we experienced had all of us exiting our last location at a run with goosebumps and messages to one of our guests from a spirit to "Turn around! Get out!" At this specific stop on our tour that guest saw a ghostly woman on a staircase and another specter of a man hiding in a shadow. I myself got goosebumps on my leg until my hair stood up and increased until I felt like my leg was on fire. At that point, Grace told all of us, "We need to leave. We are being told to leave."

But, it wasn't only just this structure that caused so much excitement. The entire tour all of us experienced something. On our first stop we were visited by the spirit of a woman who died in a horrific early Fort Collins event in 1880. She is benign and very friendly. She usually makes her presence known by a few tingles on the necks of guests. At another stop closer to Linden a protective early mercantile owner watches over his block and the people who travel through. But, it was as we got closer to Jefferson Street that things really started to happen where one participant saw two figures staring at us from a window of a famous Walnut Street building.

Grace Cooley

After exiting rapidly from our last location Grace had us regroup while she did some clearing. Grace is a ghost whisperer and medium. Grace says she has always been unique, or "weird" as she puts it. In the 1980's Grace was fatally hit by a car while riding her bike. She experienced what is known as an NDE or Near Death Experience. As she was going through the process of dying, she was told that, "...it wasn't her time.", and she was booted out to return to earth, fortunately for us. But the experience changed her life dramatically. As she says that most NDE people are, she is much more intune spiritually. Grace literally "sees dead people". But, not only that, she knows how to heal them, help them, send them to the other side, and she understands how to help us humans who are still here.

Before each tour Grace wraps our Haunted History After Dark guest in a protective light, and then following the tour she cleanses each participant and they usually leave spiritually cleaner than when they came. It's just her MO. It's the way she rolls. It's one of the huge intrinsic benefits each of our tour guests get, whether they know it or not, along with a cool insight of early Fort Collins history as well!

If you would like to get a past life reading, explore the haunted history of your location, OR take a tour to learn more about the spooky history of Old Town Fort Collins please contact Hauntedhistoryafterdark@yahoo.com. Cost is 10 big ones per courageous ghost buster or 35 clams for an extra brave group of four. Cash only please.

 Stephen Stills begged Suite Judy Blue Eyes long ago, “Will you come see me…Thursdays and Saturdays…” What a coincidence! That’s when our tours are.  Will you come see us…Thursdays and Saturdays.  Or by reservation. 7:30 p.m.  Tours start at 136 W. Mountain Avenue home of Boutique Bravo and Mother Lode Gallery where owner Kate has been in business for a whopping 33 years! Check her out.

And remember...YOUR HAUNTED JOURNEY STARTS AT DUSK!