Honest answer first: probably not. After leading thousands of guests through downtown Flagstaff, we can count the full-on sightings on very few fingers. What you are far more likely to encounter is paranormal weirdness, the orbs, the readings, the objects that should not be where they are, and that turns out to be plenty creepy on its own. Here is what has actually happened on our walks.
The question itself always charms us. It comes from the most normal-looking people, and it comes up on nearly every tour. A few decades ago hardly anyone admitted to believing in ghosts, let alone wanting to meet one. Times changed. The curiosity came out of hiding, and we are glad it did.
The orb at the Babbitt castle wall
Outside the Theatrikos playhouse stands a crumbling stone battlement, a remnant of the original Babbitt "castle" from the family that built a mercantile empire here. On one tour, our co-founder Susan Johnson watched a floating white orb near the theater's grassy area, roughly the shape and size of a soccer ball, moving in erratic zigzags for about three minutes before it vanished. A guest saw it too and tried to photograph it. Nothing showed on the phone, but an EMF detector registered a positive swing for several minutes.
Four pairs of children's shoes
A block away is the corner where we tell the story of the 1937 Walkup family tragedy, in which Marie Walkup took the lives of her four children. One night, with several tours moving through around the same time, four pairs of children's shoes appeared lined up under the eaves of the building where we stop. The corner was empty. Then it was not. Nobody has ever explained it.
The library that used to be a school
The Flagstaff Public Library sits on the site of the old Emerson School, where a janitor murdered his family and then hanged himself in the basement. The property has a long haunted reputation, and it earns it. One fall night in 2019, two guests captured images of several orbs in the parking lot, one practically chasing a teenage boy. The images were clear, with no headlights or flashlights to blame. Another guest, a self-described sensitive, said she could feel someone else with the group. The library is a strong contender in our running debate over the most haunted place in Flagstaff.
Questions people ask
Will we see a ghost on the tour?
Probably not, and any guide who promises otherwise is selling something. What guests do report, season after season, are orbs, EMF hits, cold spots, and the occasional object out of place. Guests keep bringing us new reports every season.
Can I bring ghost-hunting equipment?
Yes. Phones, cameras, and EMF detectors are all welcome, and some of the best evidence from our tours came from guests' own devices. Just keep one eye off the screen; the stories are the main event.
Is the tour scary?
It is creepy more than jump-scary. The 7 PM walk is history-forward and fine for most ages. If you want the darker, less filtered version, that is what the 18+ late tour is for.
Come test your luck
If you want to give the spirits a fair chance to show up, walk where the reports keep happening. The Flagstaff Haunted History Tour runs nightly at 7 PM, plus 8 PM Fridays and Saturdays, 75 minutes, $29 for adults. Night owls with darker taste can book the 18+ Mountain Town of Madness, Fridays and Saturdays at 9 PM. No guarantees, except on the stories.
Keep reading
- Which Place is the Most Haunted in Flagstaff?
- The Notorious Walkup Family Tragedy
- More Hauntings from the Season
Boo.
