Utah Ghost Tours

For the last two years, my husband and I have taken the Salt Lake City Ghost Tour. This is a WONDERFUL experience that I highly recommend to anybody who wants a good SHIVER on Halloween. Beginning at the Denver Rio Grande in downtown Salt Lake, we boarded a tour bus that took us to many haunted locations throughout downtown Salt Lake including the Masonic Lodge, Every Blooming Thing, the Salt Lake Cemetery, and Fort Douglas. The tour guides are storytellers who recount the frightening tales of haunted Salt Lake in perfect chilling fashion. Stops are made at the cemetery and Fort Douglas so that the tourists can wander around the location in the dark.

Our first year, as we came to Fort Douglas, our tour guide told the story of the ghost, Clem, who haunts the location in full civil war uniform. She told us of the tricks he'd play, and of the many times tourist would come into the office to ask if they could get a picture with the "guy in the civil war costume" only to find that he was gone when they went back with their camera. We all got off the bus, hoping for a look at the civil war spook. As we were talking, and waiting to board the bus again, a man approached our group to ask what we were doing. He was wearing a civil war cap, and had a granddaughter in tow. He was interested in civil war history, and was intrigued at the idea of a ghost tour. We pointed out the tour guide, and told him that she could answer any questions he might have. Nodding a farewell, he approached the tour guide, and tapped her on the shoulder.

Our tour guide turned around, saw the civil war cap, and her eyes widened in surprise and fear. Her jaw dropped open, and she took a step backward. It was the ghost of Clem! Her reaction was brief, as she quickly realized her mistake. When we were back on the bus, she sheepishly continued the tour with, "Now that you've all had a good laugh at my expense...."

She had the last laugh in the end. As we finished our tour, she managed to wrap up her stories with a final parting thought that I will not give away here. It was enough to give me a few goosebumps, and my husband and I stayed REALLY close to one another as we made our way through the dark parking lot to our car. I cannot think of the ghost tour experience without experiencing a good shudder.

Next time I go, I want to take the kids.....

If you are interested, you can find more information on the ghost tours at: http://www.storytours.com/