Haunted hot spots in Topeka provide a creepy experience for tourists
1:58 a.m. Thursday, September 21, 2006
Haunted hot spots in Topeka provide a creepy experience for tourists
"There are a lot of ghosts in Topeka," said Ghost Tour Guide Beth Cooper.
And Beth should know. She's the tour guide for Ghost Tour Topeka.
"We believe there are at least three ghosts and possibly four here."
Virtual Ghost Tour
Watch a short video tour of the haunted places you will visit on the Topeka Ghost Tour in this two-minute narrated video.
The Ghost Tour takes customers to some of Topeka's haunted spots. There are two featured tours - the Downtown Topeka tour and the North Topeka tour.
Beth took 49 News to a few spots on the North Topeka tour. The first stop - Overland Station.
"And of the three ghosts there is a lady ghost who spends her time up here in this corner. We have been told that she's been heard crying up there,” Beth said. "And she's actually talked to the janitor who works here in the evenings."
"During one of our tours when they were doing their hands-on-experience. A gentleman and his baby posed for a picture right in front of this door that is behind me. And, in the picture there is a figure of what looked like a boy. It was almost skeletal looking. He had eye sockets, and the baby was looking at this Ghost Boy."
To prepare for this job, Beth says she spent many hours researching at the library and historic museum. She also visited with people who told her their ghost stories.
Ghost Tours
Ghost tours is open year-round, you can hop aboard a trolley and visit the haunted locations. For more information call (785) 383-2925 or go online for more information about Topeka Ghost Tours.
49 News and Beth traveled to North Topeka’s entertainment district.
"In this tavern, there's at least two ghosts. There's a ghost couple. They're Victorian-dressed couple who walk arm and arm. And they seem to be talking to each other,” Beth said. “There's also the ghost of a man who died upstairs. And he was a regular here at the tavern. And he walks down the stairs, comes through and sits at his favorite booth up towards the front of the tavern."
Beth says quite a few people have ghost stories in the historic downtown Topeka entertainment district.
"The most common story that they have - and it seems to be consistent with most of the businesses - crowd noises, foot steps and talking."
The last stop on this little tour is the little-known Curtis Family Cemetery. Former United States Vice President Charles Curtis is not buried here, but members of the family are.
Something strange happened there during one of the Ghost Tours.
"They had a digital thermometer. And it was a summer evening, 90 degrees. There was a cold spot of 65 degrees that they recorded. Sometimes cold spots indicate a spirit, ghost activity."
On another visit to the Curtis Family Cemetery a ghostly image was spotted.
"This is where Tuxedo Man spends his time,” Beth said. “We call him Tuxedo Man because on one of our trips out here while we were taking photos, there was a man in a tuxedo standing in this misty area. And so we have a photo, we dubbed him Tuxedo Man because of the way he was dressed."
Mysteriously the image faded away.
With all this ghostly activity, has Beth seen a ghost?
"I have to say I have never seen a ghost. And I also have to say I am somewhat skeptical because I do a lot of photography, so I know how photos can be reflections and light and not always accurate,” she said. "My own personal opinion is, until the ghost comes up and pinches me. I'm going to be pretty skeptical."
Though Beth may not necessarily believe in ghosts, she does leave room for thought.
"I believe strange things happen, because we have had strange things happen on these tours."
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