Source: Vince Darcangelo
Another one of my Halloween traditions is to take Banjo Billy’s Ghost Tour in Boulder.
This is all about the experience. The bus is made of wood, and inside are an eclectic mix of seats. (While the saw-horse is a novelty, it is not comfy enough to sit in on the entire ride.) The decor is also very mixed with christmas lights, buttons, tassels, disco balls, and other kitschy decorations hot glued here and there. The horn has a mixture of sounds from a cat-call like whistle to the sound of a barking dog.
The guide will tell you many stories, some hilarious and some bad jokes, and there will be times that you’ll be asked to all do something or yell out at people on the street. You may also be quizzed on local trivia.
Ask John aka “Banjo Billy” how he came up with the idea of starting the tour!
The tour starts at the Hotel Boulderado and you’ll hear tales of murder and suicide that took place at the Hotel. From there you may head near Boulder Creek and learn local history of the Native American tribes that roamed the area. Then you’ll go on a wild ride through the historic Hill area & learn about local houses and former residents. You’ll then head to Chautauqua park for some more stories before heading to University of Colorado’s mysterious Macky Auditorium.
If you go:
- I recommend you do a tour that starts off in the daytime, but ends in the nighttime. This allows you to see many of the houses on the Hill but still get the scary effect of the later stories in the dark.
- Note that there are various versions of the tour. They will not do the R rated tour if children are on board.
- They also run Brewery tours and general sightseeing tours in the Boulder & Denver area. I highly recommend you check them out!
- Banjo Billy Website
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