Ghosts of Historic La Crosse Walking Tour

 Even though La Crosse is a college town, there is not much to do after dark unless you want to drink. Since we really didn't find much to do, we figured we'd hit some breweries in the evening. Then we went stopped at the Friendship Gardens earlier in the day and saw that the library was offering a ghost tour at 8 PM. Stacy took down the contact info and texted our RSVP later that morning. 

I remember vaguely finding something online when I searched ghost tour La Crosse over the summer but it was not very specific and sounded like we needed a group of people. I promptly forgot about it. It turns out it was the same ghost tour. 

We met our guide, Michael Scott, at the Friendship Garden at 8 pm. Due to the weather we were the only ones on the tour. The other group no-showed. It wasn't raining any more and it was pretty nice out so perfect for a walking tour around downtown La Crosse.

Over the course of about an hour and 15 minutes, we walked about a mile and visited eight different stops. For the most part all of our stops were restaurants, bars, and other similar establishments. Michael talked to witnesses or read about eye witness accounts of paranormal activity at each of the places from doors closing, knocking on doors, shadowy figures. 

My favorite story was about the former owner of Bodega Brew Pub. Workers would find beer bottles knocked over. As you can see these bottles are not easily reached from the inside to knock them over.

If you are in La Crosse and need something to do at night, check out the Ghost Tours. It seems that they would be pretty accommodating to any group size on the weekends during summer and fall. October is a popular time to take the ghost tour. It was definitely worth the $10/person. 

Door County Trolley Ghost Tour

 Knowing there isn't a lot to do after dark in Door County, I looked for something to do. I gave Stacy the option of a ghost tour or a production of Hamlet by the Door County Players. She opted for the ghost tour and in hindsight this was the better option due to the weather. It was rainy.

The ghost tour was offered by Door County Trolley. It was $34 a person and was last over 2 hours. You can purchase food and beverage to bring on the trolley to enjoy while on the tour.

I was expecting to be driven around Door County and hear for a few ghosts stories while stopped outside of a few haunted places. I did not expect to be on and off the trolley. Ghost tours aren't really my thing so I figured I'd sit back and enjoy the ride.

I was gravely mistaken. The Door County Ghost Tour was more than just a ghost tour. It was an experience. Yes we driven around Door County, mainly Egg Harbor and Fish Creek, and told about the ghosts that resided at various locations. We got out and explored some of these haunted places. 

After a few stops outside a few homes and hotels listening to our driver tell us about the person who haunted the property and how they died, we made our way to the Alexander Nobel House. Here we learned about the old women how would appear in photographs and how she came to die. We were able to tour the house as well. We were not lucky enough to be graced with her presence but it was educational and let me see the Alexander Noble House.

Then we made our way to the water where we learned about the sinking of the merchant ship between Fish Creek and Marinette. Like many shipwrecks, this one was caused by weather and trying to beat the storm. We learned there is a spot in the bay that fisherman and sailors avoid due to the spirits that rest below.

Our final destination was Peninsula State Park. Inside the park we visited several locations. First we parked near a small cemetery where the lamb grave is. This is the boy who died from Tetanus and his family would leave little gifts on his headstone. Due to the parking situation, we couldn't actually go into the cemetery. 

We then went to the other cemetery in Peninsula State Park -- yes it has 2 cemeteries which I didn't know either. Here we saw several headstones belonging to the people we learned about earlier in the evening. It was dark out so flashlights helped illuminate the headstones. I want to say it was one of my first times in a cemetery after dark. 

The last stop of the tour was the Eagle Point Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park. Here we learned about the tragic death of young boy while trying to get water from the lake since his family was the lightkeeper family. He can be spotted roaming the park at night. 

Our driver was an excellent storyteller and historian. He made the tour a lot of fun.  

I would definitely recommend the ghost tour if you are looking for something to do in the evening in Door County. I learned a lot, never got scared, and it changed my mind about going on ghost tours. It was well worth the money.

5016. Go to Alexander Noble House in Fish Creek

 As I was planning Girl's Weekend, I saw that the Alexander Noble house was on my bucket list. I added it to the list on of the things to do on Saturday. Stacy takes a look at the list and was like that is a lot of things to do. I filled the schedule to the brim just in case and the Alexander Noble house wasn't high on the list. We actually didn't have time to visit it before it closed. It turns out the trolley tour gave us an after dark visit. Score!

The Alexander Noble house was built in 1875 and was the first home in Fish Creek and is supposedly haunted which is why we stopped on our trolley tour. I don't remember all the details but if I recall correctly, there was a fire and an older women was killed. She later showed up in a photograph and can be seen in tourists' picture.

We were not that lucky to feel the presence of the ghost. We were able to go in to parlor, kitchen, and upstairs to several of the bedrooms. A few rooms we were not allowed in. Maybe they had to much of an ghostly presence.

The house is a very nice house. It was interesting to learn about the family and their home. 

Since I seen it after dark, I do not need to go back in the daylight hours. I personally would recommend doing it after hours on the trolley tour but if you are afraid of ghosts, you might want to stick with visiting during the day.