Ghost Tours of Old Town

With over 300 years of history, there’s plenty of room for murder and mayhem in Old Town, and Tours of Old Town takes visitors through it.

During the day, Old Town presents a charming face - shops, restaurants, music and entertainment in the plaza. Ah, but at night, the ghosts and their stories come out.

Perhaps you'll see Scarlet, a woman who, in the words of Julia Brown, owner and president, "is a woman of negotiated affection." She has been know to show up, sometimes dressed in purple. Other times, when feeling a bit frisky perhaps, she wears only her bright red hair and a garter on her left leg.

They've even unearthed a newspaper account of how Scarlet met her death - stabbed by a another in her profession, perhaps out of jealousy.

Tours of Old Town believe there are 13 major ghosts in Old Town - verified by photographic or audio-visual documentation.

They also offer “full moon” ghost tours, when the moon cooperates. Should your interest in Ghost Hunting be aroused, you can sign up for a Ghost Hunting Tour. “We teach you how to become a ghost hunter,” says Brown. The first hour is classroom background about ghost hunting, and then, the would-be hunters are provided with the special equipment, and brought to Old Town to seek out strange and paranormal occurrence.

Twice a month at the Illusions Magic parlor, the long dead Milton J. Yarberry puts on a show of magic and impersonation. He was the first sheriff of Albuquerque and the only one in the country to be indicated and hung for murder. "We feature the best in dead entertainment," says Brown.

For October, Tours of Old Town, and ABQ Trolley Co team up to present the dread-filled Trolley of Terror. A 90-minute tour (costumes encourage) of the haunted sites throughout the city.