I'm glad we found a local tour and didn't get tricked by sponsored search results into booking with the corporate chain. Joe's tour was amazing. He has encyclopedic knowledge of Durango's history - both the framework you can find in books AND the knowledge you can only get from locals who lived it (or in his case, heard it firsthand from others who lived it). He's also been in town so long that he's had personal experiences in many of the locations on the tour or is personally connected to others who have had experiences in those locations. Yes, the tour had the general things one expects to learn on these sorts of tours, but my favorite part was all the personal stories. I felt like an honorary member of the Durango insider's club, getting to hear the kinds of things it normally takes years in a community to be let in on. Even though our group had maybe 10 people in it, it felt like a custom, private tour tailored to our groups questions and interests. Joe was generous with his time, despite just arriving back in town from his daughter's wedding. Bottom line: this kind of access to a local is priceless! I'd love to hire Joe for more than a ghost tour. I'd love to just walk around town with him and hear that tales of what's come before and why, what happened when the stakes were high, etc. Thanks for an awesome tour! 

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Joe is an INCREDIBLE tour guide! He is so knowledgeable about Durango history and lore his passion is contagious! I love here in Durango and was learning g things I have never heard before! 10/10 if you are in town visiting you must do this tour! It was spooky, fun, educational and great!

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I Recommend Ghost Walk Durango because this is one of the city's most popular - and affordable ghost tours, and children less than ten years of age are free. In addition, this tour offers a broad scope of Durango's history by including some of the city's cultural backgrounds.

 

Ghost Walk Durango is a good choice for families with children. The tour is spooky without being over-the-top scary. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, and dress warmly during the winter months. Take along bottled water during the summer. Don't forget to bring your camera and use it frequently."

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My girlfriend and I have gone on two of these tours over the last year and have enjoyed both of them greatly! Joe and Brayden are both super knowledgeable, using info from newspaper archives and stories from locals to put together a fun and informative walk. Looking forward to the Halloween cemetery tour!

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What could be eerier than exploring Durango's Historic District's ghoulish side? Considered by many to be one of the most haunted cities in the US, Durango is teeming with a haunted history. The best ghost tour company in the city is Ghost Walk Durango, which offers bone-chilling tours guaranteed to terrify and delight you.

Durango's original walking ghost tour, this popular walking tour, featured in the media, takes a lighthearted look at the Historic District's most haunted spots. Drawing on tales from historical sources and incorporating actual interviews with Durango residents, Ghost Walk Durango showcases the city's haunted history and offers proof from the great beyond. The tour departs nightly at 7 p.m. from the Old Durango High School (201 East 12th Street). Call ahead to find out times and reserve a spot.

Durango's earliest residents were the ancestral Puebloans over 2,500 years ago. These ancient people enjoyed rich, fertile soil and abundant wildlife resources before moving to the mesas in the south and west of Durango, encompassed by the Mesa Verde National Park. They made their homes in rock shelters and pithouses for thousands of years, but the Puebloan culture mysteriously disappeared by the 1300s. Centuries later, the Ute tribe arrived to hunt and fish in the lands around Durango, sheltering in the abandoned cities left by the ancient Puebloans.

Early settlers soon discovered that fish and game were not the only riches in Durango. In 1860, a prospector discovered flakes of gold in the San Juan Mountains north of present-day Durango. People flooded the Animas Valley hoping to strike it rich.

Prospectors, miners, farmers, and families established homes in the valley, making their livelihood by supplying the mining camps with their necessities. Although the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865 slowed growth in Southwestern Colorado, the arrival of the railroads fed rapid growth after the war's end. Durango was founded officially in 1880 to serve the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad following an unsuccessful negotiation with the existing settlement of Animas City two miles North.

During this two-hour family-oriented walking tour, participants cover about half a mile, exploring the city's rich haunted history through Durango's historic streets. You may hear tales of eerie happenings at local landmark residences, businesses, and the city's back streets.

The tour covers Durango's dark side and includes entertaining ghost stories, anecdotes about Durango's bloody history, and stops at some of the Historic District's most haunted spots. You will learn about gun battles, including the Stockton Gang and the Simmons Gang feud, lynchings, a fire in 1889 that consumed most of the wooden buildings and sidewalks in town, the Spanish Flu epidemic, and a general reckless 'Devil May Care' element that was omnipresent in the early days that all contributed to countless ghost and haunting stories. No sane person left home without a pistol for the first 40 years of Durango's existence.
Reservations are advised as the tour sells out quickly. Reservations can be made and tickets purchased online through the Ghost Walk Durango website.

Ghost Walk Durango is owned and operated by Joe Nelson, a ghost-hunting veteran who boasts more than 20 years of ghostly encounters and has done extensive historical and paranormal research.

Customized walking tours are an option for birthdays, family-friendly outings, or "haunted" wedding events. If a time or date isn't listed on the tour's website, you should contact the company, as they may be able to accommodate your request.

I recommend Ghost Walk Durango because this is one of the city's most popular - and affordable ghost tours, and children less than ten years of age are free. In addition, this tour offers a broad scope of Durango's history by including some of the city's cultural background.

Expert tip: Ghost Walk Durango is a good choice for families with children. The tour is spooky without being over-the-top scary. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, and dress warmly during the winter months. Take along bottled water during the summer. Don't forget to bring your camera and use it frequently.