CENTRAL CITY — The ghosts were out in Central City on Friday, October 16, for the Gilpin Historical Society's 17th annual Creepy Crawl. I joined one of the evening tours, visiting five historic buildings and hearing some pretty interesting stories about the town's past.

This year, the historical society changed things up with new buildings and mostly new stories. Volunteer actors, including some from the Wild Bunch, dressed in period costumes and took on the roles of some rather interesting characters, both living and dead.

The mysterious "Woman in Black," (played by Emma Berg) said to have visited John Cameron's grave year after year, makes an appearance during the Creepy Crawl.

Photo by Mindy Leary

One of my favorites was the Woman in Black, a mysterious figure said to have appeared at the funeral of John Cameron in 1887. Cameron was buried in the Masonic Cemetery nearby. Nobody knew who she was, and according to the legend, nobody could ever catch up with her to find out. She continued returning on the anniversary of his death, leaving flowers before disappearing. In 1899, a group of 14 people tried to discover her identity, but she somehow appeared right among them and vanished before anyone could catch her.

At another stop, we learned of a mining investor named Virgil Black, who hired a psychic, Grace Fairchild, to contact a dead chemist named John Wright. He wanted to learn how to separate gold and silver ore using electricity—hoping, of course, to make a fortune. Instead, they encountered a rather nasty spirit named Obadiah. Things went downhill from there.

Psychic Grace Fairchild (played by Robbin Daidone) attempts to contact the dead while mining investor Virgil Black (Randy Schneider) waits for answers.

Photo by Mindy Leary

We also heard the tale of Hiram Rosebrook, an inventor who claimed to have developed a machine that could extract gold from low-grade ore. According to the story, the machine was a fraud, two investors ended up dead, and Rosebrook eventually landed in jail. His ghost is supposedly still hanging around Eureka Street. 

The tour included a few surprises, some gunfire from the Wild Bunch, reminders to watch our steps on the old stairs, and warnings not to disturb the spirits. 

As of Friday afternoon, the historical society had over 250 reservations for this year's event, with more expected. Century Casino provided the space for check-in, and Dostal Alley offered a complimentary beer afterward. Not a bad way to finish an evening of ghost hunting.

If you missed it, there's still another weekend to go. The Creepy Crawl continues on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, with tours leaving every half hour from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from the lower level of Century Casino at 102 Main Street.

Just remember to wear comfortable shoes. Those old buildings can be tricky enough to navigate without worrying about running into a ghost.

Tickets start at $18.65 online. For tickets and more information, visit Creepy Crawl | gilpin-hs.