Ghost Stories of Old Manitou: Walking Tours Bring Manitou Springs’ Past to Life

“Being outside exposes us to one of the most wild variables a person can encounter: the general public.”

Rocio Balderrama, THEATREdART Photos courtesy of THEATREdART

Most likely, you’ve heard of Emma Crawford, the tuberculosis victim who inspired the annual coffin races in Manitou Springs. But the city has been home to several memorable characters who will appear in the annual Ghost Stories of Old Manitou Walking Tours.

This is the 31st time that the Manitou Springs Heritage Museum has hosted the popular fundraiser; for the past seven years, the MSHM has collaborated with THEATREdART for the tours.

The Colorado Springs theater troupe, launched in 2003, produces provocative works and supports local playwrights. Every May, the performers start working on ghost tour production. They meet with an MSHM representative to determine which characters to feature and who writes what portions.

Rocio Balderrama is the vice president and plays Crawford this year.

Rehearsals start about a month before the tours begin, Balderrama says. The troupe hires around 12 actors; about five are “spirit guides,” with the remainder acting out the vignettes.

“We get new faces every year and try our best to utilize our talent pool in the Springs. The writing this year was distributed amongst our board members,” says Balderrama, who also writes music for the tours.

It’s a far cry from the early years, with museum volunteers playing the parts for just a few evenings.

Performers lead a Ghost Stories of Old Manitou tour group.

Michael Maio, MSHM historian and former board president, performed in the 2016-2018 ghost tours. His roles included Jerome Wheeler (1842-1918), a mining and railroad magnate, banker and past president of the Manitou Mineral Bottling Co.

“Each time, the benefit was learning a little bit more about the history of our town,” Maio says.

But he and the other volunteer performers couldn’t keep up the organizing, production support and performances as the tours’ popularity grew. Fortunately, then-board member Neale Minch had a solution.

“He introduced us to this local community group, and we decided to enter into a partnership with them. It was a great move for us since it removed the burden of production and allowed us to focus on promotions and ticket sales,” Maio says.

The MSHM and the theatrical group split the proceeds; the museum’s share accounts for about 15% of its total annual revenue.

For Balderrama, all the hard work yields more than funding.

“Being able to connect with the community and share the hidden lore of Manitou Springs always brings a smile to my face. Many people come to visit Manitou, but very few will know about the lore that set the stage for the town we have today,” Balderrama says.

The tours are appropriate for all ages, organizers promise. The walk will be across some uneven ground, but there will be places to rest if needed.

Performing outside presents other challenges, Balderrama says.

“We can control for things like knowing our scripts and the lighting to set the scene, but ultimately being outside exposes us to one of the most wild variables a person can encounter: the general public.”

Want to know which historic characters will appear and tell their stories? You’ll just have to buy a ticket to find out.

If You Go

Tours are 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 30. For tickets and more information: manitouspringsheritagecenter.org/ghost-tours .

Other Spooky Tours in Southern Colorado

The Pikes Peak Phantom offers tours through Downtown Colorado Springs ( usghostadventures.com ). The adventure tours company also takes visitors through Cripple Creek’s “dark underbelly.”

The Haunted Lantern Tour at Cave of the Winds explores dark tunnels and local folklore ( caveofthewinds.com ).

The Haunted Manitou Ghost Tours features unexplained mysteries and phenomena ( hauntedmanitou.com ).

The Pueblo War Memorial Ghost Tour roams the former military base, where ghost sightings have been reported ( puebloghosttour.com ).

Keep Reading

Road trip Haunted Places in Southern Colorado: 11 Spooky Sites to Visit This Halloween This month October in Southern Colorado: Halloween Events, Haunts and Harvest Fun

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