The following is an adapted excerpt from Unexpected Texas,my travel guide to quirky, offbeat and overlooked places near Dallas and Fort Worth. Check it out if you are looking for fun road trips in north Texas.

Also, for a *FREE* 50-page guide to ghost hunting groups and haunted history tours in north Texas, click here

Historic Ghost Tours Led by a Professional Storyteller

“Sometimes folks come to Denton and never want to leave – ever!” – Shelly Tucker, tour guide for the Ghosts of Denton, Texas: Haunted History Tours

Last summer, my husband, Larry, and I popped over to Denton, Texas to experience the Ghosts of Denton haunted history tour led by Shelly Tucker, who is a professional storyteller. I’d known Shelly for a few years online, but this was our first meeting in person, so I was excited about that, too.

Denton is a thriving college town, with such prestigious alumni as singer, Norah Jones and Meatloaf (quite a combo, eh?) Like many Texas towns, the most interesting part of Denton is its historic downtown, which includes the stately stone courthouse pictured above.

Weekly Ghost Tours in Denton, Texas

The Ghosts of Denton tours leave from Jupiter House, a coffee shop on the east side of the town square every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. and last about 90 minutes. The night of our visit, the city was full of people strolling around, looking for fun on a warm summer night.

I recognized Shelley straight away; between her red hair and lively energy, she is hard to miss. (She is also hard to photograph; every picture I took of her was blurry because she was always moving!) Her tour that night was well-attended, with nearly two dozen folks, ranging in age from early teens to senior citizens.

Not Just for Ghost Hunters

What makes this haunted history tour fun is not so much the subject matter, but the fact that Shelly is a masterful storyteller. That lady can sure spin a yarn! Shelly could have led us on a tour of a thimble factory and we still would have clung to every word.

Even those, such as my hubby, with no interest in the paranormal, will find Shelly’s tales interesting from a historical perspective. The National Endownment for the Arts (NEA) even named her an “American Masterpiece” a few years ago.

It was clear, too, that Shelly had much more material than we had time to hear. Much to my delight, after the group broke up, she took me and Larry for another spin around the square in order to share a story that was a little too racy for the young ‘uns on our tour.

Shelly is passionate about Denton’s history and spends a lot of time at the library digging up new material. In fact, she’s become so well known as, “the ghost lady,” that people often pull her aside to confide their own ghost stories. If you ever visit north Texas, I highly recommend the Denton Ghost Tour for an entertaining evening.

Ghosts of Denton – the Book!

What’s that you say? You don’t live in Texas? Or maybe you live in Texas, but Denton is still mighty far away. No problemo, friend. Shelly has got you covered, because this amazing lady recently released a wonderful book called – you guessed it – Ghosts of Denton.

I highly recommend buying a copy of Ghosts of Denton. I leaned heavily on Shelly’s book when writing up my chapter on haunted places in Denton for Paranormal Texas. In fact, I got so caught up in reading her well-researched tales, that I kicked back on the couch and played hooky!

Where to buy Ghosts of Denton by Shelly Tucker?

To order your copy of Shelly Tucker’s Ghosts of Denton, visit Shelly’s page about the book here: Ghosts of Denton – the book!

Denton Ghost Tour information:

What: Ghosts of Denton, Texas: Haunted History Tours
When: Every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Jupiter House, 106 N Locust St, Denton, TX 76201
Price: $10 for adults & $5 for kids 6-11 years old. Check availability and book online at the Ghosts of Denton, haunted history tours official website
Ghost tour length:Approximately 90 minutes

NOTE: While tickets were provided for review purposes, the opinions expressed in this article are wholly my own.

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my Amazon Best Seller, Unexpected Texas.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my recently-released travel guide to haunted places, Paranormal Texas. Happy travels!