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Ghosts of Denton, Texas: Haunted History Tour

Ghosts of Denton, TX  - haunted history tour (photo by Tui Snider)
Ghosts of Denton, TX - haunted history tour (photo by Tui Snider)

Historical 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

My husband, Larry, and I recently popped over to Denton, Texas so we could experience the Ghosts of Denton haunted history tour led by Shelly Tucker, who is a professional storyteller. I’ve 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. 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.

Ghosts of Denton, TX  - haunted history tour (photo by Tui Snider)
Ghosts of Denton, TX - haunted history tour (photo by Tui Snider)

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.

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.

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3 Comments

  1. […] Of all the bloggers on the #UnexTex Unexpected Texas Book Release Blog Tour, Shelly is the only one I have met in person. Another distinction for Shelly is that she features prominently in my chapter about the town of Denton. Around those parts, Shelly is known as “the ghost lady.” You can read all about it in this excerpt from Unexpected Texas: The Ghosts of Denton, Texas: Haunted History Tour. […]

  2. […] If you haven’t taken this tour (and are going to be in my neck of the woods), you really must schedule it among your Halloween activities … but don’t wait for Halloween! Ghost stories are fun any time of year … and it might get really crowded during October! It will give you the perfect spine-tingling treat, and I will do my best to be sure that you will not be disappointed. I will make you shiver more than once before the night is through. “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.” ~~ Tui Snider, travel blogger […]

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