Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning. I'm Robin Colbert and this is Madison Forum. Well,
we have Halloween fast approaching and I thought a pretty
appropriate topic for our program this morning was to put
a spotlight on a new adventure here in the Madison area,
showcasing Madison and its rich, eerie past. It's an event
(00:20):
called mad City Ghost Walks. And on the line with
me this morning, I have cheersty Beth. She is a
paranormal investigator. She goes by the name kjkj. Is it
all right if I call you that?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Good morning, great Gravin, Hey, thanks for joining me. You're
a tour guide. Did you now? This was founded by
Scott Graham of Cottage Grove, who, unfortunately he couldn't his
timing didn't allow for him to join us today. But
are you like a co founder or how did you
hook up with Scott to get this going?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yes, Scott had put an ad up just looking for
actors that had an interest in the paranormal and I
happened serendipitously across that ad and I said, hold on moment,
this is like my dream job. So I contacted him
back early this year. I want to say it was
like in the spring and we've just started kind of
working together ever since. So he's the owner of the
company and I'm the paranormal, Spooky, Fabulous tour guide.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
And now that you're yeah, you're just kind of getting
known in the area and an up and coming event
for Madison. You guys, I mean, this is kind of
a side project, but I'm sure you're hoping to take
it as far as you can.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Oh. Absolutely. I don't have a maximumount of people on
a tour. I mean I have a tour to night
of twelve. I've had tours of four people. I've had
tours of twenty people. So the more of the scarier is,
I like to say.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
And how did Scott come up with this idea? I'm
sure you two have talked about it. Why he decided,
you know, out of in the midst of his working life,
you know what, I'm going to start up a ghost
tour or a ghost walk.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. He and his wife are paranormal enthusiasts
as well too, and they've loved go on spooky walks
and anytime they're traveling, they go on ghost tours all
over the country, and so they just kind of thought
Madison needs something like this. And something that there is
availability and some of the other ones in town don't
have that immediate availability. And this time of year, we're
(02:15):
touring several days a week and there's always a spot
for someone. So he kind of just created this adventure
and the paranormal and the historical tours, and it's really
taking off. I'm very excited to be doing this and yeah,
I mean more, hopefully more tours in the future. We'd
like to expand into more history tours, cemetery tours. So
(02:38):
the sky is kind of the limit, as they say.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, well and the perfect obviously this time of year,
the perfect time to kick this off, but as you
just alluded to there that this could be a year
round thing, I mean, yeah, interest in Madison, what a
rich history the city has as well. You know, it's
funny KG. As Halloween was approaching. I'm a huge fan
of the day. It's just a lot of fun and
(03:02):
I love autumn the time of year, and I wanted
to do a topic that was kind of Halloween or
paranormal related. And I was looking around online and I
didn't see any off the bat any Madison paranormal. I'm like, what, really,
I can't believe that there was one in Milwaukee, and
then I stumbled across mad City Ghostwalk, so I was
(03:23):
very thrilled to see. So, yeah, this is an untapped resource.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Really absolutely, I'm so happy that you said that and
you found that, because I think what I bring to
this is I'm not just another tour guide. I'm a
paranormal researcher. I'm a writer. I'm an investigator. I live
and breathe this stuff, and to have that kind of
gives me an edge because I have experienced investigating the
paranormal and I'm not just you know, memorizing a script
and giving a tour. So I hope I can add
(03:48):
that element of kind of quote unquote realness to these
paranormal tours. Well, I hope you can join us.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah, well I plan to at some point here. And
the messenger is so important on whether you know you
can really relay the history and the mood and the
atmosphere way back in Madison of old days and even
currently now. Your your day job, do you work in
some sort of paranormal industry.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Or no, No, I don't. I have a day job.
I have quality assurance in the healthcare field. So I
have my day job and I have my night job,
as they like to say too. But there's a surprising
amount of overlap in both, really, and it involves a
lot of storytelling, and I'm just be excited about things
like that. So it's it's good overlap, and it's it's
a good side hustle, as I like to say.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
So now let's kind of touch on. Well, now let's
go back to what got you started in the paranormal
is as just something as a kid, I mean, do
you have do you do you believe you have psychic abilities?
I believe some people really do you know?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I don't personally feel that I have those per se.
I have definitely had a handful experiences throughout my life.
I just cannot explain with conventional laws of physics or
even the right language to articulate what happened. And it's
just that's been kind of tucked in the back of
my mind. My family's just very open about that kind
of stuff, so it was never anything that was hindered
(05:14):
or made fun of. And I've just continued on. And
I think the pandemic, unfortunately or fortunately, kind of reinstigated
my interest in going down the rabbit hole. Of all
things strange and unusual, and just the timing kind of
worked out with this gig coming up, and I thought,
you know what, I want to do this. I can
do this. I'm a toastmaster, I'm familiar with public speaking.
(05:37):
I used to be in theater and modeling, so I
just it's kind of a perfect little road has led
up to this. So now I have this opportunity to
talk about stuff I want to talk about change. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Good. Are you a Madison area native?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
No, I grew up in Reedsburg, Oh Tony, but I've
lived in Madison for about eighteen years now, so I
think it's I'm starting to say that I'm from here,
I guess at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And as far as this ghost tour, now, is this
or this ghost walk? I should say I saw on
mad City ghost walks. If our listeners are curious about
booking a tour and finding out what's all included, just yeah,
just google mad City Ghost Tours and you'll find it
right away.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's called mad City.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I see one that's called the best damn Ghost Tour
in Madison, and it's what thirty five bucks? That seems
very reasonable.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Absolutely, it's a two hour, two mile walk and there's
probably probably a dozen stops or more that we make.
And I like to encourage my audience, you know, to
tell me your ghost stories, tell me experiences you've had,
ask me questions like this is a safe place to
talk about weird things. And I want to encourage that.
And I think for thirty five bucks, I mean, you
can't even get dinner for two for thirty five bucks,
(06:49):
So it's reasonable and it's fun.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah. Absolutely. And so now this obviously runs through Halloween.
Do you carry it into November or.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
We're going to I have tours up through and including
November first, but I'm talking to Scott about adding a
few more calendar dates in I think Fridays in November,
because you know, sometimes bookie season just needs to extend,
continue beyond the thirty first.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Weather dependent, of course, in Wisconsin, you don't know what
you're going to get. But we've had some mild November,
so you could.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I'm open. So tonight it's about seventy degrees. You know
this is perfect perfect weather?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah? Absolutely, So Now have you ever seen a ghost?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I'd like to say I've experienced a ghost, Okay, but
I want to throw that question back at you too,
It's like, how do you know you haven't seen a ghost?
They can look just like us.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I've definitely experienced some strange things, but on an intuitive level,
I knew that it wasn't something of this world, and
instead of running away from it, I ran toward it.
And here we are.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
And so you've never have you ever been truly I
mean just scared out of your wits?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Not yet. I'm open to that experience. I've been on
a lot of I've been to a lot of places.
I've been to a lot of abandoned sanatoriums. I've traveled
the country. I go to Gettysburg every year, and there's
just so many untold stories and so many just secrets
hidden in the walls of these places, and things happen
(08:17):
or thoughts that pop into your head that you just
can't explain. And I'm not afraid of it. I welcome it.
And I think the paranormal sometimes gets a bad rap,
but I find it fascinating and I find it just
to be kind of a weird science that we don't
understand yet.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, that's a good name for it, A weird science
that I'm also I'm intrigued by it, but yet very
intimidated and a tad bit frightened when you start getting
into any sort of demonic sort of discussion where I've
seen too many movies where or I won't even I
won't even have a Ouiji board in my house. It's
just that. I mean, I'm not, you know, living out
(08:51):
of fear, but it's just some some things I don't
know if I want to push my lot.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, I believe enough to be afraid.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah. Yeah, and you've seen and then again, these are
just movies. But well, once you welcome them in, good
luck getting rid of them.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
So right, Yeah, I haven't had too many ghosts follow
me home on my tours.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Okay, that's good to hear. As far as nationwide, you've
been all over the place, KG, what is your favorite
haunted place to visit? Is it right here or is
it around the country.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I'm going to have to say Gettysburg. I've friend there
probably six times. That's paranormal Disney World. You know, you're
talking about fifty thousand people died there in three days.
It's spooky, it's tragic, it's haunted. They embrace their history,
they embrace the paranormal activity there. It's it's just normal
for them, and so I enjoy kind of being around
like minded people. And they do their ghost tours twenty
(09:41):
four to seven, three hundred and sixty five days a year,
so it's very inspiring the tour guide to see that some.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Other part of that notable. New Orleans I mean always
has it with the voodoo and all that. Have you
been to New Orleans?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I have, but I was younger and I couldn't appreciate it,
so that that's on my bucket list for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Alcatraz, Oh yeah, I'd love to Salem. No, okay, wow,
I got something on you. I was in Salem.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I know you got all man bucket list as well. Savannah,
Georgia is another one as yes, yeah, but I've been
out to Nevada. I mean there's a lot of little haunted,
old ghost towns out there. I tried to go to
some of the lesser known ones, sure, just to avoid crowds,
but also kind of had that personal connection with people
that run these places and are genuinely intrigued and sometimes.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Scared, and just the hauntings, aside are paranormal activity, just
the rich history of it all like in Salem, Massachusetts.
Obviously the sight of many horrors with Salem witch trials,
but I didn't have any sort of eerie. I didn't
really delve into a lot of that. But out and
about in the town they normally had just warlocks just
(10:48):
walking around like on a Tuesday afternoon. It's just, you know,
that's just the way it is in Salem. So the
history and all of it very cool, and we have
so much here in Madison. Now I've heard, you know
over the years, Oh, what is it a picnic point?
The witches a picnic point? Is this included on the tour?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yes, we don't go there directly, but we are close
enough on Lake Mindota at the Union where I have
probably three or four, maybe even five stories within one stop. Wow,
picnic Point is one of those too, And you'd be amazed.
It's just this two mile loop that we do. How
many stories are just in that fraction of Madison's history.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So if you can give me a little synopsis, what's
the story of witches a picnic Point?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Well, at picnic Point that used to be part of
indigenous ho Chunk land, and so there are still burial
mounds out there. There are still archaeological sites that are protected.
And one of the ho Chunk legends had said that
these witches of picnic Points would come out of the
forest and they would take their children away and eat them.
And the ways that the natives chose to kill it
(11:51):
that is that they prayed to their earthmaker goddess, and
these witches were turned into the hackberry trees that now
dot the edges of and so you can hear them
moan when the trees, you know, the trees will moan
when the wind blows, and so it's a kind of
a spooky legend too. And it's a it's a beautiful
hike even to get out there, sure, but there's definitely
(12:12):
a presence in that woods. There's something there still that
I find strange but beautiful.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Well, yeah, what is it? Spooky urban legends? The kids
are always getting it, boy, I mean, he didn't have
much longevity as a kid back during urban legend days
with witches and what have you. That's always their first victim.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
M m yeah, yep.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
And now the Edgewater in Madison, downtown Madison, I've heard
so many times about there's alleged ghosts or haunting at
the Edgewater even with the a huge remodeling project from
a few years back. Huh, that's one of your stops.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That is one of our thoughts. I don't want to
give up the ghosts too much, you know, I'd like
you to come on a tour, but I can tell
you a little bit. But you know, a lot of
these places, of these old buildings, even after they've been remodeled,
they have this presence. They have these kind of shadowy figures.
They have these cold spots that can't be explained, and
feelings of unease and doors that open on their own
and windows that rattle. And it's beyond just old architecture
(13:16):
that there's there's a story of something that may have
happened in that room and may not have ever left.
And that's where I'm going to leave you.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
If we can go back to lakewell Edgewaters right on
Lake Mendota, there's just a couple of these ghost stories.
I don't want you to give away your whole stick
or you know, the program here, because obviously we want people,
we want to keep this thing going. It's just starting out.
Mad City Ghostwalks is what it's called. And Lake Mendota,
I hadn't heard but I was doing just a little
background reading on the Mad City ghostwalks and you had
(13:49):
mentioned sightings of sea monsters on Lake Mendota. I guess
I had never heard that. Like lockness or what.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Right, right, right, we have our own little lock nest.
It was called Winnibogos. Another legend of the ho Chunk
tribe that was a thirty five foot long serpent that
had red eyes and blazing you know, blazing persona on
a flat heead and it wouldknock canoes over. And this
is way back in the late eighteen hundreds, but people
(14:14):
have seen this. Dozens and dozens of people had seen
this over the course of probably forty or fifty years.
Where did it go? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Did he get the kids?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Maybe? I don't know. Maybe that's a blended story in there,
but it's you know, you just don't know what lies
under those waters. I mean, heck, we just discovered what
ten to eleven Ho Chunk canoes. Yes, and let's root
to just last year. I mean, we were unearthing history constantly.
So to me, it doesn't seem so far fetched that
there are things going on in that lake, or that
went on or that lived in that lake that we
(14:45):
don't know about.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Have you had now this is new, but you've gone
on about how many tours now?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Oh gosh, probably seven or eight right now?
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Has anybody gotten scared that they've called it, called it
a day and said thanks so done?
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Or not that I know of, They held it together
till the end.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Because you do. There is an age limit, like this
isn't something for the kids, right, No.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
We'd like them to be eighteen year older because some
of the stories are unfortunately there's some graphic detail and
sometimes my mouth I get a little mouthy, so I
have to say adults only on this tour.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
And plus the timing of it too, because they go
about what like two hours, right.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
There are two hours and you know it's getting dark
now so early, but we are in well lit areas,
but you know as the time changes, it's going to
be dark come six o'clock at night as well.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And so as far as safety, as far as walking around,
I'm guessing that that's the main priority.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Absolutely. Yes, yes, we keep the group together. We're in
well lit areas. I haven't had any anything follow me
home that I know of.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
And you guys, this isn't like a haunted house, where
there's setups, there's jump scares hiding around somewhere. This is
just actual, factual or you know, as far as relaying
uh legend legend facts about these so called.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Events, that's correct. I'm not jumping out and scare in anybody.
I have fun on my tours and some of like
I said, some of the content might be a little
disturbing to some, but ultimately it's not anything you're probably
going to have too many nightmares about. But I can't
make any guarantees.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Well, it sounds just very into a great learning experiences.
The history in Madison obviously a very long history or
Wisconsin of course, with our Native American uh heritage and
uh which are you know a lot of your stories
go back to the days and these uh these legends
that started started by it Native Americans. But we also
(16:41):
have you know, with Camp Randall and uh boy, what
all went down there? A lot of people uh either
forget or maybe they don't know if they're younger, newer
to the area. Camp Randall wasn't just a fun stadium
to watch the Badgers, was it?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
No? And you know that's actually not one of our
stops yet. Yeah, So I'm not as up to date
on my knowledge of that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Was that.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Was that like housing for civil like.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
For that Confederate soldiers?
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeap, Yes, okay, I knew it's like back in my mind.
But we haven't stopped there yet, so you know, maybe
in the future we will go there too. But it's
it's interesting to you find out a lot of dark
history about some places. And that's what's captivating to me,
is that I want to understand the stuff that people
aren't talking about, and that's more real to me.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah, you know, it's very interesting also the history of
mafia ties here in Madison, god Milwaukee, all over the state.
Of course, you know they still do today, those Illinois
people coming into our state too. But the mafia sure
loved it as well. Have you ever been to Little Bohemia?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
No, I know of it, but I have not been
there myself.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
That's a must go for you. It's just fascinating they
still have it. The windows preserved from the bullet holes,
so many bullet holes that in the windows of this
little lodge, and all the history, the newspaper articles on
the on the walls, and.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
It's just it's got to have some ghosts.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
It's got to have some ghosts and it's a it's
a fun visit. But here in Madison, and I don't
know right around downtown for this tour if you have
any like Mafia legend stops. I was trying to think
of the bar here in Madison that is allegedly haunted
Mafia Ties, and it's.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
There is one. It's not part of our tour because
unfortunately it's closed and boarded up. And that was the Wonderbar.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
That's what I'm thinking of.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, man, so I've contacted the owner. If you're listening,
please contact me. I have reached out. I find that building.
I went in there twenty years ago before I was
really into the paranormal again. But I know it's got
a lot of stories. I think there's like an underground
tunnel and all sorts of spookiness. But unfortunately it's borted
up and I don't know the future of it. I
(18:47):
hope it's preserved or moved or something. And that's that's
what these paranormal tours are too. It's just it helps
you appreciate history and that architecture in those stories, and
just to appreciate your history and kind of where we've
come from as Madison as a whole.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Sure, well, and there has been kind of I don't
want to say lately because time slips away, this has
probably been going on the fascination. There's always been a
fascination with paranormal activities, but it seems to really gone
into the masses what over the past ten twenty years.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yes, it's not as taboo as it used to be. Yeah,
I'm happy for that.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah. So now our state capital, because do you take
a visit there? I mean, i'd imagine there's a lot,
a lot of kind of spooky stories and eerie.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
History there are. We don't go there yet, but I
do have a small story that I tell about the capital.
The southwest wing had collapsed back in the eighteen eighties
and actually six people were killed in twenty or more
were very very injured, and so there was a big
you know, there was a collapse, there was explosion, there
was death, there was emotion, and to this day they
(19:57):
think they feel that that part of the capital is
still haunted by those souls that lost their lives so unexpectedly,
And so that might be a tour in the future
as well.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Yeah, I was looking at your website some of the
coming soon tours. Of course, now we're in you know,
ghost season, so we have the ghost tour, but we're
looking at historical history tours, historical tour in Madison, Forest
Hill Cemetery, you're looking at tours as well. Yeah, there's
(20:29):
just a lot of different areas you can go with this.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yeah, Madison just has so many just amazing historical places
that we drive by every single day and you look
at that graveyard or that cemetery excuse me. And I
think Nancy's our other tour guide too, and she might
be helping with those more in the future. So there's
always a story somewhere. We just need to, you know,
find the right people and get the right permission to
(20:52):
explore those and honor those people that are buried there
because something we are looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Yeah, that's another thing. kJ is far as. I mean,
do you go into now with this tour, this ghost tour?
Do you go into these facilities I'd imagine you have to.
Is there any sort of liability issue? Do you obviously
have to get the permission beforehand or you just stop
outside and talk about him?
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Right now, we're stopping outside at all of our locations,
so it's completely outside. Maybe in the future we can
go in, but I know that there are some logistics
and liability with that, and I'm gonna let Scott handle
all that.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
That's what he's for.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
But we yep, that's what the boss is for. But
we do you know, in the future, we're open to
all of those ideas as well.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Okay, I am talking if a listeners just joining us.
I'm talking with kJ. She is a paranormal investigator with
mad City Ghost Walks. It is a new adventure that
showcases Madison and some possible urban legend stories about hauntings,
haunted buildings, some paranormal activity. I mean, it's not all
(21:55):
ghosts ghost stories here, is it, kJ? I mean, do
we have like alien sidings or stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Of course, we have an arrangement of strangeness on this tour,
primarily ghosts, but there are also some of those legends
we were talking about, some cryptids, some UFO sidings, some
Mad scientists in buildings that are somewhere on campus that
I'll talk about on my tour. So there's all sorts
(22:24):
of strangeness right now, I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
No shortage, No shortage, of no shortage.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
It's amazing. Like I was saying earlier, just how much
is in this two mile that's all. It's just a
small portion, a fraction of Madison, and how many stories
are in there as well? And some of the stories
that people on my tours have said, Hey, I know
something about this building. I've had people come out of
the buildings where I'm touring and they'll say, hey, do
you know this building's haunted? Oh boy, it's a matter
(22:54):
of fact. Yes, I'm on a ghost tour. How would
you like to take over? And so yeah, it's it's fun.
People are coming forward with their own theories and their
own stories, and that's what makes this job fun.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah. And I don't know if you said it or
earlier in our interview here or if I read it somewhere,
but you encourage audience participation if somebody has some knowledge
or or maybe a personal experience to share it.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yes, absolutely, I just hate to dragging people around that
aren't engaged. I refuse to do that. Talk to me,
ask me questions, tell me your own ghost stories. I've
had people whip out their phones and their own ghost
hunting equipment and show me stuff and that's that's what's fun,
is making it interactive and making it, I don't know,
socially acceptable.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Do you bring ghost hunting equipment on? Like, I don't
even know what the equipment is.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I don't There are apps on your phone that you
can use. I don't use those per se, but people
have come to the tour with those. I'm all for it.
So maybe that'd be something we could do in the future,
especially if we get to go in these places. Hey,
I'm open to that.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
And yeah, people take this that love this sort of thing.
They take this very seriously.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
They do, absolutely do, and I you know, I should
say they. I am one of those people too. I
have all my own equipment and gadgets and I take
that kind of stuff with me too. But I think
probably the best piece of equipment is just yourself, is
just being open and being in that space and just
allowing yourself.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
To feel and another interesting You also deal with not
hypothetical or urban legends, but obviously some factual events that
have happened, and also crime true The true true crime
genre is just out of control. I mean, it's just
every there's a new doctor series every every second dropping
(24:38):
and that's Okay, I'm intrigued by it myself. A lot
of people are. And you do talk about some of
these true crime stories here in Madison, I know we
do on our station here a little true crime podcast episode.
And one of the unsolved murders I believe you talk
about is Christine Rothschild.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
That's correct. That is one of the stops stop right
outside the apartment where she where she used to live
in the last place that she was you know, seen alive.
And so there's there are some emotional stories involved in
just being sensitive to that because there's still family and
friends of this person and that Capital City killer quote
unquote has never been caught. Yeah, and so there's mystery
(25:19):
surrounding that. But there's also you know, you have to
honor that person's memory and be sensitive to that as
well too.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah. That's that's always kind of with all the you know,
the myriad of programs and docuseries, and some of them
are you know, just so tabloidish and it's you kind
of you feel kind of, yeah, I don't know, guilty
or dirty listening to getting entertainment out of it, you
know what I mean. There's got to be a delicate
way you can preserve their memory, but yet to share
(25:48):
the story.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Absolutely, yep. And that is something I take, I take
pride in and I definitely am aware of that on
some of these stops. I'm not trying to sensationalize anything,
but just to tell a story and kind of relate
it back to the mysteries that we have in this
city and how you just you just never know what's
going on behind closed doors, and you wonder if the
walls do talk, and well, on this tour, we'll see
(26:09):
that they do.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
And like, I don't want to give away again your
whole tour because you're still taking bookings, I'm guessing just
go to Mad Cityghostwalks dot com right, and.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Yep, Mad City Ghostwalks dot com and there's I think
a link it's is our Tours or something like that.
It's pretty easy, and you look and you find the
date and my name is next to it, and most
of them start. Most of them are six to eight.
We do have a couple of weekends if you don't
want to go out in the dark, you can go
from three to five, and we have some later nights
as well that are seven.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
To nine, probably around Halloween. That's coming out. Of course
this week Halloween is on a Thursday, but Thursday is
kind of like Friday Lights, so you're probably getting a
better response than you would like on a Monday.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
I absolutely I do plan on dressing up on Halloween
as well. If that's an incentive to come on out.
Got to have a little fun, you.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Will do the people on the tour, are they encouraged
to dress up?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Yeah, that's really wonderful.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It would be a lot of fun. And and so
how many stops? You don't have to list them all off,
but you start where do you start out? How many
stops do you do?
Speaker 2 (27:10):
So we meet at the steps of a Wisconsin Masonic Center,
which is at three oh one Wisconsin Avenue, and we
walk up to the Edgewater down Fraternity Row and hang
out a little bit around Memorial Union in that area
of campus. I think in that one area quarter mile,
I probably have six stories or more altogether. I think
we have about a dozen stories that I have. And
(27:32):
then we head back up State Street. So we do
a whole loop.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And what's what's the group size limit?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I don't really have one? Okay, how do you how
do you how.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Do you keep people from maybe you know, just crashing
your tour.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Not Oh that's a good idea. No, that's not a
good I get to know everybody on my tour. I
know their names, so if someone shows up that I
don't recognize, I'll either ask if they're a ghost or
if they're not, I will politely ask them to that's
a good question. You stump me. I'm not usually stumpable.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Well, and I feel kind of silly now if I
give it. It gave anybody an idea. Well, the thing is,
we want to keep this going and hopefully we'll be
talking next year about the second annual Mad City Ghost
Walk taking place around.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
That's how I fund all my ghost hunting adventures. So
if you just crash my party, easy on you.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Is it a relatively inexpensive hoppy to have para? I'd
imagine with all that you can take it as far
as you want to go without. If you want to
get all the gadgets, I'm guessing that's pretty pricey.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
You want to get the gadgets, it's an investment. But
some of the gadgets are simple, like I said, like
an EMF detector to detect electromagnetic frequencies. You can get
that at a hardware star. You can get a digital
recorder on Amazon like they're just it's cheap and some
of the apps are free. But it's the traveling and
the spending the night. It's some of these haunted places
which I love to do. I love to suspend. Then
haunted rooms that can be expensive too, So it is
(29:03):
what you make of.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
It, all right. Well, kJ, you sound like a lot
of fun. I have no question about it. You're just
a fantastic tour guide for this Mad City Ghost Walk Again,
if you're interested, I'm sure you would love it. If
people sign up as groups.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
That a good date night, you know, go together, get
together at the office, you know, bring your co workers.
It's a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
And again, just thirty five bucks for a two hour
tour mad Cityghostwalks dot com. kJ a paranormal investigator on
the side. She knows her stuff and she'll guide you
around some of the haunting, haunted and eerie spots right
around the capitol here in downtown Madison. kJ, thanks so
much for joining me this morning.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
My pleasure. Robin, thank you You've
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Been listening to Madison for him
Good morning. I'm Robin Colbert and this is Madison Forum. Well,
we have Halloween fast approaching and I thought a pretty
appropriate topic for our program this morning was to put
a spotlight on a new adventure here in the Madison area,
showcasing Madison and its rich, eerie past. It's an event
(00:20):
called mad City Ghost Walks. And on the line with
me this morning, I have cheersty Beth. She is a
paranormal investigator. She goes by the name kjkj. Is it
all right if I call you that?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Absolutely?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Good morning, great Gravin, Hey, thanks for joining me. You're
a tour guide. Did you now? This was founded by
Scott Graham of Cottage Grove, who, unfortunately he couldn't his
timing didn't allow for him to join us today. But
are you like a co founder or how did you
hook up with Scott to get this going?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yes, Scott had put an ad up just looking for
actors that had an interest in the paranormal and I
happened serendipitously across that ad and I said, hold on moment,
this is like my dream job. So I contacted him
back early this year. I want to say it was
like in the spring and we've just started kind of
working together ever since. So he's the owner of the
company and I'm the paranormal, Spooky, Fabulous tour guide.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
And now that you're yeah, you're just kind of getting
known in the area and an up and coming event
for Madison. You guys, I mean, this is kind of
a side project, but I'm sure you're hoping to take
it as far as you can.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Oh. Absolutely. I don't have a maximumount of people on
a tour. I mean I have a tour to night
of twelve. I've had tours of four people. I've had
tours of twenty people. So the more of the scarier is,
I like to say.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
And how did Scott come up with this idea? I'm
sure you two have talked about it. Why he decided,
you know, out of in the midst of his working life,
you know what, I'm going to start up a ghost
tour or a ghost walk.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. He and his wife are paranormal enthusiasts
as well too, and they've loved go on spooky walks
and anytime they're traveling, they go on ghost tours all
over the country, and so they just kind of thought
Madison needs something like this. And something that there is
availability and some of the other ones in town don't
have that immediate availability. And this time of year, we're
(02:15):
touring several days a week and there's always a spot
for someone. So he kind of just created this adventure
and the paranormal and the historical tours, and it's really
taking off. I'm very excited to be doing this and yeah,
I mean more, hopefully more tours in the future. We'd
like to expand into more history tours, cemetery tours. So
(02:38):
the sky is kind of the limit, as they say.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, well and the perfect obviously this time of year,
the perfect time to kick this off, but as you
just alluded to there that this could be a year
round thing, I mean, yeah, interest in Madison, what a
rich history the city has as well. You know, it's
funny KG. As Halloween was approaching. I'm a huge fan
of the day. It's just a lot of fun and
(03:02):
I love autumn the time of year, and I wanted
to do a topic that was kind of Halloween or
paranormal related. And I was looking around online and I
didn't see any off the bat any Madison paranormal. I'm like, what, really,
I can't believe that there was one in Milwaukee, and
then I stumbled across mad City Ghostwalk, so I was
(03:23):
very thrilled to see. So, yeah, this is an untapped resource.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Really absolutely, I'm so happy that you said that and
you found that, because I think what I bring to
this is I'm not just another tour guide. I'm a
paranormal researcher. I'm a writer. I'm an investigator. I live
and breathe this stuff, and to have that kind of
gives me an edge because I have experienced investigating the
paranormal and I'm not just you know, memorizing a script
and giving a tour. So I hope I can add
(03:48):
that element of kind of quote unquote realness to these
paranormal tours. Well, I hope you can join us.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah, well I plan to at some point here. And
the messenger is so important on whether you know you
can really relay the history and the mood and the
atmosphere way back in Madison of old days and even
currently now. Your your day job, do you work in
some sort of paranormal industry.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Or no, No, I don't. I have a day job.
I have quality assurance in the healthcare field. So I
have my day job and I have my night job,
as they like to say too. But there's a surprising
amount of overlap in both, really, and it involves a
lot of storytelling, and I'm just be excited about things
like that. So it's it's good overlap, and it's it's
a good side hustle, as I like to say.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
So now let's kind of touch on. Well, now let's
go back to what got you started in the paranormal
is as just something as a kid, I mean, do
you have do you do you believe you have psychic abilities?
I believe some people really do you know?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I don't personally feel that I have those per se.
I have definitely had a handful experiences throughout my life.
I just cannot explain with conventional laws of physics or
even the right language to articulate what happened. And it's
just that's been kind of tucked in the back of
my mind. My family's just very open about that kind
of stuff, so it was never anything that was hindered
(05:14):
or made fun of. And I've just continued on. And
I think the pandemic, unfortunately or fortunately, kind of reinstigated
my interest in going down the rabbit hole. Of all
things strange and unusual, and just the timing kind of
worked out with this gig coming up, and I thought,
you know what, I want to do this. I can
do this. I'm a toastmaster, I'm familiar with public speaking.
(05:37):
I used to be in theater and modeling, so I
just it's kind of a perfect little road has led
up to this. So now I have this opportunity to
talk about stuff I want to talk about change. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Good. Are you a Madison area native?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
No, I grew up in Reedsburg, Oh Tony, but I've
lived in Madison for about eighteen years now, so I
think it's I'm starting to say that I'm from here,
I guess at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
And as far as this ghost tour, now, is this
or this ghost walk? I should say I saw on
mad City ghost walks. If our listeners are curious about
booking a tour and finding out what's all included, just yeah,
just google mad City Ghost Tours and you'll find it
right away.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
It's called mad City.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I see one that's called the best damn Ghost Tour
in Madison, and it's what thirty five bucks? That seems
very reasonable.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Absolutely, it's a two hour, two mile walk and there's
probably probably a dozen stops or more that we make.
And I like to encourage my audience, you know, to
tell me your ghost stories, tell me experiences you've had,
ask me questions like this is a safe place to
talk about weird things. And I want to encourage that.
And I think for thirty five bucks, I mean, you
can't even get dinner for two for thirty five bucks,
(06:49):
So it's reasonable and it's fun.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah. Absolutely. And so now this obviously runs through Halloween.
Do you carry it into November or.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
We're going to I have tours up through and including
November first, but I'm talking to Scott about adding a
few more calendar dates in I think Fridays in November,
because you know, sometimes bookie season just needs to extend,
continue beyond the thirty first.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Weather dependent, of course, in Wisconsin, you don't know what
you're going to get. But we've had some mild November,
so you could.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I'm open. So tonight it's about seventy degrees. You know
this is perfect perfect weather?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yeah? Absolutely, So Now have you ever seen a ghost?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I'd like to say I've experienced a ghost, Okay, but
I want to throw that question back at you too,
It's like, how do you know you haven't seen a ghost?
They can look just like us.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I've definitely experienced some strange things, but on an intuitive level,
I knew that it wasn't something of this world, and
instead of running away from it, I ran toward it.
And here we are.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
And so you've never have you ever been truly I
mean just scared out of your wits?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Not yet. I'm open to that experience. I've been on
a lot of I've been to a lot of places.
I've been to a lot of abandoned sanatoriums. I've traveled
the country. I go to Gettysburg every year, and there's
just so many untold stories and so many just secrets
hidden in the walls of these places, and things happen
(08:17):
or thoughts that pop into your head that you just
can't explain. And I'm not afraid of it. I welcome it.
And I think the paranormal sometimes gets a bad rap,
but I find it fascinating and I find it just
to be kind of a weird science that we don't
understand yet.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, that's a good name for it, A weird science
that I'm also I'm intrigued by it, but yet very
intimidated and a tad bit frightened when you start getting
into any sort of demonic sort of discussion where I've
seen too many movies where or I won't even I
won't even have a Ouiji board in my house. It's
just that. I mean, I'm not, you know, living out
(08:51):
of fear, but it's just some some things I don't
know if I want to push my lot.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, I believe enough to be afraid.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah. Yeah, and you've seen and then again, these are
just movies. But well, once you welcome them in, good
luck getting rid of them.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
So right, Yeah, I haven't had too many ghosts follow
me home on my tours.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Okay, that's good to hear. As far as nationwide, you've
been all over the place, KG, what is your favorite
haunted place to visit? Is it right here or is
it around the country.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I'm going to have to say Gettysburg. I've friend there
probably six times. That's paranormal Disney World. You know, you're
talking about fifty thousand people died there in three days.
It's spooky, it's tragic, it's haunted. They embrace their history,
they embrace the paranormal activity there. It's it's just normal
for them, and so I enjoy kind of being around
like minded people. And they do their ghost tours twenty
(09:41):
four to seven, three hundred and sixty five days a year,
so it's very inspiring the tour guide to see that some.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Other part of that notable. New Orleans I mean always
has it with the voodoo and all that. Have you
been to New Orleans?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
I have, but I was younger and I couldn't appreciate it,
so that that's on my bucket list for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Alcatraz, Oh yeah, I'd love to Salem. No, okay, wow,
I got something on you. I was in Salem.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I know you got all man bucket list as well. Savannah,
Georgia is another one as yes, yeah, but I've been
out to Nevada. I mean there's a lot of little haunted,
old ghost towns out there. I tried to go to
some of the lesser known ones, sure, just to avoid crowds,
but also kind of had that personal connection with people
that run these places and are genuinely intrigued and sometimes.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Scared, and just the hauntings, aside are paranormal activity, just
the rich history of it all like in Salem, Massachusetts.
Obviously the sight of many horrors with Salem witch trials,
but I didn't have any sort of eerie. I didn't
really delve into a lot of that. But out and
about in the town they normally had just warlocks just
(10:48):
walking around like on a Tuesday afternoon. It's just, you know,
that's just the way it is in Salem. So the
history and all of it very cool, and we have
so much here in Madison. Now I've heard, you know
over the years, Oh, what is it a picnic point?
The witches a picnic point? Is this included on the tour?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yes, we don't go there directly, but we are close
enough on Lake Mindota at the Union where I have
probably three or four, maybe even five stories within one stop. Wow,
picnic Point is one of those too, And you'd be amazed.
It's just this two mile loop that we do. How
many stories are just in that fraction of Madison's history.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So if you can give me a little synopsis, what's
the story of witches a picnic Point?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Well, at picnic Point that used to be part of
indigenous ho Chunk land, and so there are still burial
mounds out there. There are still archaeological sites that are protected.
And one of the ho Chunk legends had said that
these witches of picnic Points would come out of the
forest and they would take their children away and eat them.
And the ways that the natives chose to kill it
(11:51):
that is that they prayed to their earthmaker goddess, and
these witches were turned into the hackberry trees that now
dot the edges of and so you can hear them
moan when the trees, you know, the trees will moan
when the wind blows, and so it's a kind of
a spooky legend too. And it's a it's a beautiful
hike even to get out there, sure, but there's definitely
(12:12):
a presence in that woods. There's something there still that
I find strange but beautiful.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Well, yeah, what is it? Spooky urban legends? The kids
are always getting it, boy, I mean, he didn't have
much longevity as a kid back during urban legend days
with witches and what have you. That's always their first victim.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
M m yeah, yep.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
And now the Edgewater in Madison, downtown Madison, I've heard
so many times about there's alleged ghosts or haunting at
the Edgewater even with the a huge remodeling project from
a few years back. Huh, that's one of your stops.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That is one of our thoughts. I don't want to
give up the ghosts too much, you know, I'd like
you to come on a tour, but I can tell
you a little bit. But you know, a lot of
these places, of these old buildings, even after they've been remodeled,
they have this presence. They have these kind of shadowy figures.
They have these cold spots that can't be explained, and
feelings of unease and doors that open on their own
and windows that rattle. And it's beyond just old architecture
(13:16):
that there's there's a story of something that may have
happened in that room and may not have ever left.
And that's where I'm going to leave you.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
If we can go back to lakewell Edgewaters right on
Lake Mendota, there's just a couple of these ghost stories.
I don't want you to give away your whole stick
or you know, the program here, because obviously we want people,
we want to keep this thing going. It's just starting out.
Mad City Ghostwalks is what it's called. And Lake Mendota,
I hadn't heard but I was doing just a little
background reading on the Mad City ghostwalks and you had
(13:49):
mentioned sightings of sea monsters on Lake Mendota. I guess
I had never heard that. Like lockness or what.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Right, right, right, we have our own little lock nest.
It was called Winnibogos. Another legend of the ho Chunk
tribe that was a thirty five foot long serpent that
had red eyes and blazing you know, blazing persona on
a flat heead and it wouldknock canoes over. And this
is way back in the late eighteen hundreds, but people
(14:14):
have seen this. Dozens and dozens of people had seen
this over the course of probably forty or fifty years.
Where did it go? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Did he get the kids?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Maybe? I don't know. Maybe that's a blended story in there,
but it's you know, you just don't know what lies
under those waters. I mean, heck, we just discovered what
ten to eleven Ho Chunk canoes. Yes, and let's root
to just last year. I mean, we were unearthing history constantly.
So to me, it doesn't seem so far fetched that
there are things going on in that lake, or that
went on or that lived in that lake that we
(14:45):
don't know about.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Have you had now this is new, but you've gone
on about how many tours now?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Oh gosh, probably seven or eight right now?
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Has anybody gotten scared that they've called it, called it
a day and said thanks so done?
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Or not that I know of, They held it together
till the end.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Because you do. There is an age limit, like this
isn't something for the kids, right, No.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
We'd like them to be eighteen year older because some
of the stories are unfortunately there's some graphic detail and
sometimes my mouth I get a little mouthy, so I
have to say adults only on this tour.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
And plus the timing of it too, because they go
about what like two hours, right.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
There are two hours and you know it's getting dark
now so early, but we are in well lit areas,
but you know as the time changes, it's going to
be dark come six o'clock at night as well.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And so as far as safety, as far as walking around,
I'm guessing that that's the main priority.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Absolutely. Yes, yes, we keep the group together. We're in
well lit areas. I haven't had any anything follow me
home that I know of.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
And you guys, this isn't like a haunted house, where
there's setups, there's jump scares hiding around somewhere. This is
just actual, factual or you know, as far as relaying
uh legend legend facts about these so called.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Events, that's correct. I'm not jumping out and scare in anybody.
I have fun on my tours and some of like
I said, some of the content might be a little
disturbing to some, but ultimately it's not anything you're probably
going to have too many nightmares about. But I can't
make any guarantees.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Well, it sounds just very into a great learning experiences.
The history in Madison obviously a very long history or
Wisconsin of course, with our Native American uh heritage and
uh which are you know a lot of your stories
go back to the days and these uh these legends
that started started by it Native Americans. But we also
(16:41):
have you know, with Camp Randall and uh boy, what
all went down there? A lot of people uh either
forget or maybe they don't know if they're younger, newer
to the area. Camp Randall wasn't just a fun stadium
to watch the Badgers, was it?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
No? And you know that's actually not one of our
stops yet. Yeah, So I'm not as up to date
on my knowledge of that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Was that.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Was that like housing for civil like.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
For that Confederate soldiers?
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeap, Yes, okay, I knew it's like back in my mind.
But we haven't stopped there yet, so you know, maybe
in the future we will go there too. But it's
it's interesting to you find out a lot of dark
history about some places. And that's what's captivating to me,
is that I want to understand the stuff that people
aren't talking about, and that's more real to me.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah, you know, it's very interesting also the history of
mafia ties here in Madison, god Milwaukee, all over the state.
Of course, you know they still do today, those Illinois
people coming into our state too. But the mafia sure
loved it as well. Have you ever been to Little Bohemia?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
No, I know of it, but I have not been
there myself.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
That's a must go for you. It's just fascinating they
still have it. The windows preserved from the bullet holes,
so many bullet holes that in the windows of this
little lodge, and all the history, the newspaper articles on
the on the walls, and.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
It's just it's got to have some ghosts.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
It's got to have some ghosts and it's a it's
a fun visit. But here in Madison, and I don't
know right around downtown for this tour if you have
any like Mafia legend stops. I was trying to think
of the bar here in Madison that is allegedly haunted
Mafia Ties, and it's.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
There is one. It's not part of our tour because
unfortunately it's closed and boarded up. And that was the Wonderbar.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
That's what I'm thinking of.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, man, so I've contacted the owner. If you're listening,
please contact me. I have reached out. I find that building.
I went in there twenty years ago before I was
really into the paranormal again. But I know it's got
a lot of stories. I think there's like an underground
tunnel and all sorts of spookiness. But unfortunately it's borted
up and I don't know the future of it. I
(18:47):
hope it's preserved or moved or something. And that's that's
what these paranormal tours are too. It's just it helps
you appreciate history and that architecture in those stories, and
just to appreciate your history and kind of where we've
come from as Madison as a whole.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Sure, well, and there has been kind of I don't
want to say lately because time slips away, this has
probably been going on the fascination. There's always been a
fascination with paranormal activities, but it seems to really gone
into the masses what over the past ten twenty years.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yes, it's not as taboo as it used to be. Yeah,
I'm happy for that.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah. So now our state capital, because do you take
a visit there? I mean, i'd imagine there's a lot,
a lot of kind of spooky stories and eerie.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
History there are. We don't go there yet, but I
do have a small story that I tell about the capital.
The southwest wing had collapsed back in the eighteen eighties
and actually six people were killed in twenty or more
were very very injured, and so there was a big
you know, there was a collapse, there was explosion, there
was death, there was emotion, and to this day they
(19:57):
think they feel that that part of the capital is
still haunted by those souls that lost their lives so unexpectedly,
And so that might be a tour in the future
as well.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Yeah, I was looking at your website some of the
coming soon tours. Of course, now we're in you know,
ghost season, so we have the ghost tour, but we're
looking at historical history tours, historical tour in Madison, Forest
Hill Cemetery, you're looking at tours as well. Yeah, there's
(20:29):
just a lot of different areas you can go with this.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yeah, Madison just has so many just amazing historical places
that we drive by every single day and you look
at that graveyard or that cemetery excuse me. And I
think Nancy's our other tour guide too, and she might
be helping with those more in the future. So there's
always a story somewhere. We just need to, you know,
find the right people and get the right permission to
(20:52):
explore those and honor those people that are buried there
because something we are looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Yeah, that's another thing. kJ is far as. I mean,
do you go into now with this tour, this ghost tour?
Do you go into these facilities I'd imagine you have to.
Is there any sort of liability issue? Do you obviously
have to get the permission beforehand or you just stop
outside and talk about him?
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Right now, we're stopping outside at all of our locations,
so it's completely outside. Maybe in the future we can
go in, but I know that there are some logistics
and liability with that, and I'm gonna let Scott handle
all that.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
That's what he's for.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
But we yep, that's what the boss is for. But
we do you know, in the future, we're open to
all of those ideas as well.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Okay, I am talking if a listeners just joining us.
I'm talking with kJ. She is a paranormal investigator with
mad City Ghost Walks. It is a new adventure that
showcases Madison and some possible urban legend stories about hauntings,
haunted buildings, some paranormal activity. I mean, it's not all
(21:55):
ghosts ghost stories here, is it, kJ? I mean, do
we have like alien sidings or stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Of course, we have an arrangement of strangeness on this tour,
primarily ghosts, but there are also some of those legends
we were talking about, some cryptids, some UFO sidings, some
Mad scientists in buildings that are somewhere on campus that
I'll talk about on my tour. So there's all sorts
(22:24):
of strangeness right now, I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
No shortage, No shortage, of no shortage.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
It's amazing. Like I was saying earlier, just how much
is in this two mile that's all. It's just a
small portion, a fraction of Madison, and how many stories
are in there as well? And some of the stories
that people on my tours have said, Hey, I know
something about this building. I've had people come out of
the buildings where I'm touring and they'll say, hey, do
you know this building's haunted? Oh boy, it's a matter
(22:54):
of fact. Yes, I'm on a ghost tour. How would
you like to take over? And so yeah, it's it's fun.
People are coming forward with their own theories and their
own stories, and that's what makes this job fun.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah. And I don't know if you said it or
earlier in our interview here or if I read it somewhere,
but you encourage audience participation if somebody has some knowledge
or or maybe a personal experience to share it.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yes, absolutely, I just hate to dragging people around that
aren't engaged. I refuse to do that. Talk to me,
ask me questions, tell me your own ghost stories. I've
had people whip out their phones and their own ghost
hunting equipment and show me stuff and that's that's what's fun,
is making it interactive and making it, I don't know,
socially acceptable.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Do you bring ghost hunting equipment on? Like, I don't
even know what the equipment is.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I don't There are apps on your phone that you
can use. I don't use those per se, but people
have come to the tour with those. I'm all for it.
So maybe that'd be something we could do in the future,
especially if we get to go in these places. Hey,
I'm open to that.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
And yeah, people take this that love this sort of thing.
They take this very seriously.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
They do, absolutely do, and I you know, I should
say they. I am one of those people too. I
have all my own equipment and gadgets and I take
that kind of stuff with me too. But I think
probably the best piece of equipment is just yourself, is
just being open and being in that space and just
allowing yourself.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
To feel and another interesting You also deal with not
hypothetical or urban legends, but obviously some factual events that
have happened, and also crime true The true true crime
genre is just out of control. I mean, it's just
every there's a new doctor series every every second dropping
(24:38):
and that's Okay, I'm intrigued by it myself. A lot
of people are. And you do talk about some of
these true crime stories here in Madison, I know we
do on our station here a little true crime podcast episode.
And one of the unsolved murders I believe you talk
about is Christine Rothschild.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
That's correct. That is one of the stops stop right
outside the apartment where she where she used to live
in the last place that she was you know, seen alive.
And so there's there are some emotional stories involved in
just being sensitive to that because there's still family and
friends of this person and that Capital City killer quote
unquote has never been caught. Yeah, and so there's mystery
(25:19):
surrounding that. But there's also you know, you have to
honor that person's memory and be sensitive to that as
well too.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah. That's that's always kind of with all the you know,
the myriad of programs and docuseries, and some of them
are you know, just so tabloidish and it's you kind
of you feel kind of, yeah, I don't know, guilty
or dirty listening to getting entertainment out of it, you
know what I mean. There's got to be a delicate
way you can preserve their memory, but yet to share
(25:48):
the story.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Absolutely, yep. And that is something I take, I take
pride in and I definitely am aware of that on
some of these stops. I'm not trying to sensationalize anything,
but just to tell a story and kind of relate
it back to the mysteries that we have in this
city and how you just you just never know what's
going on behind closed doors, and you wonder if the
walls do talk, and well, on this tour, we'll see
(26:09):
that they do.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
And like, I don't want to give away again your
whole tour because you're still taking bookings, I'm guessing just
go to Mad Cityghostwalks dot com right, and.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Yep, Mad City Ghostwalks dot com and there's I think
a link it's is our Tours or something like that.
It's pretty easy, and you look and you find the
date and my name is next to it, and most
of them start. Most of them are six to eight.
We do have a couple of weekends if you don't
want to go out in the dark, you can go
from three to five, and we have some later nights
as well that are seven.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
To nine, probably around Halloween. That's coming out. Of course
this week Halloween is on a Thursday, but Thursday is
kind of like Friday Lights, so you're probably getting a
better response than you would like on a Monday.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
I absolutely I do plan on dressing up on Halloween
as well. If that's an incentive to come on out.
Got to have a little fun, you.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Will do the people on the tour, are they encouraged
to dress up?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Yeah, that's really wonderful.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It would be a lot of fun. And and so
how many stops? You don't have to list them all off,
but you start where do you start out? How many
stops do you do?
Speaker 2 (27:10):
So we meet at the steps of a Wisconsin Masonic Center,
which is at three oh one Wisconsin Avenue, and we
walk up to the Edgewater down Fraternity Row and hang
out a little bit around Memorial Union in that area
of campus. I think in that one area quarter mile,
I probably have six stories or more altogether. I think
we have about a dozen stories that I have. And
(27:32):
then we head back up State Street. So we do
a whole loop.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And what's what's the group size limit?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I don't really have one? Okay, how do you how
do you how.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Do you keep people from maybe you know, just crashing
your tour.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Not Oh that's a good idea. No, that's not a
good I get to know everybody on my tour. I
know their names, so if someone shows up that I
don't recognize, I'll either ask if they're a ghost or
if they're not, I will politely ask them to that's
a good question. You stump me. I'm not usually stumpable.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Well, and I feel kind of silly now if I
give it. It gave anybody an idea. Well, the thing is,
we want to keep this going and hopefully we'll be
talking next year about the second annual Mad City Ghost
Walk taking place around.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
That's how I fund all my ghost hunting adventures. So
if you just crash my party, easy on you.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Is it a relatively inexpensive hoppy to have para? I'd
imagine with all that you can take it as far
as you want to go without. If you want to
get all the gadgets, I'm guessing that's pretty pricey.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
You want to get the gadgets, it's an investment. But
some of the gadgets are simple, like I said, like
an EMF detector to detect electromagnetic frequencies. You can get
that at a hardware star. You can get a digital
recorder on Amazon like they're just it's cheap and some
of the apps are free. But it's the traveling and
the spending the night. It's some of these haunted places
which I love to do. I love to suspend. Then
haunted rooms that can be expensive too, So it is
(29:03):
what you make of.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
It, all right. Well, kJ, you sound like a lot
of fun. I have no question about it. You're just
a fantastic tour guide for this Mad City Ghost Walk Again,
if you're interested, I'm sure you would love it. If
people sign up as groups.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
That a good date night, you know, go together, get
together at the office, you know, bring your co workers.
It's a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
And again, just thirty five bucks for a two hour
tour mad Cityghostwalks dot com. kJ a paranormal investigator on
the side. She knows her stuff and she'll guide you
around some of the haunting, haunted and eerie spots right
around the capitol here in downtown Madison. kJ, thanks so
much for joining me this morning.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
My pleasure. Robin, thank you You've
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Been listening to Madison for him
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