Experience Galena's Original and
#1 Rated Ghost Tour
Locally Owned and Operated for over 20 Years!
Conference Presentations
PANEL DISCUSSION
Panel Discussion hosted by Scott Markus. More information coming soon regarding topic and line up.
The panel will include many of our Saturday speakers so you can get to know them better!
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THE TALE OF TWO MCCARTYS
Ted Williams and Robyn Davis
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Galena history is filled with true crimes and two of our favorites don't just rhyme, they share the same Irish surname...McCarty. The first is a tale of an Irishman who loses his life in a altercation with a local blacksmith and dies on his wedding night. The second is a tale of another Irishman entrapped in addiction, who one drunk evening decides to kill his long suffering wife, but is soon captured and imprisoned. He dies in jail in a most grizzly manner. Both of these deaths were extremely well-documented by the local newspapers of the day and have spawned ghosts that haunt their respective locations. The ghost stories of today and documented history of the past combine to tell stories far more involved and complex than a simple ghost tour can deliver. Take a deep breath and get ready for A Tale of Two McCartys.​​​
THE MAN FROM BEYOND: HOUDINI AND THE SPIRIT WORLD
Troy Taylor
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In the early twentieth century, magician and escape artist Harry Houdini was one of the most famous men in the world. He was known for cheating death with his dangerous stunts and seemingly impossible escapes, but privately he was driven by the need to contact the spirit of his late mother. Spiritualism - a movement that began decades earlier as a means for the dead to speak to the living - was all the rage and Houdini sought out mediums who he hoped would allow him to talk to her one last time. He had always believed in the possibility of communicating with the dead and even had a pact with his wife, friends and fellow magicians that if he died first, he would contact them if possible. But when Houdini began visiting spirit mediums, he found one fraud after another and began seeking revenge.
Author Troy Taylor presents the thrilling story of Houdini and his crusade to destroy Spiritualism, while he never abandoned the idea that communicating with the dead was possible. You'll hear about his brushes with the spirit world, his battle with one of America's most famous mediums, and the seances started by his wife to reach him in the beyond. On Halloween 1926, the curtain clised for the final time, or did it?
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ECHOES THROUGH THE VEIL
Sherri Brake
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Have you walked these roads before? Deja Vu, strange dreams and sudden connections may be whispers from another lifetime. Could echos of who you once were still be guiding you today? Join author and paranormal researcher Sherri Brake for this program focussing on the fascinating subject of past lives. What are the signs that you've had one? Can it influence your career, relationships, musical tastes and hobbies? Step into the mystery as we uncover chilling stories and eerie signs of past lives, alongside real cases that leave even skeptics questioning the veil between lives.
EERIE TALES OF GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS
Kathi Kresol
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Galena is not the only location in Northern Illinois that is haunted. Join Author and Historian, Kathi Kresol as she shares some of her favorite stories that she has collected while researching hauntings in the region. In her presentation, Kathi will take you on a personal tour through the most haunted spots in the region, sharing personal experiences with local legends of vengeful spirits, haunted cemeteries and frightening encounters with the other side.
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THE STRANGE CASES OF PSYCHIC DETECTIVE ARTHUR PRICE ROBERTS
Tea Krulos
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From 1895-1940, a mysterious Welshman named Arthur Price Roberts ran a psychic consultation business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Newspapers loved to write about his cases finding missing persons, identifying criminals, and making stock market predictions. One of his most legendary cases was predicting an 8-day series of bombings in Milwaukee in 1935. Reporting on him was mixed - some press seemed to be genuinely impressed with his ability, others painted him as an eccentric character who was arrested at least three times for "fortune telling." We'll take a look at some of the intriguing cases investigated by a truly colorful character. ​
GUARDIANS OF THE UNDERWORLD: PHANTOM BLACK DOG & HELLHOUND LEGENDS IN AMERICA
Kevin Lee Nelson
While some people may be familiar with legends of phantom black dogs and hellhounds in the British Isles, people may be surprised to learn that similar legends can be found throughout America. This presentation explores the legends and folklore of spectral canines in New England, Appalachia, the Deep South, the Great Lakes and Midwest, and the West Coast. Learn about Maryland's Snarly Yow, North Carolina's Demon-Hound of Valle Crucis, Wisconsin's Hellhounds of Meridean Island, Iowa's Black Dog of 13 Steps Cemetery, and many more. From fearful old mountain legends, to Delta Blues soul collectors, to bad omens in trucker's lore, discover how phantom black dogs and hellhounds have played an important role in American folklore continuing to the present day.
HAUNTED QUARTERS
We end the day, Saturday, with our popular quarters auction! Bring a roll of quarters and bid on amazing spooky items donated by our speakers, our vendors, and local Galena businesses. Win great prizes!!! This was a new event last year and everyone LOVED IT!!! (Can't bring a roll of quarters...we will have them available for purchase at the auction!)