Denison, Texas – Historian and author Natalie Bauman is inviting residents and visitors to explore the city’s spooky past with a series of guided ghost tours. The tours, scheduled for Friday and Saturday night this week and a final outing on Oct. 30, will travel through downtown Denison’s most storied locations, beginning at Heritage Park and ending at the depot.
Why Denison is called a haunted town
Bauman, who has written eight books of ghost stories, says Denison’s history is steeped in unexplained phenomena. “It’s so haunted around here that I’ve done eight ghost story books like these and I haven’t even cracked the surface of it yet,” she told KXII. She points to the Rialto Theater as the city’s most haunted building, noting that “there’s just so many specters in the Rialto Theater that you just can’t describe them all.”
Spirits at the Rialto
According to Bauman, the Rialto’s basement has been the site of a man who was scratched on the arm, prompting her warning, “If I were you, I wouldn’t hang around down in the basement much.” Other reported manifestations include music playing on its own, curtains moving without a breeze, and ghostly presences lingering in dressing rooms. She also recounted a tragic incident in which a woman fell from the balcony and another who ran into traffic after an argument with her boyfriend.
Other haunted landmarks
The historic Hotel Denison, a 102‑year‑old building, is another focal point of Bauman’s tours. She also highlights the 100‑block near the old depot and the 300‑block of Main Street, an area where fires destroyed several structures in the 19th century. “Many early residents practiced spiritualism, and some left town in the middle of the night because they opened up like gateways into portals into the underworld,” Bauman explained.
Tour details
Each tour will run about two and a half hours, covering Heritage Park, the Barrett building, the Main Street Mall (where Bauman’s haunted history books are sold), and the depot. Tickets are available through the link provided in the original announcement.
Balancing light and darkness
Bauman emphasizes that her storytelling distinguishes between benevolent and malevolent spirits. “There’s light and darkness in everything, and I bring that out in the haunting stories too, that you don’t have to be afraid of ghosts as long as you know you’re living in the light and the darkness can’t get you,” she said.
For families, history buffs, and anyone curious about Denison’s eerie past, the tours offer a chance to learn about the city’s founding era, its 19th‑century spiritualist community, and the lingering legends that continue to shape local folklore.
Original reporting: KXII News 12 (Gray) — read the source article.
