'Olympia History and Haunted Walking Tours' start on June 5

The JOLT's own Ira Wesley Kitmacher, who writes our popular monthly "History's Hidden Mysteries" column (as well as many published books on history and folklore), will soon be reinitiating the "Olympia History and Haunted Walking Tours" he's been leading for the last three years.

The tours will cover Olympia's historic downtown district and will take place most Fridays between June 5 and mid-October from 6-7:30 p.m.

During the tours, Ira will be discussing many of the topics he covers in his columns about the region’s, Olympia’s and Thurston County’s dark, and some say haunted past and present.

Topics include the Oregon Trail (the northern branch of which ends in Olympia), the steamboats known as the “mosquito fleet,” Puget Sound shipwrecks and “ghostships,” local shanghaiing, ghost stories, cryptids or strange creatures, murders and other mysterious tales.

If you love history, ghost stories, true crime and folklore, this walking tour is for you! Please note it’s an entirely outdoor walking tour over approximately 10 city blocks; please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.    

The tour meets at Percival Landing, between the Olympia Oyster House (320 4th Avenue W) and the iconic "Kissing Statue," by the binoculars on 4th Avenue W.

Ira leads these tours in collaboration with “Pretty Gritty Tours” of Tacoma, and a fee applies. Please click here to book tickets.