Getting off the cruise ships downtown, the first thing many visitors see is the iconic “Welcome to Ketchikan” sign on Mission Street. Some locals say if you look closely at the sign, there’s a bit more to it.
Decades ago, there’s rumored to have been such a bad storm in Ketchikan that it warped and transformed the sign into a menacing, frowning face that indicates bad luck. Joe Kovac, a local attorney who moonlights as a paranormal tour guide, explained the history of the sign during one of the first tours of the season. He wore a top hat, suit jacket, and white contacts.
“People kind of keep an eye on the sign to make sure it’s happy,” Kovac said. “It sure looks happy today, but if you see it contort into some kind of frown, maybe best run.”
With a microphone and a reference book, he led a small group in a loop downtown.
Kovac pointed out local restaurants and businesses like Tongass Outfitters, which he said has long had reports of spiritual activity, and the Gilmore Hotel, where furniture has supposedly talked to guests. But a big part of the tour is about true pieces of Ketchikan history. The paranormal parts are, in a lot of the stories, how that history is rumored to survive today. American Ghost Walks, a Milwaukee-based tour company that recently expanded to Southeast Alaska, combines the town’s history with the paranormal.
As the tour group walked down Creek Street, Kovac shared stories of the famous Red Light District. He pointed to the former house of Beatrice Greene, a woman who ran a prostitution business on Creek Street even after it was outlawed in the 1950s. He said the people who live in the house now think there’s still a piece of her there.
“They’ve dealt with her playful spirit for over 20 years,” Kovac said. “They say she just does small things like hiding objects, moving objects, turning lights and televisions on and off and such, so just playful stuff. They enjoy having her.”
This is Kovac’s first season as a tour guide for American Ghost Walks. He has lived in Ketchikan for over a decade. He has an interest in the supernatural, but said it’s not much more than that.
“I don’t really believe in it,” Kovac said. “I’m a skeptic. However, I’ve had some instances in my life that really make me wonder.”
Allison Jornlin is the company’s tour developer — or, as she says, a professional weirdo. She thinks it doesn’t really matter if you believe in ghosts or not.
“These are sacred stories that need to be continued,” Jornlin said. “Yes, it’s a fun tour. It’s haunted history. You get the history, but then you also get all the local stories that we can find.”
American Ghost Walks has a tour in Juneau, which started last year. There are tours across the country and even in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Jornlin says learning the stories of these towns is a lot of work — she spent most of last summer researching and writing for Ketchikan’s tour. She looked around online, went through old issues of the Ketchikan Daily News, talked with locals, and spent a lot of time at the library.
American Ghost Walks has a tour in Juneau, which started last year. There are tours across in states the country and even in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Jornlin said learning the stories of these towns is a lot of work — she spent most of last summer researching and writing for Ketchikan’s tour. She looked around online, went through old issues of the Ketchikan Daily News, talked with locals, and spent a lot of time at the library.
Jornlin said there are many towns that have rich histories and their own paranormal stories — some are just more famous than others. She wants visitors to see that.
“I want to keep these stories alive for other places that have incredible untold stories that could bring a little bit more understanding to people who generally just come here and get a very surface view of the destination,” Jornlin said.
Like many tourism companies that operate locally, American Ghost Walks has partnerships with cruise lines to increase traffic. But Jornlin thinks locals will enjoy it, too.
Tickets are available online and start at around $30.
