Horrifyin’ James
Freaky Foot Tours - Flagstaff's Premier Haunted Walking Tour
Meet Horrifyin’ James
Share an unexpected or eerie moment that occurred during one of your downtown Flagstaff haunted history tours, and how did you handle it while still maintaining the spooky atmosphere for your guests?
During one of my early tours, I was telling the story of the old lady in room 306 at the Monte Vista Hotel. One of my tour guests screamed. She saw a shadow in a window. It wasn’t one of the windows of room 306, I did mention that it might be a guest, since the lights were on. I continued though with a story of a family that was staying in rm 306 and that the rocking chair had moved and was rocking. The frightened family ran out of the room and went downstairs to the front desk and asked to check out. The manager accompanied the father to the room to get the family’s things.
What first sparked your interest in Flagstaff's haunted history, and how has your interest for the supernatural and paranormal influenced your work as a tour guide in downtown Flagstaff?
I have been a believer in the supernatural and paranormal since I was a kid. I have experienced multiple ghost sightings growing up in the foothills of Northern California and have had a couple of experiences here in Flagstaff at Theatrikos Theatre Company and have felt spirits’ presence in shops while shopping downtown. I thought it would be a fun experience to be a haunted tour guide and share Flagstaff’s history and the stories of encounters, historically, my own, and those of my friends and family.
What sets Freaky Foot Tours experiences apart from other experiences in Northern Arizona?
It’s a local Flagstaff Company with well researched stories of Flagstaff’s history and the stories leading up to the hauntings in the different locations that we introduce to our tour groups. The tour guides are knowledgeable and approachable.
Outside of leading tours, what are some of your hobbies and interests that contribute to your knowledge and understanding of downtown Flagstaff's haunted history and paranormal activity?
I’m an actor and musician and have performed in plays and musicals with each of the local theater companies. One of which, Theatrikos Theatre Company, is where I had my first encounter in Flagstaff with an apparition and unexplained incidences. I’m also a big history buff and have been learning about Flagstaff’s history since I moved here in 2005. As I delved into Flagstaff’s history, the stories of paranormal activity followed naturally. Sometimes those stories were included in the telling of the history.
Have you had any personal experiences with the paranormal or supernatural while leading a tour or on your own, and how do you incorporate those experiences into your downtown Flagstaff haunted history tours to create an authentic and immersive experience for your guests?
I have had many supernatural and paranormal experiences in my life. While a teen in California, after the deaths of one of my grandfathers and of an uncle, both appeared to me to tell me that they were OK and that I shouldn’t mourn for them. Once, my brother and I were playing with our Spirit Board and asked if we had any family outside of California. The Spirit Board responded yes. We then asked where and it responded Kansas. We researched it and found no family members living in Kansas. Years later when I met my future husband, I found out that he was originally from Kansas City, Kansas. Was the Spirit Board foretelling my future? Hmmm…
What are some of the best haunted locations in Flagstaff for paranormal enthusiasts, and what makes them a must-visit for anyone interested in the supernatural?
That’s a good question. I have experienced negative energy in what is now the tea shop on North San Francisco Street. I first experienced the feelings when I was visiting Flagstaff in the mid- ‘80s. To this day, I still feel the negative energy when I walk by that store front.
I’ve had an experience at the White House (another historic Babbitt property) on the campus of the old St Mary’s Catholic School which is now closed and boarded up. I felt different energies throughout the house, especially on the second floor and what was the Chapel, where I viewed an apparition.
How has Haunted Flagstaff and The Walkup Family Murders influenced your interpretation of Flagstaff's haunted past, and how do you incorporate elements from these books into your tours?
I haven’t read The Walkup Family Murders.
I recently obtained and am reading a copy of Haunted Flagstaff. I plan on including more elements in my telling of the stories at each of the locations.
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