Banjo Billy’s ghost tour highlights the spooky side of Boulder
Are ghosts only part of the fictional world, or is there proof right here in Boulder that things do go bump in the night?
John Georgis, also known as Banjo Billy, knew when he started his Boulder touring business that he had to create a tour bus unique enough for Boulder. The result is an unmistakable wooden-sided shack-on-wheels. Now, in preparation for Halloween, Banjo Billy’s bus tours are offering a tour that focuses on the darker parts of Boulder history and some of Boulder’s more unique residents: ghosts.
When asked if he believes in ghosts, Georgis said, “Up to about 250 years ago, we only knew about particles. Now we know that this isn’t true and waves exist, so what makes us think that there won’t be another breakthrough?”
Every tour is different, but Georgis has some favorite spooks around town. The ghost of Clinton Dumm, a Boy Scout and alleged pedophile, supposedly haunts his old residence and the Boulder History Museum. Perhaps even the Banjo Billy Bus is haunted by a poltergeist–after equipment started failing on the bus, and Georgis went through two microphones, two mixers and an amplifier, he said he began to think that the bus itself is haunted by Dumm.
“After telling Dumm’s story five times in one night, I think I might have upset his ghost,” Georgis said. “We had a smudging (a type of s
