Above left: Michael Henry welcomes his guests at the start of a ghost tour throughout historic downtown St. Charles. Above right: St. Charles Ghost Tour participants take pictures of some of the historic buildings in downtown St. Charles at the start of their tour. The entire tour happens outdoors with guests visiting two former cemeteries in the downtown area. Michael says he considers his role to be equal parts historian, performer and teacher on the tours. He encourages guests to bring any ghost hunting equipment they have and to take plenty of pictures. " If we get two or three people who are really into it, it can make for a cool tour, " he says. " They want all the information; they just eat it up. " He says his tours draw in a wide range of guests, from those all in on paranormal activity to those who have a slightly more skeptical view. " Some people claim that everything is paranormal and they are just as wrong as the people who deny everything, " he says. " I'm not here to convince you of anything. I'll present the information and let you draw your own conclusions. " For more information on St. Charles Ghost Tours, call 314-374-6102 or visit www.stcharlesghosts.com. Below right: One of the first stops on the ghost tour is to the former site of the gallows in St. Charles. Guests are given time to walk around, take pictures and observe the area. OCTOBER 2021 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP XXhttp://www.stcharlesghosts.com http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP