FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 19, 2010 Silver City Ghost Town to Host Annual Halloween Lantern Light Tours The historic Silver City Ghost Town in Bodfish will once again host special Halloween lantern light tours of what has been called one of the most haunted sites in America. The tours will be held on Friday Oct.29th, Sat. the 30th & Halloween evening October 31st, 2010. These annual lantern light events explore the legends and eerie past of the Kern Valley and the historic buildings found at Silver City Ghost Town. The town site is listed in “Haunted Places: The National Directory” and was featured on The History Channel’s, “This Week in History”. Biography Channel’s (BioHD) new series “My Ghost Story” featured Silver City in August of this year. The producers of the series, considered decades of evidence going back to the 1960’s before making the decision to use Silver City for a segment on the show. Encore presentations of the show have been shown several times on BioHD or can be downloaded on demand online at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ silvercityghosttown The site is also listed #6 in the list of This Old House Online’s 15 most haunted sites in the United States. The Apalatea-Burlando house (see photo), which is located at Silver City, is listed just below The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose (#4) and The Whaley House in San Diego which is ranked #5. The Lantern light tours will begin precisely at 7:13 PM each of the three evenings guided by museum docent J. Paul Corlew, (owner and curator) of Silver City Ghost Town. In addition a second tour will be offered at 8:30 PM each night. The tours will focus on the colorful history and spooky legends surrounding the buildings found at the town site. This year, in addition to the guided tours nationally known paranormal researchers will be conducting live investigations each of the three nights. They will be sharing their techniques and any evidence they find with the public. Altamont Paranormal is scheduled for Oct. 29th. The group recently investigated the alleged haunting of the USS Hornet. On Oct. 30th Paranormal Movement Investigations of Porterville are on slate. They are well respected in the field and are TAPs affiliates. Halloween night, Planet Paranormal from Southern California is scheduled to be onsite conducting their investigation. Their video footage from the Queen Mary investigation was recently used on Bio’s “My Ghost Story”. In the last four decades the Ghost Town has been the location of numerous alleged sightings of ghostly apparitions by visitors and staff alike. In past years Silver City has also been investigated by several other paranormal groups who reportedly captured evidence of poltergeists and other phenomena. This will mark the first time that nationally known researchers will be doing investigations with members of the public in attendance. “I think it will be very exciting for those in attendance to see pros at work and we are honored to have such noted paranormal investigators on site”, said Silver City’s J. Paul Corlew. According to those who have seen them, hundreds of photos taken over the years show balls of light, often called orbs that many believe are evidence of spirits at the Ghost Town. This phenomenon occurs most often inside of the old Isabella jail and occasionally the church (from Scovern Hot Springs) and the Appalatea- Burlando house according to Corlew. "I have taken many, many photos myself that show these luminosities and visitors often report them as well. Some even appear to have faces in them. There are many theories about what they are, from angels to magnetic fields to spirits from a bygone era”, said Corlew. Other photos show ghostly looking apparitions including what appears to be a Victorian dressed girl (see photo below) at the entrance of the jail behind a young visitor, and faces in various windows and mirrors on site. To see other photos go to Silver City’s website (link below). Corlew, a local historian, has lived on the Ghost Town property for 22 years. Once a skeptic regarding the alleged paranormal activity, he says he has personally witnessed several events that cannot be rationally explained. On one occasion he says that he and two visitors witnessed a heavy miner’s lunch pail fly across a room and land at a ladies feet. “Once you see something like that you be come a believer real quick”, said Corlew. During the lantern light tours he will recount many eerie legends of the valley and focus on the numerous controversial paranormal events and sightings which have reportedly occurred at Silver City itself. Tickets for the tours will go on sale at 7.00 and 8:15 each evening. The cost is $12.00 per person (all ages). All proceeds generated from the event will be utilized in the continued preservation and renovation of some of the Kern Valley’s most historic buildings located at Silver City. At the town site are buildings from Keyesville, Miracle, Claraville, Old Isabella, South Fork, Whiskey Flat, Hot Springs and other important Kern Valley frontier towns. The most famous of these is the circa 1860’s Apalatea/Burlando house where much of the reported poltergeist activity has occurred over the years according to many witnesses. This is the building where local television reporter Kurt Rivera and a television news crew reported hearing strange knocks and other sounds during their overnight stay in 2002. In addition the crew caught what Rivera described as “very unusual” phenomena on video which could not be explained. This is an adult oriented historic tour though children are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Corlew, along with members of re-enactor group “The Tombstone Law Dawgs”, will be dressed in period 1880’s attire, and will personally guide visitors for this special event. “Where else can you learn about local legends, history, be part of a paranormal investigation and possibly see a real spirit Halloween week?” Visitors are reminded to wear warm clothing, regardless of the temperature outside. “There will be no doubt be a chill in the air”, says Corlew with a mysterious smile. To reprise: Tickets will go on sale at 7:00 and 8:15 each night at Silver City. The first tours will begin precisely at 7:13 PM. A second tour will be offered each night at 8:30 PM. The tour(s) will last approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. Tickets are available on site each night of the event and are also available in advance using PayPal. Phone 760-379-5146 or email for more information. The Ghost Town is located at 3829 Lake Isabella Blvd. in Bodfish. Silver City is open weekends only 10am-4pm September 15th through May 14th. It is open 7 days per week 10am-4pm, 5pm weekends, May 15th through September 14th. General admission (self-guided tours) is $4.50 adults, $3.50 kids 6 to 12, kids 5 and under free when accompanied by a paid adult). For more information phone 760-379-5146 or email [email protected] To check out videos shot on location including “My Ghost Story” go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/silvercityghosttown Check out This Old House online at: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,1551301_1227288,00.html J. Paul Corlew Silver City Ghost Town 3829 Lake Isabella Blvd. Bodfish, CA 93205 Ph: 760-379-5146 email: [email protected] .