Gabriel Newman stands outside the O'Keefe Ranch.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED: Historic O'Keefe Ranch
July 11, 2023 - 7:30 AM
History buffs, paranormal explorers and anyone who loves a good spooky story may want to join a summer ghost tour at Vernon's Historic O’Keefe Ranch.
Led by Gabriel Newman, the ranch and cemetery tours showcase the mysterious history of the over 150-year-old ranch and are suitable for ages nine to 99.
“The scariness is driven by people’s own imaginations and investment in the paranormal,” Newman said. “There are no jump scares or people coming out in costume. It’s great because people learn stuff and sometimes get goosebumps.”
Newman, who has a background in theatre, has been taking guests through the old ranch buildings telling spooky stories for two decades and he also does separate tours through Vernon’s downtown. The pandemic shut down some of his tours in the past couple of years and he’s glad to be at it full time again.
“It’s a fun treat and privilege to be out telling stories and scaring a new generation,” he said. “We tend to remember more when a story grabs us and gives us an appreciation for where we live or visit.”
Newman created the tours for people like himself who are skeptical about the paranormal.
“I’m not there to convince you there are ghosts in those buildings, but maybe my stories will think ‘if I did believe in ghosts, that building would be haunted.'"
Guests are led through the historic buildings and through a cemetery while listening to ghost stories. Newman said you need to bring a willingness to listen, learn and laugh, and maybe some water and comfortable shoes for walking.
“Being able to tell a story while walking through that place is so interesting and rare,” he said. “You can see if your story is working and watch as people respond to different things and laugh at different places.”
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Newman credits community support for his long story telling run in the city. He said he has repeat visitors who bring family and friends along which means a lot to him.
“I admit I’m struggling with the fact I run into adults who bring their own kids because they remember the tours as kids, and while that’s flattering, my own mortality takes a small blow," he said. "I run into people that say they come to the Okanagan every year and my tour is part of their tradition.”
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Ghost Tours of O’Keefe Ranch run Wednesday evenings at 8 p.m. at 9380 Hwy 97N.
The first tour kicked off on July 5 and it was a full house. He said spots are filling up fast for the month but he will extend the tours if space runs out. Newman said he’s never cancelled a tour and has run them through blackouts, thunderstorms and during eclipses.
Go here to book a ghost tour at Historic O’Keefe Ranch.
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