“Nobody's down here except for us ghost people and the hotel staff. And some of the hotel staff in the past wouldn't come down here by themselves. Things happen in here. Things have happened to me.”

– Kate, Ghost Tour Guide at the Bullock Hotel, Deadwood

 

Tales of the Wild West and lawless frontiers are ingrained in American culture - and in Deadwood, the discovery of riches in the southern Black Hills in 1874 kicked off one of the largest gold rushes in America. Not long after, Deadwood became a rough-and-ready boomtown that steadily lured bands of outlaws, gamblers, and gunslingers.

Join us as we mosey down Deadwood’s streets in search of famed tales and legendary residents from this wild frontier. We begin our adventure in Saloon No 10, where we join a local gunslinger (or an actor who plays a gunslinger - in daily gunfights in the streets of Deadwood) for a game of poker at the table where Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead.

 

We then head down into the dark basement bar of the Bullock Hotel chasing ghosts and getting well and truly spooked.

 

Lastly, we end up, as many locals have ended up, at Moriah Cemetery. There we make the pilgrimage to Wild Bill’s grave where visitors have left flowers, bullets, and small bottles of Jack Daniels.

 

Through it all, we discover that Deadwood is truly alive. Well, besides the ghosts. It’s a place where the wild west spirit lives on. You can feel it – and the former coarse and cavorting town is now a lot less rough, but just as much fun.

 

-       Brian Thacker, presenter

 

Thank you to everyone who featured on this show:

 

-       Andy Mosher, Deadwood Alive

 

-       Kate McGraw, Bullock Hotel Ghost tours

 

We’d like to thank our gunslinging Andy Mosher and our ghostly guide Kate McGraw who gave us their time and stories.

 

Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it’s like to be there; it’s designed to let you feel what it’s like for real.

 

Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.

 

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