You Can Hear Ghost Stories by Lantern Light at This Oklahoma Ranch

If you grew up in Oklahoma, you probably have at least one ghost story to tell about your hometown.

I would assume most Sooner State towns have at least one Crybaby Bridge... I know my hometown did, or does? Not sure how to put that. We also had a local legend about Bigfoot, a super-haunted ancient Native American site, and huge catfish the size of Volkswagen Beetles below our local dam.

Every town around the state probably has something similar to at least one of those, but some places go above and beyond with the heebie-jeebies.

Here's a story about Pawnee Bill Ranch, one of the best spots to visit this time of year.

The ranch dates back to the early 1900s when an entertainer named Gordon William “Pawnee Bill” Lillie put his roots down. If you're not familiar with the legend, he had one of those traveling Wild West shows and spent his life telling tall tales and stories about the frontier.

Skip to today, the Oklahoma Historical Society keeps that legacy alive at a museum named in his honor. It's really interesting. The old house and barns are still there, but it's the collection of Western memorabilia that is the draw. To top it off, every October, they go hard into the Spooky Season... 

The ranch hosts “Ghost Stories Tours,” where you're invited to walk the grounds with dim lanterns and listen to some chilling tales from Oklahoma’s past.

It’s not the jump-scare kind of haunted experience. Nobody is dressed up waiting on you to hit a mark and cue chainsaws or anything like that, it's more like quietly letting your imagination run wild in the still of the night. You’ll hear about restless spirits and ghosts there on the prairie and Native American legends. You might even see the mysterious lights. 

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it's creepy in the most fantastic way. The house creaks seem a little louder in the silence, the shadows seem darker, and you start to get that uneasy feeling in your bones. 

Tons of Fun For Everyone

Whether you love Oklahoma history or just love the spirit of Halloween, this event is for you. It’s also really family-friendly. Believe me, the kids will probably get scared, but not enough to keep them up the whole night. It's a good experience.

The tours usually sell out, so it’s worth checking the Oklahoma Historical Society’s calendar for any open dates.