BF and I decided to do The Spirits of the Basin tour while staying at the Basin Park Hotel last weekend. This was my first time in the city and a ghost tour seemed mandatory, but it was cold enough not to want to go up to the Crescent. We bought vouchers from the lobby desk and met the rest of the tour group in the hotel lobby at 8pm. We were then led into a room off the lobby from the original cave. Our storyteller, Bobby Basinelli, and his lovely assistant started spinning the tales of the hotel in the dim cave, with the help of some period photos on a screen. Bobby was engaging with the crowd and made everyone feel comfortable. Three of us were given ghost meters to test throughout the tour, a fun touch. After the preliminary talk, we all went up to the roof, where a new widow’s walk gives a great view of the whole area and the stars are bright as street lights. The tour and the tales continued in the 7th floor Barefoot Ballroom. This is also where we were encouraged to take photos or videos with the lights off, looking for orbs or other ghostly evidence. Apparently much of the ghostly action happens on the third floor, for future reference, and there’s something odd about room 308. The tour wound it’s way back to the cave where we wrapped things up with a shot of rye whiskey(or juice for the non-drinkers). I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Mr. Basinelli is a keen historian and tells his stories well. BF and I lingered to speak with him afterward and thought he was just great, very knowledgeable about the area’s history. Did we see a ghost? I’ll never tell.