Missoula Downtown Gets Its Ghost On

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The darker side of Missoula's past is taking center stage this month as the Downtown Missoula Partnership brings back its popular Unseen Missoula: Screams & Spirits Tours for a third consecutive year.

The Unseen Missoula Tours are a little creepy, but intensely interesting through the summer months, giving residents and visitors a "deep" look into Missoula's past.

But there's a little extra "boo" involved in the Halloween version of the tours, as guides give you a look at the Missoula that seems worlds away from 2026.

Offered at dusk on select weekends from Thursday through Sunday throughout October, the 90-minute outdoor walking tour invites participants to explore forgotten chapters of local history under the autumn evening sky. Local guides lead groups through downtown streets, uncovering tales of scandal, early crime, eerie landmarks, and long-abandoned cemeteries that shaped the community's frontier beginnings.

The guided route begins at the intersection of Higgins Avenue and Front Street, winding past sites of local legends before wrapping up in the heart of Missoula’s historic red-light district at Cranky Sam Public House on West Main Street. There, guests are introduced to the story of the venue’s legendary "Hidden Lady."

Downtown Missoula Partnership Executive Director Linda McCarthy described the seasonal tour as an inside look into what shaped the city, blending documented local history, regional folklore, and ghost stories. Because the program runs exclusively during October, organizers note that dates fill up quickly.

The tours are fully ADA-accessible, and tickets are priced at $25 per person. Reservations and schedule details are available through Unseen Missoula.

The program is presented by the Downtown Missoula Partnership in collaboration with the University of Montana History Department, Cranky Sam Public House, First Interstate Bank, and several local business sponsors.