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By NATHAN HOWELL | Staff Writer

HELENA – Those interested in the paranormal or history will have an opportunity to learn more about the haunted history of Old Town Helena during a ghost hunt and paranormal investigation tour on Aug. 6.

The event is hosted by Southern Ghost Girls tours and Paranormal Investigations led by Lesley Ann Hyde, who has appeared on various TV programs as a medium and psychic.

“Old Town Helena just turned out to be the perfect place for a tour like this,” Hyde said. “It really has a spooky vibe to it. I have heard that from a lot of people in the area too. Those buildings are really old so there is bound to be some history to them.”

The tours have a unique flair, in that Hyde and her crew will dress in Victorian and Edwardian-era regalia while leading participants on the tours and investigations.

This particular tour will be the first-ever interactive ghost hunt and investigation in Old Town Helena. It will explore the history of Oversoul Brewing and Goodfellas.

According to Hyde, Oversoul Brewing is situated where the city’s old jail was located, and Goodfellas was an old market and butcher location in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Hyde will use her experience as a medium, with assistance from her team of paranormal investigators, to lead guests on an interactive investigation. They will use their state-of-the-art equipment to try and uncover some of the area’s mysteries.

Guests at the event will break up into groups and explore these locations. The team will have some of the best equipment including things like electromagnetic field detectors and dousing rods.

The hunt also serves as a way to get people out in their community to learn more about the history of the area.

“I feel history is so important,” Hyde explained. “We need to preserve it in our high-tech world. This hunt gets people out to do something fun in a very family-friendly way.”

Hyde emphasized that the hunt was appropriate for people of any age. She also said it would be a safe space for people unsure of participating in these types of events.

“We are so outgoing, welcoming and friendly on these hunts,” she said. “We really just want to interact with everyone and make them feel as comfortable as possible.”

A reservation for the tour runs $40. Those interested in participating can purchase admission and get more information at Southernghostgirls.com.