MUSKEGON, Mich. — A 120-year-old ship in Muskegon is going to be open for Haunted Ship Tours this October.
Two out of the six decks on the SS Milwaukee Clipper will be decorated in a spooky fashion, with thrills added along the tour route.
Brock Johnson, the ship operations manager, said people on board have asked him if the ship is really haunted.
His reply? There's no clear answer.
"I've been on alone on board before and I've heard noises. I've maybe seen some things," Johnson said. "Maybe because it's late, who knows? But the ship has a soul and there's a lot of people, thousands of people who worked on the ship over the years. And I know a few people have died on board. So it's going to play into the mystery."
Johnson said years ago when the ship was docked in Chicago they took people on haunted ship tours, making it something they've been wanting to do for a long time.
"We're really going to try to give people a good time, give them a good story and kind of share the history as well," he said. "So it's a way of getting some more history from the ship, also kind of highlighting the spooky, dark side of things that people don't normally see."
The tours are a half-hour long and will run every Friday and Saturday in October from 8 to 11 p.m., ending on Oct. 25.
Tickets are $20 each and are only available online here or by phone at (231) 299-0784.
On Oct. 26, there will be a Monster Mash Dance from 8 to 11 p.m. complete with a costume party, a 50/50 raffle, food and other activities.
Johnson said normally tickets to the dance are $10. However, if you purchased a ticket to a Haunted Ship Tour, you get a discounted rate.
To get this discounted rate, he said do not purchase tickets to the dance online.
Instead, Johnson said you must show your Haunted Ship Tour ticket at the door to the dance. Then, you'll only be asked to pay $5 per ticket.
Normal tours of the ship will still run through September.
"I urge people if you haven't taken a tour, to come down on Saturdays and Sundays in September, when we're still doing tours, learn more about the ship," Johnson said. "And also come down for our haunted ship tours, because it's going to definitely be an adventure."