Horsefly History Tours

01/25/2025

Hey gals! Come join us for a beautiful evening of wine and history! You’ll hear some colorful Wild West history while sipping on local wine and supporting small businesses!

01/13/2025

I’m so thrilled to have acquired a coin from The Bijou! It was located on the 700 block of Main (I believe Switchback today) in the 1890’s. I love these little treasures from the Old West. Imagine the pockets it’s been in and what the world was like when it was used! A little tangible piece of the past.

01/01/2025

It’s going to be a wild ride!!

12/19/2024

In the last few months, Durango lost some talented historians I truly admired. Both believed in Horsefly History Tours and were generous with their knowledge and research. Kathy Szelag provided a tremendous amount of financial support to the Animas Museum. She was a constant figure on the Durango History page. She was ready to research a topic at a moment’s notice. She really enjoyed digging into the “darker” side of Durango’s history. Duane was a legend. My mom had his Colorado history book from the 1970s! He taught history at Fort Lewis for over 50 years! He welcomed me with open arms when I was just starting the tour business. He was the one who told me to stop calling myself a tour guide and start calling myself a historian! He provided me with oral histories he took decades ago. Without Duane, Durango wouldn’t have a record of much of its history. Thank you Duane and Kathy. You both inspired me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. You will both be missed. https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/duane-smith-local-historian-and-former-fort-lewis-college-professor-dies-at-87/

12/19/2024

Next time you are in Santa Fe you MUST stop into San Miguel Chapel! My feisty and beautiful mom works there as a docent. It’s the OLDEST church in America! It’s a fascinating place with layers upon layers of history. They’ve excavated the layers of foundation down to when it was a Native American dwelling. One of the beams was carved in the 1700s. It’s the kind of place where your imagination runs wild and the energy from centuries of prayer spills from the walls. Of course, the first thing I wanted to know was if it was haunted. How could it NOT be?? The parking lot was built on a cemetery. But no ghost stories…yet.

12/03/2024

The weather is beautiful this weekend, so we are offering the Quick & Dirty History Tour at 2 pm on both Sat and Sun. Join us for a stroll on Main Avenue and learn about the early history of Durango! Did you know there was a hanging tree just off Main? Trust me, you will see Durango in a whole new light. Come on out while the weather is nice! Tickets are available at horseflyhistory.com

11/17/2024

Huge thank you to Kit, Sarah, and John for all your incredible hard work this season! 🤠 Each of you brings something special to Horsefly, and we are beyond lucky to have you on the team. Your dedication and passion make all the difference; we couldn’t do it without you! The butterflies are no joke, but it takes real rockstars to push through and deliver an unforgettable experience. 🙌💪 Thank you for everything you do!

10/31/2024

There’s still time! Our 8pm ghost tour still has space! Dress warm and bring a hot chocolate! Tickets at: Horseflyhistory.com

10/29/2024

This is it! There’s a chill in the air and the spirits are just behind the veil. So close, they might just reach out and touch you! Last chance of the season to hear true ghost stories and see REAL ghost photos taken locally. Happy Halloween!!

10/26/2024

For the love of god Coloradoans, vote “YES” on prop 127 to end lion hunting! You’ll notice a mountain lion in the Horsefly logo. That’s because I used to radio-collar them in Wyoming. I was one of a two-person team. We did all the same things as lion hunters, except we tagged them instead of killing them. I’ve witnessed firsthand the hunting and trapping of these magnificent creatures, and it’s a horrific practice. Large cats regulate their own populations and hunt the weak ungulates. This one is a no-brainer.

10/26/2024

What a fun BOOze & Bites tour last night! I wish I had taken more pics! Drinks, great food, and history! And my dear friend from high school joined us! This is a tour you’ll definitely want to bring friends and family on!

10/18/2024

Had the immense pleasure of getting to know Dr. Ali. What an inspiration. You know the saying, “behind every great man is an even greater woman!” Or something like that! 😉🥊💥🤠

10/16/2024

Last week, I had the thrilling experience of giving private tours to some truly fascinating people! On Saturday, the Legends on the Animas Pro Boxing Title Event was in town! The Good Fight Boxing Gym asked me to do tours for some of the fighters, promoters, and sponsors. I was tasked with talking about the history of the train to none other than Al Harper, the owner of the train! Thankfully, he was incredibly gracious and validated everything I shared. What a relief!

To make it even more memorable, I also had the honor of guiding Dr. Khalilah Ali, the former wife of Muhammad Ali. She is such a vibrant and captivating woman! While we were in the haunted tunnel, I swear she saw a shadow figure—two others witnessed it too!

I was joined by some amazing individuals: Jeremy Ramos, Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez, Andrew “Durango Kid” Flamm (the nicest guy ever!), Mike Dempsey (who met Jack Dempsey as a child!), Mike Cooley (Muhammad Ali’s bodyguard), and many others. It was an exhilarating whirlwind of an experience that I will never forget! 🥊💥🤯

10/15/2024

Check out the video from last year! We are down to the last tickets! This is a one time chance to see these old basements AND support our school district at the same time!

Many thanks to all of our attendees and sponsors for Durango Education Foundation's first ever Spirits with the Spectres fundraising event! We'd like to giv...

10/15/2024

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/durango-education-foundation-hosts-haunted-fundraiser/

The Durango Education Foundation's & Horsefly History Tours 2nd Annual Spirits with the Spectres is coming up THIS Saturday, October 19th at the Strater Hotel and we couldn't be more excited! Because last year's event sold out, we doubled the size this year and we're very close to being sold out again. We were featured in The Herald this morning. Check it out!

For anyone who has lived in Durango a while, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that this place is haunted – to the gills. Like any other place, this town has seen its share of people who have died v...

10/04/2024

October is many things. The first full month of Autumn, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Halloween, and many other special dates. For the third year, our officers have the option to purchase and wear special pink patches in recognition of one more important part of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These patches aren't just for our officers though. They are sold through a local non-profit for $10 each and all proceeds go to the Cancer Support Community of Southwest Colorado.

If you'd like to support this wonderful cause, you too may buy one of these awesome patches. They are backed with hook & loop material and can be stuck on a backpack or your favorite jacket. But wearing one doesn't let you arrest anybody (sorry!).

If you see our officers out in pink, please say hi. We'd love to tell you what these patches mean to us. If you'd like to purchase your own, please visit https://durangopatches.square.site. Patches can be picked up in person or mailed.

10/01/2024

You may have wondered why groups of people are wearing glow necklaces downtown! That’s because they are on our Hauntings & History Ghost Tour! We are the only tour that takes people into a haunted 1890s tunnel. Hear TRUE ghost stories and accurate history. Check out our reviews on Google and TripAdvisor. If you’re on the tour with the glow necklaces, then you’re on the right tour!