"I adore these tours. I've done them numerous times with guests and I learn something new every time. Great staff. Mercedes is fabulous!" - Zee 6/26/2010
Mercedes, owner has been a tour guide in Seattle for over ten years and has worked for The Pike Place Market, Elderhostel, and the Underground Tours. She was one of the writers of the Sub Seattle Tour along with Penny. Her family owns Watercolors Fresh Daily located in the Atrium of the Market. Her father is the 'Mayor' of Pike Place. She has researched each ghost story, relying heavily on Municipal Archives and newspaper accounts of past events. Mercedes was on Ghost Adventures in December 2010 when they visited Kells Irish Pub. She was also a guest speaker at Darkness Radio's event in Seattle in November 2010.
Her work as a researcher began in theater and film. In 2005, Mercedes and her team were nominated for a Documentary Emmy for The Perilous Fight; America's WWII In Color, a joint production between PBS and TWI. She supports public television by volunteering as talent for KCTS9. In 2009, Mercedes self published her book, Market Ghost Stories.
"I just wanted to Thank Heather and Mercedes for the great tour that we had while visiting Seattle." - Henry 11/2/2010
Heather fell in love with Seattle listening to grunge music in the 90s. For her 20th birthday her mother gave her a trip to her beloved city and she never went home. For the past 10 years she has been telling stories of her favorite city and loving every minute of it. Tragically, in 1999, her mother passed away and she started to question life after death. Since then she has done countless hours of research and has been a part of paranormal investigations in the Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. Some of the groups she has investigated with include: T.A.P.S, Ghost Adventures, F.O.G and A.G.H.O.S.T. * Penny and Heather have their own blog: Your Friends in Seattle
"Penny was great, enjoyed myself so much it will be on my "things to do when the friends and relatives come to visit!" Tell Penny we loved her energy and ability to talk!" - Kris 4/16/2010
Penny has been giving tours of Seattle for over 13 years. Before calling Seattle home she lived in Italy and Japan. Her travels fostered a love of history, culture, and oral tradition. Penny moved to Seattle to hone her gift of gab at Cornish College of the Arts where she met her husband.
She is an ordained minister specializing in Hand Fastings, a proud wife and mother, and a avid talker. Penny is excited and honored to be giving ghost tours in the iconic Pike Place Market. Her friends and family thank you in advance for giving her other people to talk to. She also has an online store with cafepress, Rain City Supply.
"Great tour which was both informative & fun! Conducted by a gentleman (Chuck) who had an uncanny resemblance to Kevin Spacey with a great sense of humour!" - Mc57 9/6/2010
Chuck has spent most of his life living in states whose postal abbreviations end in “A” (CA, LA, and WA). And though he has also lived in Hawaii and Florida, he has found his center to be on the Left Coast where he has spent the last 25 years living in LA, San Francisco, and Seattle. It was in Seattle that he discovered the rather narrow employment niche called ‘historical tourism’.
“It’s definitely had its ups and downs” he says, referring to his decade plus employment with the Smith Tower Observation Deck and then the Underground Tour. “It seems somehow appropriate,” he continues, “that now I am just like the ghosts that inhabit the Market…somewhere in between.” He has a unique wit, and loves bad puns, innuendo and the history of marginalized cultures. While he has never 'seen' a ghost, at two very important times in his life he has been visited by angels.
"A friend of mine and I did the ghost tour last weekend. Whoa! Quite the interesting experience. Congrats on having quality people like Trish!" - David 8/2011
As a child, Tricia would dress up in a little red velvet cape with gold rick rac trim and perform original plays with her brothers and sisters in her grandmother’s living room. It was the first time doing something so thrilling earned her smiles and applause and she never looked back. Tricia came to Seattle in 2001 for a 3 month theatre internship and, much to her mother’s chagrin, she never left. For the past ten years she has been acting, directing and stage-managing in the Seattle theatre scene which has given her some funny stories and unique experiences that allow her to join, support or lead any creative endeavor. Described by her sister as “pun-errific”, she has an offbeat sarcastic sense of humor and has been voted Dirtiest Female Mind by more than one of her casts, but she doesn’t put much stock in titles. Whether she’s performing the Maltese Monkey for her family or sharing ghost stories with you, she truly loves the thrill of entertaining and making people smile.
Christian (Javier) comes to the Market Ghost Tours after years as an investigator for AGHOST, a group he is President of. As a ghost hunter and a storyteller, he is excited to share his knowledge with people on the tour. This is the guy that will hide in dark places at night and his blog explains his mission (you can contribute - should you dare) http://paranormaltruthanddare.wordpress.com. Christian brings his marketing experience, personality and knowledge to the tours.
KOOK Teflon lives in a world of perpetual ruinous glamour. Growing up, KOOK was always surrounded by mediums, tarot readers, paranormal phenomena, and dream interpreters. A California Native, she tour'd with her punk band in 1999 throughout the Northwest and fell in love with the air, history and David Lynch aspect it offered her. So in 2006 she moved her family of four and two black cats to Seattle.
She is a doll-maker, photographer, mother, painter, writer, film-maker, promoter/producer/publisher, and art instructor working towards the title of "Bon Vivant" she is inspired by people and events that embody the underbelly of society including, but not limited to, the dust-bowl glamour of traveling gypsy's, decrepit structures and the dark history of the French Quarter and unacknowledged icons that she interprets in her art. You can view some of her work at her etsy store.
Guides from the 2011 season
"Christian was our tour guide, and he was fabulous. He mentioned that he caters the tours around what the group seems most interested in, so ours had a little more of a historical edge to it." - Marissa 9/20/2010
After living a variety of places overseas, Christian (Buckstar Deluxe) returned to the place he has always called home, Seattle. He comes to the Market Ghost Tour with a rich history of story telling and a love of the Variety theater. The Pike Place Market is the perfect stage. He owns Boomba Chicken a marketing business located in Seattle with clients worldwide. You can recognize Christian by his handlebar mustache and kilt.
"I thought Greg did a great job. He gave a very entertaining and informative tour." - David R. 5/30/2011
Greg was born in Hong Kong, to a family from Ballard. His Scandinavian grandfather was lost at sea, while fishing in Alaska. Greg attended Garfield High School in Seattle, alma mater to Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Lee and Quincy Jones. Always interested in art and music, Greg has been blowing glass for over 25 years and currently emcees at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. He worked at the Pilchuck Glass School for many years and exhibits his blown glass sculptures locally. Greg is also an accomplished yoga instructor with 7 years experience teaching. He owns Studio G Yoga in West Seattle.
Originally from the south, Linnea grew up surrounded by ghost stories and folklore, legends of Blackbeard, Mountain Lights, and 'those good ol' tar heel boys'. She moved to Seattle to get her BFA at Cornish, and couldn't help but fall in love with the city and its unique history. For the last five years, Linnea has been working in town as an actor, tour guide and card-carrying elevator operator.
Just a note to say it was awesome. Kathleen was great. Next time friends come to town it is the Alibi room and tour for sure." - Jeela 9/3/11
Kathleen's first trip on the Market Ghost Tour revealed two things about her new life in Seattle: The Pike Place Market would be her favorite part of the city, and giving ghost tours would be her ideal job. By day, Kathleen works as a freelance journalist and roams the Market for story ideas.