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Ghost investigator Amber Tindall is prepared with the tools of her trade. She holds up a set of two copper L-shaped dowsing rods. “Their original purpose was to find water sources,” she says. “This is probably one of the oldest forms of ghost tools that have been used through probably a good hundred years.” Next, she demonstrates a small, triangular-shaped motion detector with green and red lights. “We use that sometimes to communicate yes and no answers,” she explains. It can also detect if there’s motion when placed in a separate room. “You can hear it beeping if something’s messing with it,” she says.
The black handheld K-II meters are about the size of a remote control with a rainbow-like light display that picks up fluctuations within an area’s electromagnetic field (EMF). “They can pick up electrical devices such as cell phones and power outlets. If you start getting a spike on them, you want to make sure that you're not next to something that could be interfering with the signal,” she cautions. And if you’re away from any possible interference? “Then usually you're probably picking up a spirit,” she says.
Amber says she has “a pretty deep background of ghost investigating.” Her interest began in her teens, and she started getting more serious in her 20s.
She is the owner of Bryan Ghost Walk and started leading tours in the spring of 2021. “I had always thought that there was more to downtown Bryan and decided to do a little more digging,” she says.
“When I started talking to the locals and business owners downtown, they flooded me with ghost stories and experiences,” she says. She also researched online and at the Carnegie History Center. “With all the information, I decided that downtown [Bryan] would be the perfect place to start my own little ghostly attraction.”
She is part of a team of four that includes her husband, Jared Tindall, and Matt Harvey, both tour guides, and Kaylee Phillips, the tour manager. The tours begin and end at the Carnegie History Center in downtown Bryan.
“We use ghost-hunting tools to try and communicate with the ghostly locals, if they are willing, of course,” she says. Other buildings on the tour include The Queen Theatre, Palace Theater, String and Horn Shop, Chocolate Gallery, the original bank locations, Corner of Time Antiques and Collectibles Mall, First Floor Cantina, The LaSalle Hotel, and Tunnel Alley. The tours combine stories and ghost searching.
“Bryan definitely has ghostly activity,” Amber says. “I have never come across any ghosts that make me get a creepy vibe. They seem to be going about their day, just as we are. Most of them like interacting with us. Then there are a couple that are introverts and find us annoying. We like to give them their space.”
She says that last season, they made contact with Mr. Al Sims, who was known for hanging around downtown and reading newspapers. “The community came together and had services for him,” she says. “We had someone on tour that was moved to tears when he decided to communicate.”
“We generally have some type of activity on each tour,” Amber says. “I think we have only had maybe two or three tours where the ghosts decided to take the night off.” Since they use investigation tools on the tours, they can get anything from EMF spikes to something as simple as someone feeling like something is tugging on their shirt or holding someone’s hand.
“Our favorite ghostly friend on tour is Wendy. She is a little girl spirit that can usually be found at the String and Horne Shop,” Amber says. “She likes trying to speak through our spirit box and play with the little toys we bring her. We often will get activity from her throughout the majority of the tour. She enjoys coming on tour with us.”
Bryan Ghost Walk offers two evening tours. The family-friendly tour lasts one- to one-and-a-half hours and is kid-friendly. “It teaches kids the history of Bryan and covers how to use the ghost-hunting equipment,” Amber says. “We censor some of the stories and teach them the do’s and don’ts of ghost hunting.”
The adult tour takes guests around downtown Bryan and gives them the history that they did not learn growing up, she says. The tour generally lasts one to one-and-a-half hours but can go longer if there’s a lot of ghostly activity.
Amber recommends wearing comfortable clothes and shoes, being mindful of the weather. She asks that guests show up 15 minutes early because finding available parking in downtown Bryan can be a challenge. “At this time, we do not have access to the inside of any of the buildings, but we have plenty of activity just walking around,” she says.
“It’s a good balance between talking about the history and doing some ghost hunting,” Amber says.
For ticket reservations and more information, visit bryanghostwalk.com.
