"My favorite ghost is Lizzy at the Imperial Hotel," Erik Hutchins of Park City Ghost Tours relates. Lizzy's story involves love, betrayal, and murder, perfect for both a haunting and a mesmerizing tale. Erik, a veteran TV and film producer, spotted an opportunity in burgeoning Park City during a 2001 ski trip from his home in Key West, launching Info Channel 35 Park City in 2003.
But the chance to combine storytelling, history and the supernatural led him down spookier paths. "I was discussing book projects with partners Lela and Bob Newey and talk turned to ghost stories," he recalls. "I realized ghost tours was a better business model." That was in 2009.
With a filmmaker's eye for detail, he offered tours to the Park City Museum staff "to fact check my script," he recalls. "They said, ‘100 percent accurate, though we can't vouch for the ghosts,'" he laughs. "We love the Museum and always ask guests to visit."
Erik's favorite moments relate to how people experience the supernatural, such as when an autistic teen sought him out for a post-tour hug, bringing the girl's mom to tears. "She said, 'She never touches anyone, especially to hug,'" he recalls. On another occasion, a skeptical guide spotted a miner's spirit following him to his car. "He was a believer after that!"
Erik is sensitive to both local history and his community impact. Businesses love the attention a historical ghost story can bring, he says, while everyone feels a stronger connection with PC after diving into our ghostly past. Many guides have been with him for years. "It's better to care for our passionate, knowledgeable people than to train inexperienced ones," he says.
If you’ve spotted Erik enthralling tour groups every evening on Main, you know he is slowly "becoming part of Park City's lore myself," he grins. "Who knows? Someday, I may even finish writing that Park City book."