A 90-minute ticketed trolley tour through Eau Claire's first murder, Victorian red-light districts, and a rare descent into the 1908 Putnam Chapel's underground receiving vaults.
205 N Dewey St, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Research updated June 2026
Age
18+ unless accompanied by parent/guardian
Cost
$$
$38 per person
Access
Limited Access
Two short off-trolley walks on paved paths, wooden bridges, and grass. Underground chapel vault access via a narrow staircase (optional). Most of the tour occurs after dark.
Equipment
Photos OK
Eau Claire Victorian criminal history · Putnam Chapel underground vault access · Lumber-era red-light district documentation
The Chippewa River Trolley operates several themed tours out of downtown Eau Claire; the Dark History Tour is the company's most macabre offering, running annually from late September through the first days of November. The tour departs from The Local Store on N Dewey Street, a block from the Eau Claire River.
The 90-minute route covers a concentrated arc of Eau Claire's darkest recorded history: the city's first documented murder, the Victorian-era red-light district that served the lumber trade, and scandals involving prominent lumber families whose money shaped the city's built environment in the 1880s and 1890s. The narrative is built around documented historical events rather than unverified legend.
The signature stop is Forest Hill Cemetery, where the tour provides what the trolley company describes as a rare and exclusive opportunity: access to the underground receiving vaults beneath the 1908 Putnam Chapel. Participants descend a narrow staircase into the space where bodies were held through Wisconsin winters when the frozen ground prevented burial. The descent is optional. Red flashlights are provided for off-trolley segments. The tour includes a theatrical lighting and audio component during the trolley portions.
Sources
The Dark History Tour is more accurately a criminal and social history tour than a traditional ghost walk. The content is drawn from documented Eau Claire history: newspaper archives, court records, and historical society materials covering murders, prostitution, and scandal from the lumber-boom era. The format uses theatrical lighting, curated audio, and a live guide rather than jump-scare convention.
The paranormal component is understated. The Putnam Chapel stop stands on its own: the physical space of the receiving vaults — stone compartments built to hold coffins through winter — does not require embellishment. Participants descend into a century-old underground chapel where Eau Claire's dead waited, sometimes for months, before burial.
The tour has operated annually since its launch and is consistently cited by Visit Eau Claire and regional haunted-site compilations as one of the area's most credible dark-history offerings.
A 90-minute trolley-based tour covering Eau Claire's first murder, Victorian-era red-light district, lumber-family scandals, and a signature stop at the 1908 Putnam Chapel in Forest Hill Cemetery with access to the underground receiving vaults. Red flashlights provided for off-trolley segments. Operates September–November; tours at 6pm and 7:30pm.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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