COLFAX, Wash. — One of the most haunted locations on the Palouse will not be open for ghost tours this fall.
The Colfax Chamber of Commerce said the old Saint Ignatius Hospital building is under new ownership.
Executive Director of Colfax Chamber of Commerce Valoree Gregory said the features on national TV lured many people to the old hospital, even from across the globe. But this year, Gregory said there won't be any tours, at least for now.
"We're still working on it. We're hoping we can get the contract, but from right now it's a no go," Gregory said.
She said the property under the new ownership of a man who lives in Los Angeles.
"He hasn't vocalized what he plans to do with it. And I think the city is going to get involved and work with him and see what we could do with it. I know they talked about apartments at one point," Gregory said.
On behalf of the chamber of commerce, she's tried contacting the owner in hopes of bringing the tours back. Not only because of the history, but she said profits from the haunted tours are an investment in the city of Colfax.
"What we've done with the money we got back is actually the building we're standing in now. Some of the fund for this building came from the profits at Ignatius. We renovated this building that was built in 1893," Gregory said.
The Colfax Mercantile is a business incubator. That means it is part of a state program that gives new businesses a chance to test the water. The goal is to see these businesses expand their own Colfax store front. Gregory said she's hopeful the ghost tours will come back because that would mean continued funding to revitalize downtown Colfax.