Meet Our Team

My name is Joan Maxwell. I’m a real housewife of Auburn until Halloween rolls around then I become possessed by Alma Bell. Alma is an Infamous character who murdered her fiancé over 100 years ago and she just can’t “Rest In Peace” so she attends the Ghost Tour through me! During the other months of the year I volunteer as a museum docent for the Placer County Museums. I’m a retired nurse and I also enjoy traveling with my husband and spending time with our children and grandchildren. 

My name is Ralph Gibson.  I have worked for the Placer County Museums since 2004 and have been Museums Administrator since 2013.  Before working for Placer County, I was the Curator of the Kell House Museum in Wichita Falls, Texas. This museum is very haunted and in 2003 I developed a Ghostly tour on a night near Halloween – a tradition that continues. As a graduate student at New Mexico State, I co-curated an exhibit on ghosts at the New Mexico State University Museum. I live in Antelope, California with my wife, ten-year-old son, a dog,  a cat and three guinea pigs.

My name is Jen Russell.  I am a home studies teacher at Harvest Ridge Cooperative Charter School.  When I’m not spending time with my husband and our two sons, I like to garden, paddleboard and hike.  I help Mel out with check in for the Ghost Tour and our three medium nights. 

I moved to Auburn in 1992 to start my Chiropractic practice and never looked back. What a great choice to live, work and raise my daughter in this wonderful community surrounded by nature’s beauty. I’ve been acting on stages from Grass Valley to Sacramento for almost 10 years and am a founding member of the State Theatre Acting Company here in Auburn. This Halloween I have the pleasure to inhabit the world of Sheriff Pole and share the story of Captain Sharp, the first man hanged in Auburn. What did he do to deserve that fate? Who hanged him...and where? I can't wait to share all the ghostly details with you...and more!

Hello, my name is Barbara Sloan and this year I’m playing the role of Mary Armes whose son, Joe, was murdered by Alma Bell.  I’ve lived in Auburn for over 40 years, am retired as a public employee and small business owner, and have worked with my husband to renovate several of Auburn’s vintage homes.  I’ve had a few paranormal experiences in my life, involving both family members and my beloved pet dog, Cisco.  I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the tour and speak “from the other side”.

Minister by day, Auburn’s most notorious outlaw on certain October nights.  My name is Dan Spacek, and I love bringing the story of Richard Barter, aka Rattlesnake Dick, to life each year through the Auburn Ghost Tour.  Playing this role is a fresh and fun compliment to my everyday role as the Senior Pastor at the First Congregational Church of Auburn, UCC.  Like all of us, there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to understanding this colorful character.  I enjoy pouring over old books and articles to find obscure details that add substance to the scoundrel we think we know.  So come to the tour if you want to hear the REAL story!  I live in Auburn with my wife, Andrea, and two boys, Wyatt and Jericho.  Most often you’ll find us ambling along some trail savoring the beautiful vistas while keeping an eye out for Rattlesnake Dick’s long lost treasure.

My name is Peggy Seitzinger. This is my third year with the Ghost Tour and I have the good fortune to play Emily Casement: The Fire Queen. Although Emily’s and my day jobs are a little different (she ran a brothel and I run a jewelry store) we have quite a bit in common.

When I’m not channeling a madam from beyond the grave, I spend my days at Roper’s Jewelers, or with my husband Tom and our children, Jake & Samantha. I serve on the board for the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation, as well as the Executive Team for Leadership Auburn.

I love our town, and like Emily, believe that we should all help each other out, whenever we can.