They're creepy and they're kooky... mysterious and spookey... they're all together ookey... but they're quintessentially Simi Valley, and not really all that scary. Furthermore, their current house actually is a museum!

No, it's not The Addams Family - it's the characters from Simi Valley's past coming back to life during GHOST TOUR in Strathearn Historical Park & Museum. Some ghosts were regular folks who were intriguing pioneers forging Simi Valley's history; but others were just totally wacky.

From October 12 th thru the 28 th, on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, the ghosts from Simi Valley's past come back to tell their stories to the living, bringing a bit of creative license. The ghosts are not at rest because they all had unfinished business according to Jan Glasband, artistic director of Actors Repertory Theater of Simi Valley which produces the theatrics. GHOST TOUR in Strathearn Park is a joint venture between The Ventura County Cultural Association and Simi Valley Historical Society.

The tours are presented like a play. Using characters from Simi's history, visitors are guided on a journey of enlightenment, amazement and enjoyment as they make thirteen stops to be entertained by the ghosts. Each of the thirteen venues portrays a mini-story about something fascinating from days gone by. Adults and kids alike learn local history, tinged with a lot of humor, while being led through the dark of night from one venue to another.

GHOST TOUR began in 1999 and is credited with helping many county residents discover Strathearn Historical Park. The fledgling event was developed by Glasband and is based on material from the book, "Simi Valley - A Journey Through Time", which was written by city historian and museum director Pat Havens and pioneer family member Bill Appleton. All of the ghosts represented over the years are validated in the book, but the live venue makes for both great entertainment and a personal experience that's very memorable. Local writer Angela Randazzo authored the actual script that's used for each venue.

Different ghosts appear from year to year, although some are so infamous that they never leave the productions, like Krishna Venta, the founder of the Fountain of the World cult in Box Canyon and Tiburcio Vasques, a notorious bandit who was eventually hanged in 1875. Among the more "normal" apparitions, Crash Corrigan operated one of the most successful movie ranches of all time. Crash and his friend Clark Gable are said to have discovered the land for sale and the rest truly is history! Dr. Alfred Hirschi and Grandma Tressa Prisbrey fall into the eccentric genre for building some rather unusual monuments that remain today. Two new ghosts will appear in this year's performance.

When the tours began in 1999, they ran for only six nights. Enthusiasm from the community pushed the run to the current nine nights in 2001. Tours were suspended for a while and improvements were made to scripts and procedures. This year's ghost line-up is ready to liven up the season with an evening the whole family can enjoy. This program is far from a typical ghouls and jack-o' lantern scare show.

The ghosts will be walking every weekend from Oct 12 th - 28 th. Hours: Friday nights from 7-10pm, Saturday nights from 6-10pm and Sundays from 6-9:30pm. Tours depart about every 10 minutes and are approximately one hour long, ending with light refreshments. Groups of 10 or more may make reservations by calling the park Visitor Center, 805-526-6453. All tickets are $7 and are only available at the gate. Strathearn Historical Park is at 137 Strathearn Place (Behind K-Mart). Additional information is available at www.simihistory.com.