Supposed paranormal activity at Arizona’s abandoned and historic places draws interest from many people. That’s why a local company called AZ Ghost Tours is using this fascination with the paranormal to help raise funds to keep some of these places, such as the Old Gila County Jail in Globe, alive.

We spoke with Vincent Amico, one of the operators of the tours, to learn more about how it works. (This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)

Tell us about the Ghost Tour at the Old Gila County Jail.
It’s two different tours; they usually run 90 minutes. We do a quick historical tour explaining the different things that have happened in there, and we will show them evidence we have captured from past investigations. Then we let them do a paranormal investigation with us, using everything that we use.

How likely is it for someone to witness something “paranormal”?
You can go out 100 times, and 99 times, you will find nothing. People take it and interpret it the way they want. There are things that have happened; we have the evidence that we show them what we captured. Some nights it’s absolutely unbelievable, and other times it’s a waste of a night. That’s the way it works; it’s not TV.

How much are the tours?
If you book through our website, it’s $25.

What does the money go toward?
We’ve put together AZ Ghost Tours to help these places get funds. It goes toward keeping the lights on and doing repairs. It helps with their daily and monthly expenses.

The tours run the second Friday of every month, with one starting at 7:30 p.m. and another at 9:30 p.m. At this time, the tour payments are cash only. For more information about AZ Ghost Tours, or to sign up for a tour, you can visit the group's website.