Walrus Ice Cream

A popular ice cream shop in Old Town Fort Collins, formerly the site of Charlie Dinnebeck's Cafe. The building dates to the late 1800s and sits in the historic downtown district.

Walrus Ice Cream occupies a building in Old Town Fort Collins that has been a hub of commercial activity since the early 1900s. The building housed Dinnebeck's Cafe, run by Charlie Dinnebeck, who was born in 1867 and moved to Fort Collins in 1902 with his family. Before the cafe, Dinnebeck ran a barber shop in the building with a partner named Hill -- Dinnebeck and Hill Barber Shop. The building later housed the Flowers Millinery Shop and other businesses before becoming the ice cream parlor it is today.

After experiencing persistent unexplained activity, the owners of Walrus Ice Cream conducted historical research and brought in a psychic investigator to determine the identity of their ghost. The investigation concluded that the spirit was Charlie Dinnebeck himself, the former cafe owner who had spent so much of his waking life in the building that he apparently never left. Charlie is described as a friendly, happy spirit who seems to be sticking around to ensure his legacy of great customer service lives on. His mischief includes knocking clocks off the walls, turning the handles of root beer kegs to spill their contents, and generally causing playful mayhem for the employees and managers.

But Charlie is not alone. Further investigation revealed that the building may also be haunted by one or both of two women -- Orlando Flower and Mable Alexander Rogers -- who ran the Flowers Millinery Shop out of the same location. A third presence has been detected as well: a tall Frenchman who is described as a fun, good-spirited soul who loves women and has a habit of gently pulling women's hair up above their heads. The combination of multiple spirits from different eras of the building's history makes Walrus Ice Cream one of the most uniquely haunted businesses in Fort Collins.

The ice cream shop has embraced its paranormal reputation, dedicating a page on its website to the ghost story and welcoming visitors who come as much for the spectral encounters as for the ice cream. Charlie's friendly presence has made Walrus Ice Cream a beloved stop on Fort Collins ghost tours and a favorite destination for paranormal enthusiasts visiting Old Town.