Dark tourism

Has dark tourism been created or attempted about Columbine? Especially not only with people visiting the town, the memorials or the school on their own but a more structured -and maybe discrete- way with buses, guides, souvenirs, books...?

I would also be interested if any other mass shooting or mass murder has be exploited in such a way.

Thanks!

Neah wrote:

Has dark tourism been created or attempted about Columbine? Especially not only with people visiting the town, the memorials or the school on their own but a more structured -and maybe discrete- way with buses, guides, souvenirs, books...?

I would also be interested if any other mass shooting or mass murder has be exploited in such a way.

Thanks!

I may need clarification but I feel like there were disaster tourists and at least one bus tour of Littleton back in the day.

7 Realities Of Surviving Mass Shootings The Media Leaves Out:

"Columbine Tourism" Is A Thing

A year and a half after the shooting, Amanda got a cashier job at a Walgreens down the street from the school. "During the summer, you could always tell who the tourists were, because they'd make sure no one was listening, then lean in close and say, 'Is that Columbine High School down the street?' 'Yeah.' So they'd look at me, cock their head, study my features, and then say, 'Were you old enough to have been there that day?' "Yeah.' About half would then say, 'Oh god, I'm so sorry,' and the other half would get morbidly curious and be like, 'Did you see them come in? Did you see anyone get shot?' It was the same questions over and over again. Even now, tour buses go by the school and people pose by the sign to get pictures."
Yeah, that really happens. Imagine tour groups stopping by your grandma's tombstone so they can get new Facebook profile pics. If there's a morbid event in human history, you can bet that some people are creepily obsessed with it.
[...]
Then there are the people who collect memorabilia. Amanda's mom turned down an unsolicited $10,000 offer for Joe's trench coat. Here's someone on the Columbine High School Massacre Discussion Forum (over 40,000 posts!) trying to track down Harris' car because he has a "soft spot for Hondas of the 1980s and early 1990s." Sure, that's the reason. You can buy Columbine's 1998 yearbook for a mere $1,750.



The Principal of Columbine, Frank DeAngelis, is Retiring

Mr. D's job of reconciling the past with the present and the future is a difficult one. Because, as the students will readily attest, people are uncommonly weird about Columbine. Tour buses stop to let their riders snap pictures during the school day. Visitors take selfies in front of the school's sign. Travelers who've gotten lost looking for the memorial end up wandering around the parking lot. The memorial was built in 2007, in nearby Clement Park. It was set away from the school to deter tourists from bothering students, but that didn't work. They keep coming. To them, the school itself is the monument."There was a caravan of tourists," says Megan, seventeen, a senior, recalling a recent instance. "About twenty of them right out there in the parking lot—and they were wearing aloha shirts. I wondered, Why is this a tourist spot?"

On one hand sure it seems eerie that people are fascinated by such stuff. I can see being a resident of Littleton and looking at these tourists as disrespectful and intrusive, but by the same token it's good to see these tradgeties aren't being forgotten about. I'm going to Littleton in less than two weeks and will definitely try to see as much as I possibly can while remaining respectful and not drawing attention to myself by asking locals questions about Columbine

Sure, as long as you stay discrete, polite and respectful that is fine I guess. But I also can't help but think that often people who are interested in Columbine and go to the memorials and Littleton and want to see the high school, even if they are respectful and truly sorry for the victims, do so at least partly out of morbid curiosity. And by saying this I am not blaming anyone, morbid curiosity is normal and no-one can't help it. Even I, I have to admit, would be interested in seeing the high school, although I would probably not do that if given the opportunity because I am aware that it is morbid curiosity from my part (I'm still not 100% comfortable about being interested in such a thing) and that it would probably not help me better understand Eric and Dylan.

Neah wrote:

Sure, as long as you stay discrete, polite and respectful that is fine I guess. But I also can't help but think that often people who are interested in Columbine and go to the memorials and Littleton and want to see the high school, even if they are respectful and truly sorry for the victims, do so at least partly out of morbid curiosity. And by saying this I am not blaming anyone, morbid curiosity is normal and no-one can't help it. Even I, I have to admit, would be interested in seeing the high school, although I would probably not do that if given the opportunity because I am aware that it is morbid curiosity from my part (I'm still not 100% comfortable about being interested in such a thing) and that it would probably not help me better understand Eric and Dylan.

Just remember it's only weird if you make it weird. Every year thousands and thousands of people flock to the Nazi extermination camps in Europe for the very same reason. War crimes, true crimes, doesn't matter. Both are very historically significant. There are very few instances where it's actually weird to be interested in a particular historic event.

Neah wrote:

7 Realities Of Surviving Mass Shootings The Media Leaves Out:

"Columbine Tourism" Is A Thing
Then there are the people who collect memorabilia. Amanda's mom turned down an unsolicited $10,000 offer for Joe's trench coat. Here's someone on the Columbine High School Massacre Discussion Forum (over 40,000 posts!) trying to track down Harris' car because he has a "soft spot for Hondas of the 1980s and early 1990s." Sure, that's the reason.

LMAO we're famous now, we've been featured on Cracked.

QuestionMark wrote:

Neah wrote:

7 Realities Of Surviving Mass Shootings The Media Leaves Out:

"Columbine Tourism" Is A Thing
Then there are the people who collect memorabilia. Amanda's mom turned down an unsolicited $10,000 offer for Joe's trench coat. Here's someone on the Columbine High School Massacre Discussion Forum (over 40,000 posts!) trying to track down Harris' car because he has a "soft spot for Hondas of the 1980s and early 1990s." Sure, that's the reason.

LMAO we're famous now, we've been featured on Cracked.

Yeah, it makes me both laugh and feel bad when I see (pseudo-)journalists write about the forum whereas they don't even know it and mention a weirdo or a fangirl member (usually a member who didn't even spend a long time here) to comment about the whole community.

Here is the link to the thread about the car that could be found in the original article: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Neah wrote:

Sure, as long as you stay discrete, polite and respectful that is fine I guess. But I also can't help but think that often people who are interested in Columbine and go to the memorials and Littleton and want to see the high school, even if they are respectful and truly sorry for the victims, do so at least partly out of morbid curiosity. And by saying this I am not blaming anyone, morbid curiosity is normal and no-one can't help it. Even I, I have to admit, would be interested in seeing the high school, although I would probably not do that if given the opportunity because I am aware that it is morbid curiosity from my part (I'm still not 100% comfortable about being interested in such a thing) and that it would probably not help me better understand Eric and Dylan.

This is a struggle for me as well. Especially living in the area now, writing my play and my volunteer work but also being an outsider and someone interested in the case since day one. But ending up here. Now with it being the 20th anniversary I’m meloncholy for sure.

I went to a craft fair inside the school and I felt so awkward even though I was welcomed with smiles etc..I’ve been spontaneously hugged at the memorial by someone... it’s just me who feels odd.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Neah wrote:

Sure, as long as you stay discrete, polite and respectful that is fine I guess. But I also can't help but think that often people who are interested in Columbine and go to the memorials and Littleton and want to see the high school, even if they are respectful and truly sorry for the victims, do so at least partly out of morbid curiosity. And by saying this I am not blaming anyone, morbid curiosity is normal and no-one can't help it. Even I, I have to admit, would be interested in seeing the high school, although I would probably not do that if given the opportunity because I am aware that it is morbid curiosity from my part (I'm still not 100% comfortable about being interested in such a thing) and that it would probably not help me better understand Eric and Dylan.

This is a struggle for me as well. Especially living in the area now, writing my play and my volunteer work but also being an outsider and someone interested in the case since day one.  But ending up here. Now with it being the 20th anniversary I’m meloncholy for sure.

I went to a craft fair inside the school and I felt so awkward even though I was welcomed with  smiles etc..I’ve been spontaneously hugged at the memorial by someone... it’s just me who feels odd.

I hope and I think that people can understand you are probably more "sincerely" interested in the case that most teenagers. You were interested since day 1 as you said, you were about the same age as Eric and Dylan iirc so you were more involved and could be more legitimate to feel a kind of connection, and I guess being interested in such a way is also trying to better understand yourself, other young people and a specific period. Because after all Columbine was just a symptom of a more global issue I think, and trying to understand it is completly different from only trying to know all the gory details and being fascinated by tragedy.

Neah wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Neah wrote:

Sure, as long as you stay discrete, polite and respectful that is fine I guess. But I also can't help but think that often people who are interested in Columbine and go to the memorials and Littleton and want to see the high school, even if they are respectful and truly sorry for the victims, do so at least partly out of morbid curiosity. And by saying this I am not blaming anyone, morbid curiosity is normal and no-one can't help it. Even I, I have to admit, would be interested in seeing the high school, although I would probably not do that if given the opportunity because I am aware that it is morbid curiosity from my part (I'm still not 100% comfortable about being interested in such a thing) and that it would probably not help me better understand Eric and Dylan.

This is a struggle for me as well. Especially living in the area now, writing my play and my volunteer work but also being an outsider and someone interested in the case since day one.  But ending up here. Now with it being the 20th anniversary I’m meloncholy for sure.

I went to a craft fair inside the school and I felt so awkward even though I was welcomed with  smiles etc..I’ve been spontaneously hugged at the memorial by someone... it’s just me who feels odd.

I hope and I think that people can understand you are probably more "sincerely" interested in the case that most teenagers. You were interested since day 1 as you said, you were about the same age as Eric and Dylan iirc so you were more involved and could be more legitimate to feel a kind of connection, and I guess being interested in such a way is also trying to better understand yourself, other young people and a specific period. Because after all Columbine was just a symptom of a more global issue I think, and trying to understand it is completly different from only trying to know all the gory details and being fascinated by tragedy.

You are right. I was a senior in HS. I was also an angry and bullied kid.

I remember that day perfectly:(

Screamingophelia wrote:

Neah wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Neah wrote:

Sure, as long as you stay discrete, polite and respectful that is fine I guess. But I also can't help but think that often people who are interested in Columbine and go to the memorials and Littleton and want to see the high school, even if they are respectful and truly sorry for the victims, do so at least partly out of morbid curiosity. And by saying this I am not blaming anyone, morbid curiosity is normal and no-one can't help it. Even I, I have to admit, would be interested in seeing the high school, although I would probably not do that if given the opportunity because I am aware that it is morbid curiosity from my part (I'm still not 100% comfortable about being interested in such a thing) and that it would probably not help me better understand Eric and Dylan.

This is a struggle for me as well. Especially living in the area now, writing my play and my volunteer work but also being an outsider and someone interested in the case since day one.  But ending up here. Now with it being the 20th anniversary I’m meloncholy for sure.

I went to a craft fair inside the school and I felt so awkward even though I was welcomed with  smiles etc..I’ve been spontaneously hugged at the memorial by someone... it’s just me who feels odd.

I hope and I think that people can understand you are probably more "sincerely" interested in the case that most teenagers. You were interested since day 1 as you said, you were about the same age as Eric and Dylan iirc so you were more involved and could be more legitimate to feel a kind of connection, and I guess being interested in such a way is also trying to better understand yourself, other young people and a specific period. Because after all Columbine was just a symptom of a more global issue I think, and trying to understand it is completly different from only trying to know all the gory details and being fascinated by tragedy.

You are right. I was a senior in HS. I was also an angry and bullied kid.

I remember that day perfectly:(

I hope this tragedy at least reminded adults that teenagers had their own issues and anxiety and that communication was the key. But I'm not sure when I see all the on-going shootings. Or maybe it will change now thanks to people who were the same age as E&D and who will now have children and try to be better parents?

A mansion thank you. Differently. If you survive something like that but also I think people my age to kind of parent differently and have been changed by that event. I wonder how Eric and Dylan’s friends parent if they are parents now.

I find the younger generation is now saying that it doesn’t matter how you treat people because it’s not their responsibility. It is true that it’s not a kids responsibility to stop school shootings and stuff but it doesn’t mean that you should just bully people or be rude to people. Don’t put yourself in danger but also treat people respectfully treat people how you wanna be treated.

You know who they interviewed for that Cracked article, right? ;)

Yumeko-chan wrote:

You know who they interviewed for that Cracked article, right?

Did the author of the article know?

Yumeko-chan wrote:

You know who they interviewed for that Cracked article, right?

Yeah I know, I hope you don't mind if I didn't tag you, I was unaware if you would like to be constantly linked to the event (since the article is 2 years old) so I didn't dare to do so.

Neah wrote:

Yumeko-chan wrote:

You know who they interviewed for that Cracked article, right?

Yeah I know, I hope you don't mind if I didn't tag you, I was unaware if you would like to be constantly linked to the event (since the article is 2 years old) so I didn't dare to do so.

I don't mind.