Put the Oooh into Hallo “ooh” ween
By J. J. Scott
 1.
The night watchman: In Albany, NY, the state Capitol offers free seasonal
tours that takes brave visitors to the exact spot where Samuel Abbott, the
Capitol’s night watchman died in the Capitol fire of 1911. He has been seen
wandering the corridors making his rounds. The tour continues with tales of
otherworldly Capitol hauntings. For reservations call 518-473-7582.
2. The hitchhiker: If you take a road trip
this Halloween think twice before picking up a hitchhiker. The legend of the
Vanishing Hitchhiker is one of the American’s most enduring urban legends. Many
a motorist has seen the ethereal lone man on a dreary, foggy evening, stopped
and given him a ride only to have him disappear from his seat while the car is
still in motion.
 3.
Jenny’s ghost: Battlefields are often the home of ghosts and restless
spirits such as that of Jenny Wade, the only civilian killed in the Battle of
Gettysburg. A nightly tour concludes in the basement of the very house where
Jenny was killed by a stray bullet and where her ethereal spirit has been
spotted.
www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com
4. Walk with the author: In Charleston, SC,
take a ghostly walk with Julian T. Buxton, III, author of “The Ghosts of
Charleston” and leading authority on things that go bump in the night. Learn the
sad tale of Susan Howard Hardy and other wistful spirits. She is just one of the
many ghosts who never wants to leave beautiful Charleston.
www.tourcharleston.com
 5.
Cry Witch: Nearly every evening visitors to Colonial Williamsburg can attend
and take part in the trial of Grace Sherwood, Virginia’s Witch, who was tried in
1706. Called “Cry Witch” the re-enactment follows the real events surrounding
the trial and allows visitors to determine the Grace’s punishment based on the
evidence presented. Get there early and you could be selected for the jury. For
other ghostly happenings take the nightly walking tour that explores, “Legends,
Myths, Mysteries, and Ghosts.”
www.colonialwilliamsburg.org
 6.
Boo Ya’ll: Savannah, GA, has been named America’s Most Haunted City by The
American Institute of Parapsychology. In the evening Savannah’s beautiful
squares glow with lantern lights as visiting ghost hunters walk the streets in
search of ghosts, goblins, and other things that go “bump” in the night. Ghost
Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls are offered year-round and take visitors back
through time with stories of pirates, lost loves, and tales of woe. One favorite
tour follows the book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by John Berendt,
that was later made into a movie.
www.savannah-visit.com
7. Where’s Mary? For years a mysterious blonde
woman dressed in white has been sighted in doorways of the Casa de Solana Inn in
St. Augustine, Florida, on Aviles Street, the oldest European Street in the
United States. Many think it is Mary Mitchel scurrying down Aviles Street to the
old Spanish Military Hospital a few doors away. Take the tour and decide for
yourself. Check with Casa de Solana,
www.casadesolana.com, for a complete ghostly package.
 8.
Dead city: Visit one of the Cities of the Dead in New Orleans, called
America’s most haunted city. Take one of several tours of the old cemeteries
with Save Our Cemeteries. Check on their All Saints' Soirée - an annual evening
celebration in October. The cost of the tour helps to maintaining the historic
cemeteries of New Orleans.
www.saveourcemeteries.org
9. Faith: Shortly after the Hassayampa Inn, in
Prescott, AZ, opened in 1927, a honeymoon pair checked in. The husband left to
“go out for a pack of cigarettes.” After several days, when he didn’t return,
his new bride Faith hung herself. Her presence is reputed to still haunt the
Hassayampa Hotel as witnessed by many guests.
www.hassayampainn.com
 10.
The Blue Lady: Dine with the spirit of the Blue Lady at Moss Beach
Distillery in Moss Beach, CA. Legend has it that a married lady, always dressed
in blue, was carrying on an illicit affair with a handsome piano player at the
bar. While on the way to met him, she died in a violent automobile accident.
Her spirit frequently returns to the Distillery to search for her lover.
www.mossbeachdistillery.com
For ghostly things across the United States go to
http://theshadowlands.net
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