Since we had my 8 year old son with us, we couldn't do the haunted pub crawl, but luckily, the same company offers a more kid-friendly Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington tour that we could take. We purchased our tickets online, but they can also be purchased at the Black Cat Shoppe on Market Street. The price runs $13 for adults and $11 for kids over 6. (Check website for further pricing options.) Through most of the tourist season, tours run nightly at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm.
We took the 6:30 tour Friday evening with Jake and had a wonderful time! Even my 8 year old son really enjoyed the stories, which were sufficiently spooky without relying on gore or really disturbing details. The history was fascinating, and Jake did an awesome job storytelling---he made the history and the hauntings interesting and was really quite entertaining, adding in a dose of humor where appropriate.
As someone with back issues, I was hesitant at first at the thought of a 90 minute walking tour, but the pace and terrain were easy enough, and several of the stops offered a place to sit down. The emphasis on storytelling, rather than just a quick overview of each haunted location, led to there being less actual locations than I would have thought on the tour, but I found that surprisingly refreshing. On other tours I've been on, so much info is thrown at you in such a short period of time that it all runs together. With this tour, we still got in a good number of stops with a couple of additional tales without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, there was ample opportunity to take as many pictures as you'd like without feeling rush. They do, however, ask you to refrain from recording the actual storytelling, due to copyright issues.
Throughout our jaunt around town, we learned the tale of Gallus Meg, a no-nonsense tavern keeper who is still making sure men who come to have a drink at the Blue Post behave themselves. We heard the touching tale of a dog who refused to leave her owner's side, even in death. The pair are still sometimes seen walking the streets of Wilmington, side by side. We made a stop at the Burgwin-Wright House and even experienced the ungodly phantom stench that seems to be associated with the location's paranormal reputation. Our next stop on the tour was at the local modern library which housed a painting with a mind of its own. That was a really interesting tale that tied directly to the racial tensions in Wilmington during the Race Riots of 1898. And finally, we ended the night in the world's creepiest alley/tunnel behind a former hospital where overnight visitors often report seeing children playing, hearing their laughter, and even feeling their tiny hands pressing down on them while in bed. As I find the time, I hope to give each one of these locations (and a few more in the area!) their own blog posts.
Overall, I was very pleased with the experience, and I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Wilmington. Our tour guide was obviously passionate about teaching the history of this fascinating former pirate town through a fun and spooky way. He was knowledgeable, and really knew how to work a mixed-age crowd so that it was enjoyable for everyone. However, one cool aspect of the this particular tour is that each one is a little different. Each tour guide has his/her own way of telling the stories, and not all tours stop at the exact same locations. So, you can definitely take the tour multiple times for a totally different experience. And, I personally thought that the price was very fair for a little under 2 hours of entertaining storytelling.
If you cannot make it to Wilmington, or if you simply want a taste of what you might experience while on the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington, consider picking up a copy of the book, Ghosts of Old Wilmington, by John Hirchak! Hirchak is the creator of the tour, and his book gives a really nice glimpse into some of the local legends you might hear on your tour. It makes a great companion piece to the tour, and can be purchased, along with other tour merchandise, in person at the Black Cat Shoppe or online.
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| Paradise Alley |
Throughout our jaunt around town, we learned the tale of Gallus Meg, a no-nonsense tavern keeper who is still making sure men who come to have a drink at the Blue Post behave themselves. We heard the touching tale of a dog who refused to leave her owner's side, even in death. The pair are still sometimes seen walking the streets of Wilmington, side by side. We made a stop at the Burgwin-Wright House and even experienced the ungodly phantom stench that seems to be associated with the location's paranormal reputation. Our next stop on the tour was at the local modern library which housed a painting with a mind of its own. That was a really interesting tale that tied directly to the racial tensions in Wilmington during the Race Riots of 1898. And finally, we ended the night in the world's creepiest alley/tunnel behind a former hospital where overnight visitors often report seeing children playing, hearing their laughter, and even feeling their tiny hands pressing down on them while in bed. As I find the time, I hope to give each one of these locations (and a few more in the area!) their own blog posts.
If you cannot make it to Wilmington, or if you simply want a taste of what you might experience while on the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington, consider picking up a copy of the book, Ghosts of Old Wilmington, by John Hirchak! Hirchak is the creator of the tour, and his book gives a really nice glimpse into some of the local legends you might hear on your tour. It makes a great companion piece to the tour, and can be purchased, along with other tour merchandise, in person at the Black Cat Shoppe or online.
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