Ready to get the willies, the heebie-jeebies, to have your face turn white as a….ghost?
It will all be in good fun, of course, when you enjoy one of the many ghost tours in Williamsburg.
Williamsburg has seen many generations of Americans come and go, from Colonists, to the British, to Revolutionary War heroes, on up to the Civil War and beyond — even pirates! It’s only “natural” that many of them may have decided to stick around (Williamsburg is a great place to live, after all).
Several “ghost tour” companies offer tours of Williamsburg that will take you to the many places in and near Colonial Williamsburg where ghosts are purported to remain. Williamsburg, in fact, is considered by many ghost experts to be one of the most haunted locations on the East Coast.
Take, for example, the Peyton Randolph House. This building has had several reported sightings of spectres, as well as unexplained noises (mysterious knocking, footsteps, doorknobs turning, and even the sound of a child laughing).
Or what about the Chownings Tavern? Four ghosts are said to haunt here. Sorority sisters once claimed to see a man in Colonial dress walk through the walls of the dining room during a formal party.
“Irma” is purported to walk the halls of the Kings’ Arms Tavern. Irma was the tavern’s live-in manager who died in her bedroom there in the 1950s. Meanwhile, the footsteps of “Lady Skipwith” are said to be heard throughout the Wyeth House.
Over at the Edgewood Plantation, the ghost of Lizzie Rowland is said be waiting still for her lover’s return from the Civil War.
As for Colonial Williamsburg itself, The Governor’s Mansion, Governors Palace Green, the Ironbound Road Rec Center and several locations in the College of William and Mary all are said to have their own “other worldy” residents.
You can arrange for private tours, or enjoy candelight tours with experienced guides. There are many different types of ghost tours in Williamsburg, for all budgets and tastes.
Just don’t cry “boo!” in the dark — leave that up to the ghosts!
