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Fort Monroe's Ghost Walk returns, giving fans a chance to experience history, ghost stories in action

Posted at 1:46 PM, Oct 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-11 22:49:24-04

FORT MONROE, Va. - If Fort Monroe could talk, it could tell you countless tales of the history it has seen.

“Ghost stories have been a part of the culture here at the fort for a long, long time,” Arron Whittington, Fort Monroe’s Director of Special Events, told News 3.

There is, however, still a mystery - who, or what, is still walking at Fort Monroe? History and ghost story enthusiasts can answer those questions during this year’s Ghost Walk.

"Someone will greet you, or something might greet you,” Whittington said. “You'll go out on the fort and collect clues along the way and try to solve an overall mystery throughout the night."

The Ghost Walk returns in 2020 with changes because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it still looks to give you that haunting and thrilling experience.

"It's part of the folklore history here at Fort Monroe,” Whittington said.

Visitors will need their mobile phone to help them. At each stop on the tour, visitors will scan QR codes and be greeted by actors dressed as ghosts.

The first stop is the Commanding General's Residence, which currently serves as a banquet hall.

"Their aide that lived in the house with them was upstairs,” Whittington said, recounting a story surrounding the home. “He walked out of the bedroom and he saw a black cat walking along the railing. It walked down the railing, jumped onto the floor, walked through the bookcase and disappeared into the wall."

Another stop along Ghost Walk is the old jail. Inside, you will find some of the shackles, where Whittington said prisoners would be stripped down to their undergarments before being shackled.

"They would've been held in here and then they would've been let go,” Whittington said. “That's where the worst of the worst were kept here in Fort Monroe."

But there is more to see to boost your adrenaline and fear.

“It's important to keep sharing those stories,” Whittington said, “and to keep telling them so people have an understanding of that part of the history here as well."

The Ghost Walk begins Monday, Oct. 19 and ends Sunday, Oct. 25. Tickets are required, as well as face masks. Social distancing will be enforced to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.

There are different Ghost Walk programs visitors can choose from. Prices vary and each includes different features.

For more details, click one on the links to each program: