The Ghosts of Old Town Alexandria
Happy Halloween Day Trippers! Our beautiful city is full of rich history and legends. This, of course, creates the perfect place to find some ghosts lurking in the shadows. To find some of these ghosts and get in the spirit of the season, we headed a little outside Washington, DC to find the ghosts tours in Old Town Alexandria.
We attended the 7:30 Ghost and Graveyard Tour on a Sunday night. The tour began in Market Square outside the Visitors Center where a number of tour guides dressed in colonial attire set the mood. Each tour was split into small groups of about 15 people. A guide led each tour group by lantern light through some of the residential areas of Old Town. There are two different routes for this tour (North and South) so be sure to return for a completely different experience!
Our tour began in the town square with a quick history of Old Town to help put the stories in perspective. Many of the ghost stories are from early America ranging from the time of President George Washington to the time of President Andrew Jackson. There is a good balance of spooky stories and history on this tour. There are no sudden surprises and you do not go inside any of the buildings. We heard stories of betrayal, lost love, and unsolved murders!
We won’t share the details of the ghost stories so you can be surprised on the tour. However, we particularly enjoyed George’s Washington’s townhouse – one of the historical stops. Although the townhouse is a replica (the original burned down in the 1850s), it was interesting to see where our first President stayed when he was visiting from Mount Vernon. While Washington’s townhouse looks modest by today’s standards, it is a reflection of his great wealth. The home is wider than most homes you will find in Old Town and has 7 steps leading up to the front door. In Washington’s time, people were taxed on the width of their home and the number of front steps. Many homes in Old Town have 1 or 2 steps if any at all. The tour ends appropriately in a graveyard so watch your step!
The Ghost and Graveyard tours run from March to November, so this is a great tour year round. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for ages 7 to 17, and free for children under 6. The tour lasts about an hour and only spans about 6 blocks.
