Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk
If you’ve been in downtown Florence, Alabama at night in the
past two weeks you might have noticed a group of people standing in the glow of
a dimly lit street lamp in front of various homes and businesses listening
intently to a woman telling a story. While The Shoals always has something
going on, one event that you shouldn’t miss out on is the Haunted History of
the Shoals Ghost Walk. This unique tour gives you a look into the history and
local ghosts that haunt the homes, restaurants, and buildings around Court Street. There are only two nights left for this tour and with Halloween just one night away how else would you
spend your evening, but by listening to spooky ghost tales on a dark, chilly
October night?
The tour begins in Wilson Park at 7:30pm in front of the
W.C. Handy statue where you are introduced to your tour guide, Debra Glass, who
started the ghost walk in 2002, after the release of her first of many ghost story books, True Ghost Stories of the Shoals, Vol. 1. The
idea occurred to her after going on a similar ghost tour in Charleston, South
Carolina, and much like Charleston, Florence has a rich history and plenty of
stories to share dating back to the frontier and Civil War era. Debra, who is
from the Shoals area and attended UNA, grew up reading and hearing about ghost
stories and has had a few ghostly sightings of her own. She has spent numerous
hours interviewing eyewitnesses, researching genealogy sites, reading
historical accounts, and talking to local historians to ensure an authentic and
accurate representation of the spirit sightings. On the tour she talks about
the apparitions in a way that is matter of fact and let’s history do the
talking, leaving you to decide if the legends are true or not.
After starting the walk at Wilson Park you will go on a 1-mile
tour past Rosie’s Mexican Cantina and make a stop at the legendary Trowbridge’s
where you will hear some haunting accounts. A little further along you will
stand under a towering tree shedding it’s leaves, and in hushed silence listen to a tale you will probably never forget. A little
further along you will stop in front of some haunted homes where you will learn
the history of the former residents, including a famous ghost that resides in
the Off Campus Bookstore. At each point after she finishes her stories of ghosts peeking out of windows and
creeping up and down stairs, cameras immediately begin to flash,
momentarily lighting up the shadowy haunted buildings. Previous guests on the
ghost walk have claimed to have seen ghosts on the actual tour and have caught
them on camera peering from attics and even standing on front porches during
the walk.


It’s an unforgettable night where you will learn a lot about
this historical town and only be scared a little bit. It’s the perfect
combination of spooky and fun, and can be a Halloween tradition for the entire family.
No matter if you believe in ghosts or not, this eerie exploration of downtown is only happening for two more nights: tonight, October
30th, and tomorrow, October 31st-- both starting at 7:30pm.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under—tickets are simply
bought on arrival at Wilson Park and the tour takes off from there. Whether you
believe in things that go bump in the night or you just want to experience a
few goose bumps, check out this unique Florence event… if you dare!
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