East Brunswick Ghost Walk Reveals Town's Paranormal History

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Tucked away on the border of southern East Brunswick is the Historic District of Old Bridge. Settled in 1634 and officially incorporated in 1866, the village of Old Bridge holds special interest to those who seek the paranormal.

Every year, a group of paranormal investigators, led by resident Karen Timper, invite interested participants to take a walk around the village – soaking in the history and the spooky. The East Brunswick Ghost Walks is designed to give visitors an insight into the rich history of the village, including the murder and mayhem.

In 2003, Timper and a friend formed the New Jersey Ghost Organization. During one of their paranormal investigations, they found that the library on the main street in Old Bridge was haunted. “We talked to people who shared mysterious happenings in their homes, including knocking on the walls. There was even a murder back in 1906,” said Timper. The murder was not the first, neither was it last in the village.

The Ghost Walk attracts a lot of curious attendees, especially in October. The ghostly tales go back to pre- Civil War, the Victorian era, and even during the time of the Lenape.

“This was a busy village. A well-settled one especially owing to its proximity to the South River that made access to New York and Philadelphia easy,” said Timper. The homes in the village still hold scars of a time long gone.

The group offers a lantern-lit tour of fewer than 90 minutes, walking around homes that reported hauntings and passing through the nearby cemetery where many famous locals are buried. “But we don’t enter the cemetery, because the path leading into it is not safe,” said Timper, who has been a lifelong resident of East Brunswick.

The tour helps participants go back in time and visualize what happened in town and gives them a chance to “feel the history.” Timper said the tour was deliberately designed this way to give participants a taste of “history and the paranormal.”

“One of the homes was ordered from a Sears, Roebuck and Co. Catalog and still stands,” said Timper.

“We have a lot of participants in October. During All Hallows Eve, the veil is the thinnest between our world and the afterlife, so there’s a greater chance of getting a glimpse of the spirit world,” Timper said.

Participants are invited to bring their cameras and flashlights to the walk. “The walk is on public streets and follows a route. We try and keep it on the lighter side and children below 10 are not allowed,” Timper said.

The walk starts at 7:30 p.m. and the fee is $10 per person. Upcoming dates are Oct. 15, 16, 22, and 23.

Timper and her group have already published three books - WWII Ghosts- Artifacts Can Talk, Ghosts of Central New Jersey-Strange, Bizarre & Deadly, and Folklore of the New Jersey Shore - History, the Supernatural & Beyond - with a fourth coming soon.

“The history is Old Bridge is so interesting. There’s is murder, mayhem, and lots of spooks,” said Timper.

For more details and information on how to book tickets, visit their website: https://newjerseyghostorganization.net/. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.