Coventry Resident Talks Paranormal Activity at Second Annual GHOST Tours in Warwick

Unattended elevators opening unexpectedly. A woman’s anguished cries coming from an old jail cell. Unexplained noises and fleeting apparitions in the Council Chambers. These are just a few of the unsettling events experienced by workers and visitors to Warwick City Hall over the years.

This month, for the second year in a row, local residents will have the chance to explore the historic City Hall and maybe even experience some odd phenomena themselves.

Evening tours of City Hall will be conducted on Friday, Oct 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22. Justin Tougas of Coventry and Bill Wreeves of Warwick, two core investigators of Ghost Hunt Organized Search Team (GHOST) will demonstrate equipment used to capture Electronic Voice Phenomena (low frequency sounds that humans cannot hear) at the Warwick Museum of Art (WMOA).

GHOST tours begin upstairs in City Council Chambers, where team members will talk about their paranormal studies and share evidence on their investigations of City Hall and WMOA.  Ghost-hunting equipment will be used to explore various rooms in the City Hall building -- including the basement site of the former municipal jail.  Guests will then be led to WMOA, located in the 100-year-old former Kentish Guards Armory building two doors away, where unexplained events are also said to have occurred. 

The tours begin promptly on the hour at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m., with an additional 6 p.m. tour offered on Saturday. And under moonlit skies before each tour, costumed actors will read from works by esteemed horror writer Edgar Allan Poe.  So visitors should arrive 10-15 minutes before their tour time!

At WMOA the GHOST team will talk about their investigations in Rhode Island and neighboring states. Storytellers will read spooky children’s tales, and cider and homemade cookies will be available for a small fee. Plus, guests can take a chance on raffle prizes -- and one brave winner will join the GHOST team on an overnight investigation!

Tickets for GHOST tours are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 — please note these tours are not appropriate for children under 5 — and two tours of 25 people leave each hour.  With limited capacity and increased interest in paranormal activity, tickets should be purchased in advance. All of last year's GHOST tours sold out quickly!

Tickets can be purchased online at www.warwickmuseum.org or in person at WMOA (3295 Post Road, Warwick) during regular museum hours. Carol’s Country Corner, also in historic Apponaug Village, is another convenient place to buy GHOST tour tickets during regular business hours.

Too jittery for the tour? Stop by WMOA anyway to meet members of the GHOST team, learn about paranormal activity locally and around Rhode Island, socialize with seasonal refreshments, take a chance on festive raffle items -- and get into the Halloween spirit. WMOA is free and open to the public 7-9 p.m. on Friday, October 21 and 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22.

About GHOST:
The Warwick-based investigative group, inspired by the extreme phenomena that founder John Austin had been living with and studying for years, now consists of four core members and several investigators. GHOST is also currently working with Johnston’s Ashley Antonelli, who is extremely gifted and has been reading Tarot for clients for the past six years. GHOST and Antonelli are working together not only to document paranormal claims, but to explore a deeper side of paranormal study that they are hoping to use at locations very soon. Past investigations include Slater Mill, Westerly Armory, Bristol Armory, Kent County Daily Times, Smith’s Castle, and the USS Salem. To learn more or contact GHOST, to go www.ghosthuntri.com. To learn more about Antonelli’s services, or to contact her for readings, email her at Tarotcards111@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/tarotcards111.

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