Community Corner
Loudoun Museum Kicks Off Annual "Hauntings" Tour
Hear about the widow who fought to keep her house and has never left, the Civil War Colonel who watches over the office staff, and many more spirits that do more than "go bump in the night!"
The Loudoun Museum's 20th annual "Hauntings" tour will take place this Friday and Saturday evening. Eight stops are included in the 1 1/2 hour walking tour where guests will be led by a guide through historic downtown Leesburg.
Stops will include various homes and businesses chosen for this year's event such as the Lynch House, the Courthouse and the Harrison House, where one gentleman died years ago. General Robert E. Lee was also hospitalized in the same home after being wounded in the battle.
“A number of our stories involve people who were a part of the Civil War and it’s the only one in the area that gets you inside the homes and businesses,” said Curator/Collections Manager Alana Blumenthal. “It’s not the kind of thing where people jump out at you or with cobwebs hanging from the wall. We aim to scare you the old fashioned way with good story telling and well founded instances of interactions with these spirits.”
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According to Volunteer Justin Long all of the stories are historically accurate and verified. The tour is about an eight block walk around downtown Leesburg, he said, to places where there have been numerous sightings of ghosts.
“You basically go from house to house and learn not just about the sightings but the things that led up to them like the people who died in the house, the circumstances surrounding their death, and any sort of conflicts that they were having at the time,” Long said.
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On Thursday, more than 100 tickets were sold for this weekend’s tours, which will leave about every fifteen minutes, with a maximum of 20 people per group.
Volunteers will lead groups to each stop, Long said, which will include a story teller for each location. The final stop will be hosted by Hauntings Founder and longtime member of the Loudoun Museum's Board of Trustees Peter Kelpinski who will discuss how the annual event began.
“If you’re a history buff it’s definitely up your alley,” Long said. “It’s all historically accurate and verified. It’s not just hearsay. It’s more about the history of Leesburg and some real ghosts in the area.”
“I recommend it,” Blumenthal said. “It’s a great night out, you get to explore downtown Leesburg, and it also gives you an idea of the history along with the hauntings.”
The Loudoun Museum's nighttime tours are scheduled to take place Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. For more information call 703-777-7427 or visit the Loudoun Museum's website at www.loudounmuseum.org.
