Ghost Towns That Host Annual Events in Alabama

You’ll find Alabama’s most atmospheric ghost town events at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, which hosts nighttime wagon tours through haunted sites each October Saturday for $25, and Historic Blakeley State Park, offering weekend ghost hunts led by experienced investigators from September through October. Huntsville’s historic districts come alive with Friday and Saturday ghost walks ($13 adults), while Athens hosts community storytelling events featuring the South’s highest concentration of ghost tales per capita. These tours fund preservation of cemeteries, battlefields, and abandoned settlements, with guides sharing documented paranormal encounters dating back to the 1800s that reveal deeper connections between Alabama’s forgotten places and their lingering spirits.

Table of Contents hide

1 Key Takeaways

2 Old Cahawba Archaeological Park’s Haunted History Tours

3 Huntsville Ghost Walk Through Historic Districts

3.1 Historic Downtown Walking Routes

3.2 Award-Winning Tour Recognition

4 Haunted History of the Shoals Experience

4.1 Author Debra Glass Origins

4.2 Shoals Paranormal Tale Collection

5 Historic Blakeley State Park’s Fall Guided Ghost Hunts

6 Athens Haunt Walks Community Storytelling

7 Maple Hill Cemetery Living History Stroll

8 Planning Your Visit to Alabama’s Haunted Locations

9 What to Expect on Paranormal Investigation Tours

10 Preserving Alabama’s Ghost Town Heritage Through Events

11 Frequently Asked Questions

11.1 Are Children Allowed on These Ghost Tours and Haunted Events?

11.2 What Should I Wear and Bring to a Ghost Hunting Event?

11.3 Can I Take Photographs During the Tours and Paranormal Investigations?

11.4 Do I Need Prior Experience to Participate in Ghost Hunting Activities?

11.5 Are the Ghost Tours Wheelchair Accessible for Visitors With Mobility Issues?

12 References

Key Takeaways

Old Cahawba Archaeological Park offers nighttime haunted wagon tours on select October Saturdays, with proceeds supporting site restoration efforts.
Huntsville hosts multiple ghost walking tours on weekends from September through October, exploring haunted historic districts and documented paranormal activity.

Historic Downtown Huntsville tours depart from Harrison Brothers Hardware Store, covering Victorian architecture and antebellum haunted sites over 1.5 hours.
Athens conducts Haunt Walks on October Tuesdays and Thursdays, featuring downtown storytelling tours for $10 per person after dark.
Blakeley State Park organizes fall ghost hunts on September-October weekends from 6:00-10:00 p.m., led by experienced paranormal investigators.

Old Cahawba Archaeological Park’s Haunted History Tours

While most historic sites close at dusk, Old Cahawba Archaeological Park near Selma transforms into an entirely different experience during its annual Haunted History Tours each October.

Old Cahawba Archaeological Park trades daytime historical tours for spine-tingling nighttime encounters when October darkness falls over Alabama’s abandoned first capital.

You’ll explore Alabama’s first capital—a thriving 1819-1826 river town that became a ghost town after the Civil War—through 90-minute nighttime wagon tours available only on select October Saturdays.

Archaeologists guide you through documented haunted legends at locations like New Cemetery and Barker House slave quarters, where paranormal research teams deploy ghost-hunting equipment.

You’ll hear spectral legends collected over centuries, from Civil War era encounters to recent reports of unexplained voices and shadows.

The site’s ghost stories date back to 1862’s white orb sighting near the cedar maze, making it one of Alabama’s longest-documented haunted locations.

Tours run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., requiring advance tickets at $25 per person.

After your investigation, join bonfire chats with paranormal researchers to share experiences and learn additional ghost tales from Cahawba’s haunted past.

All proceeds fund ongoing restoration of this Alabama Historical Commission archaeological site.

Huntsville Ghost Walk Through Historic Districts

You’ll find three distinct walking tours departing every Friday and Saturday in September (plus Sundays in October) from Harrison Brothers Hardware Store on Southside Square. Each route explores a different era of Huntsville’s haunted past: the Victorian-era Old Town District with its “Fraternity House for Ghosts,” the Antebellum mansions of Twickenham where LeRoy Pope’s legacy lingers, or the Haunted Downtown featuring Confederate soldiers and ancient American Indian spirits.

Tours depart promptly at 6 p.m., with adult tickets at $13 and children’s tickets at $8. Each 1.5-hour walking tour offers unique stories and historical context specific to its district. The Twickenham route includes the Weeden House, known as the most haunted site in the city, where visitors report a grandfather clock chiming without functional parts. Though tickets can be purchased at the door, advance reservations through huntsvilleghostwalk.com are strongly recommended.

Historic Downtown Walking Routes

Since 1996, Huntsville’s Ghost Walk has guided visitors through the city’s darkest history across three distinct evening tours that depart from Harrison Brothers Hardware Store at 124 Southside Square.

You’ll choose between the Old Town Historic District route featuring Victorian buildings and Judge Thomas Lawler’s murder, the Twickenham Historic District showcasing antebellum mansions and the “Backwards House,” or Haunted Downtown exploring Big Spring and the Marble Palace.

Each 6 p.m. tour blends urban legends with documented tragedies—Civil War casualties, the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, and American Indian spirits.

Tours run Friday-Saturday in September and Friday-Sunday throughout October, starting September 5, 2025. Adults pay $13, children twelve and under $8.

Guides use microphones to share ghost folklore rooted in Huntsville’s transformation from Twickenham.

The experience contains no startling elements, though parents should use caution when bringing very young children.

All tours are walking-based explorations that allow visitors to experience the historic districts at a pedestrian pace. Reserve online or call (256) 783-2065.

Award-Winning Tour Recognition

Although the Huntsville Ghost Walk doesn’t advertise formal industry awards, the tour’s recognition comes directly from participants who consistently praise the guide team’s historical expertise and storytelling abilities across online reviews and travel platforms.

You’ll find the tour guide credentials stem from professional research backgrounds and historical knowledge rather than theatrical performance. The guides wear period-appropriate costumes while delivering documented accounts of Civil War events, Antebellum incidents, and Native American heritage tied to real residents.

Their tour route selection across three distinct historic districts—Twickenham, Old Town, and Downtown—showcases authentic locations where documented ghostly activity occurred. The tours explore locations dating back to the early 1800s when Huntsville was known as Twickenham. The experience was created by Jackie Reeves, a renowned author and historian specializing in Huntsville’s history and spectral phenomena.

Even skeptics appreciate the educational value, recognizing how thoroughly the team connects Huntsville’s documented past with present-day walking paths through these preserved neighborhoods.

Haunted History of the Shoals Experience

You’ll discover the Florence Ghost Walk was founded in 2002 by Debra Glass, author of the “True Ghost Stories of the Shoals” series.

Glass transformed her extensive folklore research about her Florence hometown into an annual walking tour tradition that continues today.

Her collection of paranormal tales from the Shoals region blends documented history with local legends passed down through generations.

The tours feature local actors who bring the haunted heritage to life through immersive performances at locations throughout Florence.

Each 90-minute tour departs from Wilson Park in historic downtown Florence and covers approximately one mile of haunted sites.

Author Debra Glass Origins

Florence native Debra Glass transformed her childhood fascination with supernatural phenomena into a prolific writing career spanning more than 35 books, including the celebrated Skeletons in the Closet ghost story collections.

Her supernatural origins trace back to growing up in Florence, Alabama, where unexplained encounters sparked lifelong curiosity about the paranormal.

During her writing process, she discovered her hometown harbored numerous ghost tales waiting to be told.

This ghost story inspiration led to the True Ghost Stories of the Shoals series, documenting regional hauntings steeped in legend, folklore, and documented truth.

Today, she lives in Alabama with her family, two resident ghosts, and what she describes as diabolical cats.

Her deep regional knowledge and authentic storytelling established her as Northwest Alabama’s premier authority on supernatural phenomena and local haunted history.

Shoals Paranormal Tale Collection

Glass’s extensive research into Florence’s supernatural past culminated in the creation of the Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk, which launched in 2002 after her regional tales gained recognition in folklore collections.

You’ll discover real-life accounts from Northwest Alabama’s Shoals area, including spirits haunting Sweetwater Mansion, a child ghost appearing in a historic Wood Avenue home, and mysterious blood stains persisting on the Nance Home stairs.

The Ritz Theater, Norton Auditorium, and Woodlawn Plantation also feature documented hauntings.

Glass compiled these supernatural folklore accounts into True Ghost Stories of the Shoals Volumes 1 and 2, with each containing over a dozen spine-tingling tales accompanied by historical photos.

Her ghost story collections directly inspired this perennial Halloween favorite, drawing from authentic regional encounters with the paranormal.

Historic Blakeley State Park’s Fall Guided Ghost Hunts

When darkness falls over Historic Blakeley State Park each October, the Ghost Hunting Housewives transform Alabama’s largest Civil War battlefield into an interactive paranormal investigation site.

You’ll explore haunted legends surrounding the abandoned town while veteran investigators with over 20 years’ experience guide you through evidence collection using EMF meters, REM Pods, and dowsing rods.

The $20 ghost hunt runs 7:00-10:00 PM, with park admission costing $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Veterans enter free.

Educator Harriet Outlaw provides historical context before you search areas where Confederate soldiers once hid among massive root systems during Blakeley’s retreat.

Previous investigations have captured SLS hits, EVPs, and shadow figures.

You’ll register through blakeleypark.com, where paranormal myths meet documented Civil War history at 34745 State Hwy 225, Spanish Fort.

Athens Haunt Walks Community Storytelling

Each October, the Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association hosts the Athens Haunt Walks, a fundraising event that’s earned this North Alabama town recognition as having more ghost stories per capita than any other Southern city.

You’ll join guided walking tours through downtown Athens, where local legends come alive through historic storytellers like Shane Black, author of “Spirits of Athens,” and Will Weir’s portrayal of Governor George S. Houston.

The experience offers:

Authentic narratives from residents who’ve witnessed phantom grandfather clocks and supervising spirits firsthand
Two-century history of Athens State University’s unexplained events and ancestral sightings
Family-friendly exploration emphasizing regional folklore over manufactured scares

Tours run Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout October, lasting two hours after dark. You’ll need comfortable shoes and $10 for the popular Haints & Saints evening tour.

Maple Hill Cemetery Living History Stroll

Since 1991, the Maple Hill Cemetery Living History Stroll has transformed one of Alabama’s oldest burial grounds into an immersive theatrical experience. Over 75 costumed interpreters portray the engineers, poets, soldiers, and civic leaders who built Huntsville.

Over 75 costumed interpreters bring Huntsville’s founders to life at one of Alabama’s most historic cemeteries.

You’ll encounter historical reenactments accompanied by traditional music throughout the National Register site’s pedestrian-friendly avenues every third Sunday in October from 1:30 to 4:30 pm.

The Huntsville Pilgrimage Association sponsors this free event to fund cemetery preservation efforts. Your donations directly support restoration work—nearly $400,000 has repaired over 1,650 monuments and metal fences damaged by vandalism, weather, and two centuries of aging.

You’ll discover new characters annually, explore special exhibits, and participate in age-specific scavenger hunts. An expanded antique auto display adds authenticity to this educational experience that draws thousands.

Planning Your Visit to Alabama’s Haunted Locations

Alabama’s haunted locations offer guided tours from September through October, with most events concentrated on Friday and Saturday evenings between 6:00 and 10:00 PM.

You’ll need advance reservations for Old Cahawba Archaeological Park tours, where participants must be at least 12 years old.

Historic preservation efforts at these sites maintain authentic atmospheres while ghost town legends come alive through documented personal accounts.

Essential preparation includes:

Bring investigative equipment – EMF meters, REM Pods, and dowsing rods let you actively search for paranormal activity
Sign liability waivers – Required for hands-on investigation experiences at most locations

Budget appropriately – Tours range from $20 at Historic Blakeley State Park to $50 for Southern Ghost Girls experiences

Most tours accommodate families, though parental discretion’s advised for younger children during extended evening investigations.

What to Expect on Paranormal Investigation Tours

Once you’ve booked your tickets and prepared your equipment, you’ll board a nighttime shuttle that transports your group to documented paranormal hotspots within Alabama’s abandoned settlements. During the 90-minute investigation, you’ll handle ghost hunting gear like EMF meters, REM Pods, and dowsing rods while guides share historical accounts of apparition sightings at locations including slave quarters, cemeteries, and Civil War battlefields.

Organizations like Alabama Paranormal Research demonstrate real-time activity detection inside sites such as Barker House, while Southern Ghost Girls lead hands-on sessions mimicking television investigations. You’ll stop at multiple haunted structures, though dilapidated buildings remain off-limits for safety.

After your investigation, gather around a bonfire to discuss captured evidence and spirit encounters with fellow participants. Haunted equipment purchases are available onsite for continuing your independent explorations.

Preserving Alabama’s Ghost Town Heritage Through Events

When ghost towns face abandonment and decay, carefully designed annual events create sustainable funding streams that directly support historic preservation efforts across Alabama.

You’ll find these programs transform victim narratives and haunted legends into powerful preservation tools that maintain crumbling structures and forgotten cemeteries.

Revenue directly funds critical restoration work:

Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll donations repair cemetery walls and restore weathered tombstones, preventing history from disappearing beneath Alabama soil
Old Cahawba’s $20 tickets preserve Alabama’s most famous ghost town, transforming abandonment into educational opportunity

Historic Blakeley State Park’s guided hunts maintain Alabama’s largest Civil War battlefield, where spirits and history converge

These events don’t exploit haunted legends—they channel your fascination into tangible preservation outcomes.

You’re not just hearing ghost stories; you’re actively preventing Alabama’s authentic historical sites from becoming forgotten ruins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Children Allowed on These Ghost Tours and Haunted Events?

Most tours welcome children with parental discretion, though you’ll face few family restrictions. Age limitations aren’t strictly enforced, but evening schedules and paranormal equipment usage mean you should consider your child’s maturity level before attending these historical investigations.

What Should I Wear and Bring to a Ghost Hunting Event?

Wear ghostly attire like dark, layered clothing with closed-toe shoes and long sleeves for protection. Bring essential equipment including flashlights, cameras, bug spray, water, and your liability waiver. Don’t forget cash for tickets and optional gear purchases.

Can I Take Photographs During the Tours and Paranormal Investigations?

Capture the shadows—photography restrictions aren’t explicitly mentioned for these Alabama ghost tours. You’re free to bring camera equipment to document your paranormal experiences, especially at Huntsville Ghost Walks where cameras are actively encouraged for supernatural encounters.

Do I Need Prior Experience to Participate in Ghost Hunting Activities?

No prior experience is needed—you’ll receive hands-on training with provided equipment. Equipment requirements are minimal since organizers supply everything. Safety precautions include signed liability waivers, and experienced investigators guide you throughout each paranormal adventure.

Are the Ghost Tours Wheelchair Accessible for Visitors With Mobility Issues?

Ghost tours’ accessibility features vary wildly—some offer mobility accommodations like Athens’ wagon tours and wheelchair-friendly paths, while others mysteriously omit details. You’ll need to contact tour operators directly, since haunted history apparently doesn’t guarantee accessible infrastructure.