Ghost Tourism and Haunted Houses

Filed in archive Events on October 31, 2007

Ghosts don't exist.

They sure are a boon for the tourist industries of places like New Orleans and Salem, Mass.

According to LiveScience, the industry is a growing one, fueled by Ann Rice books and cable "ghost hunting" shows.

Just about every city has some supposedly haunted mansion, cemetery or lunatic asylum ("if you listen carefully to the wind on moonless nights, you can hear the screams of the insane..."). Most cities, in fact, have at least one company offering tours of their spookiest places.

So what can you expect on one of these spooky tours? Some good ghost stories and maybe a few chills. Though there are some accreditations for "ghost hunters" or whatever, the most skilled haunted tour guides are the best storytellers. Some groups, like this one in New Orleans, blend a little history and legend into the tour.

Sure, I'm a skeptic of the whole supernatural thing, but I still wouldn't mind a good ghost story, especially on Halloween.