Walking with the Ghosts of Philadelphia

Halloween may long be over, but tell that to the ghosts.  The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia takes visitors on a candlelight tour through historic and haunted sites of Philadelphia.  

Philadelphia, a city rich in history and culture, is the perfect spot for a ghost tour.  After all, "it's the most historic square mile of all of America," said Alana Turchi, a tour guide and junior at Temple University.

The tour covers buildings and landmarks that are believed to be haunted by ghosts, such as Library Hall, Independence Hall, Washington Square, the Rebecca Gratz Building, St. Peter's Church, the Powel House, the Bishop White House, and City Tavern Restaurant.

Spooky stories include that of Independence Hall, which Turchi said is "one of the most haunted buildings of all Philadelphia." As one story goes, two security guards recently  received a call from their headquarters to investigate a break-in at the Hall. The two guards inspected the building, calling back to report that it was empty. Personnel at headquarters responded saying they could see three people visible on the security monitor, not two. The security guards allegedly quit the next day.

Washington Square is also said to be haunted. Only a few hundred feet down lay thousands of corpses, from American Revolutionary War soldiers to victims of yellow fever.

Although the City Tavern Restaurant is a replica of the original, the ghosts of a bride and her bridesmaid's party supposedly still haunt the building today. In 1854, a fire burned

down the building, tragically killing a bride and her bridesmaids. Employees and customers claim to have seen a ghostly woman wearing a white gown lurking around the staircase inside the restaurant, as if trying to escape.

Mandy Johnson, a 26-year-old teacher from Hamilton, N. J., took Turchi's tour in November.

"It's nice to walk around Philadelphia, see some of the natural sites and hear the history of the building," she said. "It's nice they are not covering the major figures that you normally hear about."

On the same tour as Johnson was Jenna Zapaetti, celebrating her thirteenth birthday. Zapaetti said she wanted to do something different for her special day. When asked whether she and her five friends now believed in ghosts, their response was unanimous: "Yes!"

Tours run throughout the year, well beyond the popular Halloween season.  From now until March, tours are offered on weekend nights, beginning at 7:30 p.m.  From June through October, tours take place on weeknights as well.  All tours begin at Signers Garden at 5^th and Chestnut Streets.  

Tickets may be purchased online at www.ghosttour.com/philadelphia or in person at Omni Hotel Gift Shop or Independence Visitors Center.  They're $17 for adults and $8 for ages 4-12.

Turchi said she is unsure whether she actually believes in the ghosts she talks about on her tour. But one thing is for sure: every weekend you can find the college student in Signers Garden. She is the one wearing a large black clock and mysteriously saying, "When you walk these streets, you walk with the ghosts of Philadelphia."