I was delighted with a recent stay in the Thistledown at Seger House, a renovated 103-year-old Victorian mansion that is now a luxurious boutique hotel in Ligonier. Like this gorgeous mansion, Ligonier itself is one of those timeless American towns that get portrayed as such in movies — it’s the place everyone wants to live […]
heritage tourism
What Lurks in the Halls of TransAllegheny Lunatic Asylum at Night?
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA), which became the Weston State Hospital, was a Kirkbride psychiatric hospital that was operated from 1864 until 1994 by the state of West Virginia. It is now known by its first name. Weston, where the asylum was located, was a company town. When it shut down in 1994, the town […]
Plagiarizing Poets and Confederate Spies Inhabit Oak Hill Cemetery
Small in comparison to other Victorian rural garden cemeteries, at just 22 acres, Oak Hill Cemetery is a prime example of a rural garden cemetery, and is probably the most peaceful place in Georgetown, an historic neighborhood in Washington DC. Let the winding paths and terraces entice you to explore this quiet oasis in the […]
Hunting What Haunts Martinsburg’s Apollo Theater
We got the opportunity to conduct a paranormal investigation at the Apollo Theatre in Martinsburg WV. It was a hot and stormy night — the thunder and lightening fueled the ghosts inside and lent a particularly spooky atmosphere to the ghost hunt. The theater is currently being renovated, even as performances are still being scheduled. […]
Discover the Hidden Beauty of the New Cathedral Cemetery
The New Cathedral Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery, with 125 acres, located on the westside of Baltimore. Established in 1871 in the Victorian rural garden cemetery style, it is the final resting place of 110,000 people, including numerous individuals who played important roles in Maryland history. As you explore this cemetery, you can’t […]
More Than History Haunts the Old Essex Police Fire Station
We joined about 20 other paranormal enthusiasts recently to investigate the hauntings of the 101-year old Essex Police Fire Station, now a museum run by the Essex Historical Society documenting the history of the Essex Middle River area, during an event sponsored by Ghosts N’At. Built in 1920, the building was intended to house both […]
The Scariest Place I’ve Ever Been: Ghost Hunting in the Old Mid-Orange Boy Reformatory
The Warwick State Training School for Boys, near Chester NY, opened in 1914 as the New York City Farm, a rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug dependent men. It then became the State Training School for Boys in 1933, focused on the rehabilitation of young men, and then transformed again into the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility […]
What Haunts the Widow Jane Cement Rock Mine?
Quirky daytrip destinations are fascinating and one of the quirkiest — and most interesting — is the haunted Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, NY. Rosendale once was famous for being the source of “natural cement,” i.e., cement made from rock without the addition of a slew of chemicals. Natural cement is produced in a process […]
Martinsburg’s Spooky Roundhouse Keeps the Spirits of Its Past
The railroad came to Martinsburg in 1842; the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company established engine and machine shops in the town in 1849. Martinsburg became a major regional transportation node and one of the major employers of the region. The railroad and railroad yards provided jobs, prosperity and military strategic importance during the Civil War. […]
Doing Time at the Old Fauquier Jail
Over two centuries ago, a four-cell brick jail was constructed in Warrenton VA, in 1808 to house the county’s indigent and criminal residents. The four cells were multi-person cells, not an uncommon for that time. Also not uncommon, children often accompanied their mothers into the jail. The stairs in the kitchen up to the jailer’s […]
Could There Be a Qainter Town Than Shepherdstown WV?
Shepherdstown dates back to 1762; Thomas Shepherd founded Mecklenburg, as it was known then, was a bustling little town of 100 by 1775, filled with millers, tanners, potters, smiths and other artisans who appreciated the six natural springs which feed Town Run as it enters the south of town. This small stream meanders through backyards, under […]
Yuengling Brewery Pilgrimage to Pottsville PA
As a home brewer for more than 30 years, my husband Michael’s bucket list includes some unique destinations. This one is in Pottsville, a town in Pennsylvania coal country, along the banks of the Schuylkill River. Carol Palla is guest blogging this week about a recent visit to America’s oldest brewery: Yuengling. The brewery offers free […]
13 Great Ghost Tours: A Spooky Tour Through the Mid-Atlantic States
August, September and October are the season most folks check out ghost walks and ghost tours — one of my favorite activities! Ghost tours are always intriguing — they’re a little bit of sight-seeing, a little bit of ghost story, and usually a lot of history. Ghost tours are a good way to get to […]
Remembering American Heroes at the Flight 93 National Memorial
The Flight 93 National Memorial commemorates the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, which was one of four aircraft hijacked in the September 11 attacks. The Memorial is the nation’s permanent memorial to the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93. It’s their final resting place and their remains are still present — this is […]
Cool Ruins and a Waterfall Along the Madam Brett White and Red Trail
Madam Brett Park is a tranquil little park on Fishkill Creek in Beacon NY, alongside the Hudson River in Dutchess County, not far away from the Hudson Highlands Park. We were there to hike the “Madam Brett White and Red Trail, an out-and-back trail to a waterfall and marsh overlook. This area is noteworthy because […]