A New England Ghost Story
The darkest of evenings will take you to a 17th century stone church in Sleep Hollow, NY and if you are very unlucky you may experience a resident ghost roaming hallways and peering out windows in Salem, MA. Remember ghosts don’t go away because the sun is out! Continue to Vermont to follow along a prickly path into the world of paranormal events and haunted historical happenings. Prepared to be scared, surprise your spirit and unravel the mysteries------but only if you dare!
Here’s your chance to get in on the trending fascination with the supernatural. And, since ghosts don’t only appear on Halloween, you may offer this trip at any time of year and avoid the wicked crowds that appear on All Hallows Eve. Hop on your broomstick and reserve this ghostly getaway now while the spirit is with you!
DETAILS
AVAILABILITY:
Spring, Summer and Fall
TOUR LENGTH:
4 Days/3 Nights
DAY 1 - Weekday
Arrive at the Lyndhurst Mansion for a guided tour. Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, Lyndhurst, is one of America’s finest Gothic Revival mansions. The architectural brilliance of the residence, designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, is complemented by the park-like landscape of the estate and a comprehensive collection of original decorative arts. Lyndhurst was the set for the 1970 movie, House of Dark Shadows and the 1971 movie, Night of Dark Shadows, both based on the famous gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Lyndhurst was featured on Travel Channel'sCastle Secrets and Legends series.
Check into your Tarrytown area hotel for a one-night stay. There will be time to relax and refresh before the evening’s activities.
Gather for an included dinner served in a casual, woody tavern that is a standout dining spot in Westchester County. The warm, friendly atmosphere is seconded only by the delicious cuisine.
After an included dinner in one of Tarrytown’s favorite restaurants, travel to the Old Dutch Church, a 17th Century stone church in Sleepy Hollow. Listen as master storyteller, Jonathan Kruk, offers a dramatic retelling of Irving’s classic, featuring the Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel. Across the park, walk among thousands of hand-carved illuminated pumpkins and find larger-than-life, spectacular outdoor displays, complete with synchronized lighting and an original soundtrack. See why visitors say there is no other experience like the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in the United States!
DAY 2 - Weekday
Check out of the hotel after breakfast, board the coach and set out for a hauntingly happening day. Begin with a docent-led tour of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, identified in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” as the resting place of the Headless Horseman. You will find Irving’s gravesite in the southern end of the cemetery in a plot overlooking the old church and its burying ground. Other famous individuals buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery include Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, William Rockefeller and Elizabeth Arden.
After the tour, board the coach and depart for Salem, MA. With a lunch stop along the way, you will arrive early afternoon.
Begin your visit at the Salem Witch Museum. The Salem Witch Museum examines one of the most enduring and emotional events in American History...the Witch Trials of 1692. Experience the drama of that dark time though thirteen life-size stage sets, figures, lighting and a stirring narration, as you are witness to the web of lies and intrigue of the Salem Witch Hunt. In the exhibit, Witches: Evolving Perceptions, live guides take you through changing interpretations of witches, the truth behind the stereotypes, witchcraft practice today and the frightening phenomenon of witch hunting.
Stop at the fascinating House of Seven Gables, the setting for the book by the same name written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. During your tour, learn how Hawthorne’s family played a role in the Salem Witch Trials and hear the story of its residence ghost, Susan Ingersoll. You may see her roaming the hallway or peering out the windows or catch glimpse of a rocking chair moving on its own.
After your tours, enjoy time at your leisure to explore the streets of Salem. Warning! Don’t walk alone.
Check into your downtown Salem hotel for a one-night stay. This historic hotel has been host to presidents and foreign dignitaries, it was the filming site of a Bewitched
episode, the blockbuster film, Joy, was filmed at the hotel and in 1990 a séance was held in hopes of summoning Harry Houdini on the 64th anniversary of his death.
After you have wiped off the cobwebs, gather for an included dinner served at a waterfront restaurant. Don’t worry if you see a ghost or two lurking around the dining room---they won’t eat much.
After dinner, join a local ghost, a/k/a guide, and embark on a lantern-lit Haunted Footsteps Tour. Delve into Salem's macabre past as your guide regales you with true tales of documented paranormal activity, chilling cemeteries and centuries old murder.
DAY 3 - Weekday
Depart the hotel after breakfast and travel into New Hampshire. Arrive at the Amos J. Blake House Museum, featured on the show “Ghost Hunters.” Six different paranormal groups have investigated this site with reports of multiple apparitions, objects moving and spirits haunting this former home. Come and tell us what you saw---or think you did!
Travel north and into Quechee, Vermont. Take a break from the haunted happenings and visit Vermont’s “little Grand Canyon.” There will be time to disembark the coach for photos of the state’s deepest gorge. Right next door is Quechee Gorge Village. Here you will find Vermont gifts galore, treasures, collectibles and Vermont food samples to savor.
Just before lunch, make a stop at the Haunted Railroad Bridge. An 1887 railroad disaster occurred here when the Montreal Express fell over the old wooden bridge, killing over 30 people. The ghost of a victim, 13-year-old Joe McCabe, is said to appear here. Some say Joe didn’t actually die in the wreck but suffered tragically when he watched his father die, and that’s why after Joe died, his spirit returned here. The old bridge was replaced by a new steel bridge, but that won’t stop you from seeing Joe’s ghost playing in the river, dressed in 19th-century clothes and sometimes standing four feet above the water. You may also smell phantom smoke from the old bridge burning.
By this time, you will have worked up, or scared up, an appetite. The Norwich Inn combines gourmet cuisine with ghostly happenings and great beer! Your stop at this historic inn includes lunch, a microbrew beer sampling and a ghost tour.
After a busy schedule, you will have earned some time to “hang out”. Arrive at your Vermont, lake-side resort for a tonights stay. The resort property abounds with amenities that are available in all seasons. Walk along the manicured nature trails, take a pontoon boat ride, practice your skills on the putting green, play a round of golf, swim in the indoor pool or just relax and take in the views.
Before dinner at the resort, gather for a guided ghost tour. This “boo-ti-ful” resort holds a fascinating haunted history.
Following dinner, get ready for a spiritual adventure when a psychic entertains you with “Stories of Spirit.” The Group Gallery Reading involves audience participation and makes for an unforgettably haunting experience.
DAY 4 - Weekday
Head into Vermont’s capital city, Montpelier, after breakfast at the resort. Your first stop is at Morse Farm Sugarworks. It’s not haunted, but it’s sweet! Watch how real maple sugar is made, from the trees to the finished product, on a traditional Vermont maple sugar farm. You will tour the sugarhouse, sample fresh-made maple syrup and visit the largest and most unique maple, crafts and mail order shop in the area. Your visit ends with a sugar-on-snow party.
Continue on to Emily’s Haunted Bridge where you will meet your local guide. This 1800’s covered bridge carries a sadly haunting story of a love gone badly. Only the brave dare to walk across!
Then, follow your guide on a Haunted Tour of Stowe. Hear entertaining tales of the resident ghosts of Stowe, Vermont and New England. Listen to compelling stories of early settlers and view Stowe's historic buildings.
After your tour, have lunch on your own in Stowe and time at your leisure to explore the shops and galleries.
Begin your travels back home. Along the way, share tales of what you saw, what you heard and the spirits you met.
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”
“The Raven”
Edgar Allen Poe
Your package includes:
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3 Nights accommodation
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3 Breakfasts
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1 Lunch
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3 Dinners
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Tour of Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
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Guided tour at Lyndhurst Mansion
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Live story-telling of “The Legend’s of Sleepy Hollow”
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Docent-led tour of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
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Visit to the Salem With Museum with special program
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Tour of the House of Seven Gables
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Free time to explore Salem
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Lantern-lit Haunted Footsteps Tour in Salem
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Visit to the Haunted Amos J. Blake house Museum
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Photo op at Quechee Gorge
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Time to shop in Quechee Gorge Village
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Stop at the Haunted Railroad Bridge
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Guided tour at the Haunted Norwich Inn
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Microbrew tasting at the Norwich Inn
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Guided ghost tour at the Lake Morey Resort
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Audience interactive “Stories of Spirit” presented by a local psychic
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Visit to Morse Farm Sugarworks with sugar on snow party
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Photo op at Emily’s Haunted Bridge
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Locally guided Haunted Tour of Stowe
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Free time to explore Stowe
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Witches Cauldron Cooking DemO
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Baggage service for one piece of luggage per person
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Accommodations and breakfasts for the coach driver
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Taxes and gratuities (Note: Gratuities for local guides and coach driver are not included and are at your discretion based on service.)