10 Ghost Hunting Events That Dig Up Alabama’s Haunted History
October 5, 2017
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Spirit seekers can experience some of Alabama’s haunted history in October with hearse rides, ghost walks and paranormal investigations.
A variety of events pay homage to the state’s ghostly history including a moonlit tour of the ghost town of Old Cahawba where paranormal investigators will showcase their ghost hunting equipment.
In Montgomery, a mortician will take you on a tour of Oakwood Cemetery in a hearse. And in Tuscaloosa, you’ll see why the Drish House is one of the most haunted houses in the state.
Check out this list of 10 ghostly events taking place this month across the state.
1. Selma/Old Cahawba
Haunted History Tours and Cahawba Spirits Investigation – Sat., Oct. 21 & Sat., Oct. 28
Two centuries of area history will raise the hair on your arms during the Haunted History Tour of Alabama’s most famous ghost town. This tour of Old Cahawba after dark takes participants on a deluxe wagon tour and short walks along the most haunted locations in the archaeological park. The Alabama Paranormal Research Group will pull out spirit hunting equipment along the tour, putting visitors in the middle of a real mini investigation.
After the tour, guests can sit around the bon fire and chat with paranormal investigators.
Seats for this 90-minute tour and investigation are limited and advance tickets for $20 are required. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Tour times are 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30 & 9:00 p.m.
For more information call 334.872.8058 or visit www.selmaalabama.com.
2. Huntsville
Huntsville Ghost Walk – Oct. 1-31, Fri. and Sat. nights
The Huntsville Ghost Walk guided tours are every Friday and Saturday in October. Visitors can chose from three guided walking tours. Hear tales of Historic Huntsville’s haunted past while walking along the Old Town District, The Haunted Downtown District or the Twickenham District.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under. All tours depart from Harrison Brothers Hardware Store downtown and begin Fridays at 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m.
Another option is a one-hour Trolley Tour through Huntsville’s haunted past. Reservations for this tour should be made in advance by purchasing tickets at Harrison Brothers Hardware Store. Adult tickets are $15 and $12 for children 12 and under.
Call 256.509.3940 or visit www.huntsvilleghostwalk.com for more information.
3. Mobile
Spirits and Strange Happenings Tour – Oct. 1-31
This one to two hour tour explores Mobile’s mysterious spirits, ghostly residents and strange happenings.
Tours are provided seven days a week in October and leave nightly at 7:15 from Mobile’s Welcome Center on Royal Street, or pickups from area hotels can be arranged. A special motor coach tour on October 30 includes extra stops at a graveyard and haunted house. (Call for special pricing.)
Regular tour cost is $20 per person with a six-person minimum. For more information call 1.800.338.5597 or visit https://www.baycityconventions.com
4.Tuscaloosa
Haunted Tuscaloosa Tours – Oct. 1-31
This hair-raising tour starts at one of the most haunted houses in Alabama, the historic Drish House. The 90-minute adventure on a trolley bus will take you to 16 locations around the city, including the University of Alabama campus, to learn about Tuscaloosa’s dark history.
Tours are every Friday night in October and depart at 7:00, 8:30 and 10:00 p.m. from the Drish House. Tickets are $25 for adults. Discounts are available for students, military, children and groups.
For advance reservations and more information visit HauntedTuscaloosaTours.com
5. Birmingham
The Birmingham Ghost Walk – Oct. 1-31
Lantern lit tours take you into the shadowy darkness to discover Birmingham’s ghostly past. Different tours offer visits to haunted hotels, churches, theatres, Sloss Furnace and more.
Two-hour tours begin at 7:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. each night in October. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children.
Call 205.440.2720 or visit Birmingham Ghost Walk for more information.
6. Florence, Sheffield
Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk – Oct. 13 -31
Master storyteller and author Debra Glass entertains participants with tales, legends, folklore and true stories as you stroll the streets of Florence and Sheffield. Visit an old Civil War hospital, famous restaurants, recording studios and more.
Various dates and times will take you on ghost walks and trolley tours in Florence and Sheffield.
Prices range from $15- $20 for adults and $10 – $15 for children.
Visit www.florenceghostwalk.com or call 256.810.5618 for dates, times and prices.
7. Montgomery
Haunted Hearse Tours – Oct. 1-31
Ride in a real hearse as you visit sites like Oakwood Cemetery, the feather duster murder house, the house where Catfish Bob met his demise and more. The one-hour tour leaves from the Alley across from Biscuits Stadium every hour beginning at 7:00 p.m. each night in October.
Reservations are required. Cost is $15 per person. Call 334.514.4457 to reserve a spot. They also have a Facebook page, Haunted Hearse Tours of Montgomery.
8. Decatur
Decatur Ghost Walk – Saturdays in October
Ghosts of Union soldiers still wait for the train in Decatur 150 years after the Civil War. Dead Man’s Alley may make you uneasy as you hear tales of sinister murders. Delve into these stories and more every Saturday in October.
Tours begin at 6:00 p.m. on the steps of the Old State Bank. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
Call 256.509.3940 for more information or email Jacque@HuntsvilleGhostWalk.com.
9. Athens
Historic Haunts Walk – Oct. 5 – Oct. 26, Tues. and Thurs. nights
Hear the story about a student who fell to her death, yet still wanders the halls at Athens University. The Historic Haunts Walk begins at the Athens Visitors Center and includes 13 sites.
Each walk is approximately 90 minutes. The first starts at 6:30 p.m. followed by the second walk at 7:00 p.m. Required advanced tickets are $5. For more information call Athens-Limestone County Tourism 256.232.5411. **As of this writing the walks are close to being sold out.
10. University of Alabama
Haunting at the Museum – Thursday, Oct. 26
UA’s Museum of Natural History and Gorgas House Museum hosts their annual ghost tour, “A Haunting at the Museum,” from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26.
The tour takes guests to some of the University’s most haunted legends. Locations include the Quad, Gorgas Library, Gorgas House and Smith Hall. Guides will be dressed in Halloween costumes, and guests are encouraged to wear family-friendly costumes as well.
Also see creepy crawly bugs from the UA Museum’s collections department and experience mad scientist experiments.
Attendees will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with the ghost of “Amelia Gorgas” at the Gorgas House Museum.
The event is free and open to all ages. Tours depart from UA’s Alabama Museum of Natural History. For more information visit the facebook page or call 205-348-7550.
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Contact:
Edith Parten
Executives among UA Business Analytics
Symposium Presenters
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — James Spann, from ABC 33/40, Pete Keating, from ESPN the Magazine, and Filippo Passerini, former Procter & Gamble chief information officer, are among the speakers and presenters scheduled for the 2016 Business Analytics Symposium.
The Institute of Business Analytics at The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse Business School hosts the annual event that kicks off Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. at the Bryant Conference Center on UA’s campus. The symposium concludes at noon Friday, Oct. 14.
The $275 early bird registration deadline is Sept. 30; afterward, the price increases to $300. Registration and details on the conference are available at http://mycba.ua.edu/basymposium/.
The two-day event explores the diverse landscape of business analytics with topics ranging from applications of data mining, forecasting, predictive modeling, text mining, operations research, and credit scoring to corporate and academic partnerships.
The winners of two national student analytics competitions will present their winning analytics cases Oct. 13. Team members Bryant Cassidey and Ford McDermott are master’s students in operations management, specializing in decision analytics. They won the Dow Big Data Challenge earlier this year. Management Information Systems students Derek Legenzoff and T. Carter Socha won the 2016 Merck Analytics Challenge.
Attendees of the symposium will have the opportunity to network with practitioners, faculty and University of Alabama students who are pursuing graduate degrees that are preparing them for careers in business analytics.
The Institute of Business Analytics is an applied research center that uses data mining techniques and analytics to enhance the ability of an organization to make better business decisions. The Institute serves as a key focal point for business intelligence research within the Culverhouse Business School for University-industry partnerships in all aspects of business analytics.
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Edith Parten (epar10 Creative) 