The idea to attend the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington was one of the most spur-of-the-moment plans I’ve ever put together. At breakfast that morning, I decided to try to make that night’s tour. Which may not sound like much, but since Wilmington, NC is not the town I live in, it was a bit of a thing. But H³ is a huge fan of last-minute plans, so we booked a hotel, packed up, and headed out of town. Little did he know I had a full day of spooky-themed events planned. 

About Ghosts

When it comes to matters of ghosts, spirits, and hauntings, I very much fall in the Fox Mulder school of thought: “I want to believe”. Which is not to say that I DO believe, not entirely, just that I’m looking for enough credible evidence to convince me.  I did not for a second believe that the Wilmington Ghost Walk was going to be the source of credible evidence. I hoped it would be a fun, mildly-spooky-although-family-friendly evening. Whether it was worth the drive and hotel costs would be a whole other matter.

But First: Wallace Park!

Our trip to Wilmington was started by a brief stop at the scenic Wallace Park. A lovely neighborhood playground and greenspace that also happens to be one of the filming locations for Halloween Kills, the thematically muddled but cinematically gorgeous second movie in the latest trilogy. We hung out where Michael stalked his victims and met a squirrel with the blackest eyes. Matching up the locations to the scenes was a lot of fun, and I would have liked to have gone to the bar and other key places, but H³ was Halloweened out, so it was on to our next stop – the perfectly safe, non-scary NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher.

Last Gasp of Halloween

Where they were running the last gasps of their “Spooky Seas” Halloween event. Ok, I didn’t plan this part.  I didn’t even pick the Aquarium. Other than the park and the Ghost Walk, the rest of the day was pretty open. This was just a delightful coincidence. I wanted one last gasp of Halloween, and this was perfect; there weren’t any organized events, although feeding time for the otters was, for fish, probably a horror show, but the exhibits were decorated and lit beautifully. 

Even without spooky stuff, the NC Aquarium is worth the trip. It’s not large; you could probably do everything in a couple hours, although that would depend on the speed of your group and if you watch any programs. Or if you’re like me and hang out for a while trying to get the perfect picture of a shark. I did not get the perfect picture of a shark, but I had fun trying.

Bonus Kites

While traveling to the Aquarium, we also got to see the Cape Fear Kite Festival from a distance.  We didn’t know there was a kite festival until we were in the middle of the traffic for it. Then we rounded a bend, and the sky was full of all colors and shapes of kites. Dragons, stingrays, octopus, and abstract shapes darted about. While we didn’t actually attend, just watching from the car was enough to make me want to go back next year. It was stunning. 

Last Gasp of Halloween

Golden Sands: the perfect midcentury modern-styled beachfront hotel with such a chill vibe. Great restaurant, comfortable bed, and awesome décor. We were able to hit the beach for a bit after dinner—yes, I waded in the ocean in November, yeah it was cold—before getting ready for the main event.  To be 100% honest, there was a moment where we were so comfy in the hotel, ditching our plans to just hang out there was on the table. It’s just that good.

Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington

But I came for a Ghost Walk, so Ghost Walk I shall!  Before the requested meeting time of 6:15, we had the chance to check out the Black Cat Shoppe, one of the downtown novelty stores that sells tickets to the Walk and helps people find the meeting place. It’s a cool shop with plenty of fun and unique gift items; I picked up a new Tarot deck.

Markwick’s Alley

After leaving the shop, we made our way to the meeting spot where the crowd of waiting Ghost Walkers grew by the minutes. At 6:30 our guides assembled, and the massive crowd gathered was split up into smaller groups, each with a host dressed in costume. Our group, identified with blood red beads —used “to identify the bodies” — was led by Gina, a playfully sarcastic pirate.   Gina immediately gave a favorable impression which only grew once she led us through the streets of downtown Wilmington to the location of the first story:  the tragic tale of Llewellyn Markwick, rich young man newly arrived from England, whose murder was never solved and who has been seen roaming the streets of downtown reaching out for help.   

The mystery was told with humor and suspense as Gina wove the tale from historical fact to modern sightings of Markwick and his horse. Standing in the dark alley between two massive churches, I could imagine Markwick riding a spectral steed, if only an SUV hadn’t been parked there.  

The Refurbished Hotel

The next story was just at the end of the same alley. This tale started more modern, but quickly returned to the tragic history of the area. Listening to Gina describe the original purpose of the buildings that now serve as hotel rooms, I could imagine that the particular haunting she detailed was just one of many occurrences. Standing in the empty lot with nothing but the darkness behind me, I was just a little relieved when she signaled it was time to move to the next location.

The Latimer House

The Second Most Haunted House in Wilmington, this gorgeous Victorian manor is the first house I’ve seen where I thought we might see something.  It’s also one of the only stops on this particular walk—each walk has 5 out of 30 possible stories —that didn’t have an overwhelmingly tragic backstory. Don’t come for me; yes, a lot of children died, that’s what happened back then. Medicine is important, also wash your hands.  

I want to go back to the Latimer house as soon as possible. They offer a wide variety of tours and on my next trip to Wilmington, that will be on the list. Even if it’s just to spend more time in such a beautiful manor. 

Harper House – Backyard

This story was the most fun, at least it was the way Gina told it: the tragic tale of Ella Harper and the Widow who bought her house.  This house is currently privately owned and not a tourist location, so it was a bit of a different experience than the other locations.  Respect for the currently owner of what sounds like an extremely haunted house. 

At this point on the tour, we were running over time, but Gina had a couple more stories to tell. One on the way to the final location, a bit of a postscript to the Markwick mystery. 

Paradise Alley

The last tale of the evening: one full of pirates, foolish young men, beer and brothels, and Gallus Mag, a bar owner and proprietor providing ladies for lonely sailors just off their ships. Her extreme ways of dealing with those who disrespected her, or her girls, ended up with her making some enemies and eventually her death. What remains of Paradise Alley is where her spirit remains, possibly still looking out for women.  After that dramatic and still somehow-family-friendly tale of revenge, the tour was over. 

So, in all these haunted locations did we see a ghost?  Not in a Ghostbusters, full-body apparition kind of way, but you probably knew that already. If I had, the title of this would have been much different. I did experience feelings of deep discomfort at the Latimer house; there was one window in particular that felt like if I stopped watching it, something would start watching me.

Now, there are multiple explanations for this; the two I like the most are first, the skills of Gina, our tour guide. She set a mood, and I got caught up in it. Or, something was watching us.

So, did the Ghost Walk make me a believer?

Credible evidence is a funny thing. What is reasonable to me, may be ludicrous to you. But if you are specifically asking if we saw any ghosts on the Ghost Walk, well, that would a spoiler. What you see and feel at the locations on the tour may be different from my experience, and I would hate to ruin that for you.

Final thoughts:

What a weekend. Between the non-stop activities on Saturday, and then on our return trip, we made time to tour the Battleship North Carolina before heading home, exhausted but feeling like I had wrung out every last bit of Halloween possible. If you are in Wilmington, I do recommend the Ghost Walk. It’s a lot of fun, in fact more funny than anything else. But dress comfortably; it’s a walking tour with a lot of hills, and maybe pick a time of year when the weather is best suited for strolling around downtown.  Your walk experience may differ based on your guide and the make-up of your group. For us both worked, Gina was excellent and the group was immersed in her stories. A less cooperative group may change the experience, but it would make it worth doing again.

The Ghost Walk of of Wilmington is available every night except for Thanksgiving, Xmas Eve and Xmas Day. Check them out here for more info.