Read Part 1 of my review to learn about the haunted attraction itself.
I had never been interested in Ghost Tours so I have never done one before. Perhaps it’s my association with them and Cape May, New Jersey that created a bad opinion of them. Cape May is awesome but it’s not a young or innovative town. It always struck me of where my grandparents might go so sit on the porch.
The nearby Wildwood, New Jersey is past it’s prime. All of their good haunted attractions have been removed. What is left is not impressive to me. I always saw this area’s Ghost Tours as stand-ins for attractions that weren’t there but should have been – much like when Disney tears down a good ride (or fails to build one) but leaves a sprinkler playground there to take up capacity.
When the folks at Legends: A Haunting at Old Town asked me to review Legend’s Ghosts of Old Town Haunted History Tours I had to take some time to think about it. I don’t cover paranormal on my blog and prefer to review things that I think there’s a good chance of me having a positive opinion of. I am not here to waste my time or torture myself with a haunted attraction that does not amuse me.
I take this blog seriously, but I don’t force myself to do things that I will not like just to make a post. It would fill a slot of time during my vacation. Was this really worth my time or was it something targeted toward a part of the demographic that I didn’t have much in common with?
Harknell and I weighed the decision carefully. Because part of it was a tour inside the haunted house we opted to try it.
“When the lights go down on Old Town, spirits rise, as do tales of Central Florida’s past. Our guides will shed lantern light upon little known macabre Victorian funeral customs, and local ghost stories, including a few that take place around the brick streets of Old Town itself.
Then, stay close to your guide as they lead you on a one-of-a-kind tour of Old Town’s Haunted House, which is believed to be haunted by many who have worked in it’s fear-filled halls.
Though the creators of the tour cannot guarantee guests will see an actual ghost, they do promise that guests will certainly learn a lot about them …and since the tour takes guests into a reportedly haunted venue, one never knows what might happen.
Educational. Ethereal. Unforgettable. Discover the Ghosts of Old Town
Tours begin at 9 PM, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.”
The tour is conducted by Dan. He dresses in a funeral suit (no idea if that’s what it’s called, but I am going with it) and carries a lantern. You might recognize him as the guy who plays Mr. Ashdown, the funeral parlor owner in the haunt. He also scares inside when it is running. The haunt is not running during this tour.
The tour starts directly outside the haunt and leads you around some of the businesses nearby. You don’t go too far. I believe the haunt itself is rarely out of your view. I mean you go inside buildings and you can’t see it then, but my point is that if you are afraid of a lot of walking don’t worry. You go places but it’s not really far.
He shares some Florida / Old Town history with you and relates it to really creepy stuff that has happened historically or to the families who own the businesses here. It’s not corny at all. In fact, his demeanor is pleasant and not over the top. He is not playing a character during this tour. We thought that worked well. This had the right tone and was quite interesting.
After a short period of time you go inside the haunted house. Again – the haunt is not running. The idea behind this tour is to give folks who might not like the idea of a haunted house the opportunity to see inside. Yes you can take your conservative Mom or Grandma in here.
The remarkable thing about this tour is that while it’s appropriate for Mom or Grandma it’s also incredibly on target for haunt fans. When you go through the attraction while it is running there is no way to see that theres actually a ton of detail in here. They have a sizable collection of Victorian items ranging from jewelry to post mortem photography to hair wreaths AKA a wreath of hair made from a deceased relative by their family to honor them.
It’s kind of like a museum in there. We had been through the haunt twice and had no idea. Much of the vintage furniture in there is real and was used for funeral purposes. After learning about Victorian times and seeing some of the details in the scenes you get to go backstage into the actor’s corridor and see where scares are done as well as hear about creepy stuff that has happened inside the haunt.
Following that you get to sit in the church and then you will have an opportunity to tell your own ghost story if you like. It’s a great opportunity to meet the other folks on the tour.
I learned that Legend’s Ghosts of Old Town Haunted History Tours is extremely enjoyable. They hit the perfect balance to create a product that both haunt fans and those who are not haunt fans will enjoy. It gives you a deeper look into the artistry that was involved in constructing the haunt as well as humanizes and illuminates some of the neighboring businesses in Old Town. I can’t recommend it enough!
This is really a Can’t Miss event for anyone in the area who likes things that do not suck.
Legend’s Ghosts of Old Town Haunted History Tours are 90 minutes long and $20.00 per person. The group is small and can sell out easily. Reservations are recommended.