By Deborah L. Bauer
Haunted Tours 2024 returns to the Museum of Seminole County History for another spine-tingling year in an event brought to you by the Seminole County Historical Society!
What's new with Haunted Tours at the Museum 2024? The big thing that is being done differently with Haunted Tours this year is changing the week in October when it is hosted. The event is typically held on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Halloween. Some of the feedback that had been received from guests stated they wished it were held earlier in the month, as there is so much competition with other similar events on those days. This year, Haunted Tours will be offering the tours earlier in the month on October 10th, 11th, and 12th! Capacity is limited to 15 persons per tour this year. One-hour walking tours of the museum's campus begin on the hour at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm. The majority of the tour is held inside (and in the A/C) so the event happens rain or shine. The tour is recommended for children aged eight and older. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $7 for children (under age 12).
For those who have never visited the museum for haunted tours, there's a spectacularly scary experience waiting for you. Haunted Tours is excited to announce that new stories have been added to the tour this year. The museum’s Law and Order Room, one of the most spiritually active rooms in the museum, received a new temporary exhibit this year. The artifacts tell the story of the first sheriff of Seminole County, Charlie Hand. While museum staff is not certain if the established spiritual "residents" of the Law and Order Room didn't like the change, there hasn’t been much of an explanation for what has caused the unrest. Perhaps the disturbances are related to the topic of Sheriff Hand or the artifacts themselves. The staff isn’t 100% certain what has caused the new spike in activity, but they have some interesting stories to share on the tour that will discuss the increase in paranormal activity in this room in recent months.
Guests are welcome to bring their own ghost hunting equipment. Guests also have the option of using EMP readers, thermometers, and flashlights provided by the museum to conduct their paranormal investigation as they track the ghosts through the halls of the museum. Your ghostly tour guide, dressed in appropriately costumed garb, will share with guests spine-tingling stories of the unexplained things that have happened at the museum in both the distant and recent past.
On the tour, guests might possibly encounter a spirit of an indigenous person who goes by the name of 'Tio Juan'. He is seemingly tied to the remnants of the 3500-year bald cypress tree known as the Senator. The tree, which burned down because of arson in 2012, appears to guard what is left of the tree. One of the museum's buildings was built on top of what was once an early 20th century cholera ward where many victims of a fever outbreak died and seems to have remained home to the people who died there. Does a poltergeist named Nick, who is known to dislike ladies, inhibit the museum's basement? Prior to 2022, museum staff thought that Nick was gone. A paranormal medium claimed they had helped Nick pass on several years ago. He'd been silent and unactive for many years. All that changed in 2022 when he came back with a vengeance! And, finally, who has been making a mess in the kitchen? Museum staff keeps having problems with the front door and a whole slew of other things that aren't just pots and pans clanging to the floor when the kitchen is apparently completely empty.
All tickets must be purchased online (e-tickets). All sales are final. There are no refunds. Reselling of tickets is not allowed and will void the ticket. E-tickets can only be bought at www.seminolecountyhistoricalsociety.com. For more information, please visit www.seminolecountyhistoricalsociety.com or call 407-665-2489.
