Do you believe in ghosts? If you ask Becky Schisler, creator of the Dublin Ghost Walk – also known as the Olde Town Ghost Tour – she’ll tell you she’s seen one with her own eyes.
Years ago, Schisler was outside her business on South High Street when she saw a man in the neighboring business’ window. The shop had closed for the day and she was surprised that someone was still there. When she later asked an employee about what she saw, she was told not to worry – it was just their friendly ghost, Pete.
Schisler was inspired to start the walk not only by her personal spectral experience but by a ghost tour she attended in Gettysburg. Since then, she has been collecting stories of ghost encounters in downtown Dublin as well as speaking with longtime residents to understand the area’s history.
“After that (Gettysburg tour), I thought, I could totally do that in Dublin,” Schisler says. “So I just went around and started talking to everybody that I could in the area and when I felt like I had enough material, I put it all together and advertised the tour.”
This fall marks the 13th year of the walk. In addition to spooky ghost stories, Schisler also makes an effort to share her historical knowledge with the group, as it often goes hand-in-hand with each haunting backstory.
“They like to hear the history and partly it’s a fun thing to do at Halloween,” she says. “A lot of people are into ghosts now.”
There are some individuals who believe they can feel the presence of a spirit more easily than others. Schisler refers to these people as “sensitives.” She says when these people are around there’s often more paranormal activity.
“Ghosts are attracted to people who can hear them or see them, so it really stirs things up,”
Schisler says. “At one of my locations, the people who moved into it, they were like, ‘There’s nothing going on here.’ And they just weren’t open to it.”
The tour runs through the month of October on Friday and Saturday evenings. To attend the tour, arrive at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. to sign in. Tours start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, cash only. Attendees are guided through the two-hour tour, traveling a distance of about half a mile. While the level of horror during the tour is relatively low and tolerable for most, the Dublin Ghost Walk is not recommended for children under age 12.
Sensitive or not, Schisler says some hauntings are so profound that anyone could be affected by it.
“Sometimes people will be taking pictures with their phones, and their phones will malfunction or they will get strange pictures, I have had that happen,” she says. “Also, with Pete, sometimes people feel like he’s right there next to them and he does occasionally touch people.”
Schisler’s business doesn’t only attract those looking for a fun seasonal activity. She says it isn’t uncommon for people to show up with ghost-hunting equipment and return to take the tour multiple times, often bringing others with them. She believes the growth in the popularity of ghosts in entertainment has contributed to more people taking an interest in paranormal activity.
“Everybody used to say, ‘There’s no such thing as ghosts,’ and it was like a taboo thing almost. But then, frankly, I think the show Ghost Hunters kind of broke that all open,” she says.
Many people have had their own experiences with the paranormal, whether it is during the walk or in a different setting. Being interested in ghosts herself, Schisler loves when people share their experiences with her.
“Some people have had experiences and they’ll come back and tell me about it,” Schisler says. “They pull me aside and tell me stuff. That’s the most fun part about it.”
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
