Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

“If there’s any place in Alabama that’s haunted, it’s going to be Old Cahawba,” said Jonathan Matthews, Assistant Site Director at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. “It’s a ghost town that’s built on top of a Native American burial site. One of the most overcrowded prisons was built here. It checks all the boxes.”

Local people will get a chance to experience the ghosts and other spirits that inhabit Old Cahawba for the next two weekends as Haunted History Tour returns again this year.

The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 26, tours beginning 30 minutes apart from 7 to 9 p.m. Matthews said guests will get the rare chance to tour the ground at night for a 90-minute excursion throughout the haunted grounds of Alabama’s first state capital at the convergence of the Alabama and Cahaba rivers. 

Matthews said this event will feature staff members telling the authentic historical accounts of ghosts attached to areas of the old city. Some of the stories may also include the experiences staffers had.

Then the Webb Paranormal Group will step in with their ghost-hunting equipment so visitors can participate in a mini-investigation. Once the tour is complete, visitors can swap ghost tales around a bonfire, chat with a paranormal investigator or learn more about Cahawba’s mysterious history. 

“We have people who come here prepared to do their own ghost hunting,” Matthews said. “There are some people who come here for historical accounts who maybe brought their girlfriends here to scare them many years ago. Many others come here every year and tell us that they wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance for this event. Matthews said since there is limited seating on the wagons, reservations are required. No tickets will be sold at the time of the event.

“Once the wagons fill up for each event, we will not sell any more tickets,” Matthews said. “Please call ahead as early as possible to get your reservations locked in. We can take care of payment over the phone with a credit or debit card.”

Mathews said visitors are encouraged to bring their own flashlights and perhaps a lawnchair . There will be some walking required at each of the sites. The event is recommended for ages 12 and up.

The event is rain or shine. Matthews encourages those attending the event to arrive at least 20 minutes prior to their scheduled tour.

Tickets may be purchased by calling Old Cahawba’s Visitor Center at 334-872-8058.

Old Cahawba is a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission. To learn more about Old Cahawba or the Alabama Historical Commission, please visit www.ahc.alabama.gov.