Group Tour Magazine - August 2024 - 77

Perhaps one of the most famous haunted
destinations in the South, Myrtles Plantation
in St. Francisville, Louisiana, is steeped
in history both tragic and significant. Surrounded
by ancient oaks draped in Spanish
moss, this quaint, picturesque hotel appears
charming enough. But the 18th-century
property was once worked by slaves, some of
whom are said to have never left, including
Myrtles' most famous apparition, Chloe.
Guests to the plantation-turned-hotel
may partake in guided or self-guided tours of
the main house's six downstairs rooms. " Evening
Mystery Tours " and " Private Mystery
Tours " also are available.
Missouri State Penitentiary,
Jefferson City, Missouri
MORE TO EXPLORE
Not sure where to start your group's ghostly
adventure? Ghost City Tours might be able
to help. Based in cities including Savannah,
Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Charleston,
South Carolina; Key West and St. Augustine,
Florida; and Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee,
Ghost City Tours offers a wide range
of haunted tour options tailored to each city.
Haunted pub crawls, nighttime walking tours,
cemetery tours, true-crime tours, and battlefield
tours are only a few options available.
" When you go on a ghost tour with Ghost
Myrtles Plantation,
St. Francisville, Louisiana
Cancer Clinic, claiming to possess a miracle
" cure " for the illness. After amassing considerable
wealth thanks to his illegitimate practice,
he was eventually arrested in 1940. The
property was then reverted to a hotel.
In 2019, an archaeological dig uncovered
hundreds of bottles of Baker's " secret formula "
for curing cancer and several jars
containing medical specimens. This eerie
collection can be viewed during the hotel's
nightly ghost tours-if you dare.
Along with the standard " Crescent Hotel
Ghost Tour, " the hotel also offers a " Kids
Ghost Tour, " " Expert & Expanded Ghost
Tour, " " Midnight Investigation, " and " Basin
Park Hotel Paranormal Investigation. " Notable
spirits said to wander the property are
Michael, Theodora, and " The Ghost in the
Morgue. " Tours allow guests to learn the history
of the property, explore the evolution of
ghost hunting, and experiment with different
ghost hunting equipment on-site.
City, you can expect to hear the true history
of our cities and our ghosts, " the company's
website says. " Too many tour companies,
especially ghost tours companies, resort to
making up outlandish tales that are complete
fabrications. ... We have spent the time
researching the actual history behind our
most haunted locations. This isn't easy, but
we believe in the importance of preserving
history and have invested much time and
money into doing so. What we've discovered
is that the actual history is much more interesting
and spooky than anything. "
So, do ghosts really exist, or is the paranormal
just our way of making sense of the
things we can't understand? Maybe that
prick of fear is paranoia, that strange whisper
is just the wind, or that feeling of being
watched is all in your head, but the resulting
sense of curiosity-and maybe fear-is very
real. At the end of the day, does the answer
to that ultimate question really matter? We
may never know for certain, but that doesn't
mean we can't wonder.
grouptourmagazine.com 77
PHOTOS (FROM ABOVE) ADOBE/MICHAEL SCHLUETER/WIRESTOCK CREATORS, ADOBE/DANA BACKGROUND UNSPLASH/DAN WAYMAN

Group Tour Magazine - August 2024

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