People love a good ghost story. And no matter where you go, there are plenty of stories waiting to be told.
Jenny Strauss has been sharing tales of “the history and mystery” of the Golden Isles for the past six years, during evening ghost tours in the St. Simons Island Village. The tours begin at 9:00, at the foot of the St. Simons Island fishing pier. After a brief welcome and introduction, Jenny leads her groups on a 90-minute journey through the past.
Along the way, she shares the tales that have been handed down through the generations: of the ghost ship that plies the waters of St. Simons Sound, a disagreement that ended in murder, and the young millionaire who built a church as a memorial to his bride. Visitors learn of the Indian village that once occupied a dark and quiet portion of Mallery Park, and of the mysterious spirits that dwell among the crooks and boughs of live oak trees throughout the island.
The legends are mesmerizing, and after awhile you begin to notice sights, sounds and smells you might ignore under different circumstances. “Was that pipe tobacco I smelled in the parlor?” you ask yourself. “Did you see something move through the shadows? Did I hear someone say, ‘Get out of my house’?”
Jenny says that’s not at all unusual. “I wasn’t a believer until I began doing these tours,” she says. “I’m constantly hearing from people who have seen, felt, heard or smelled the things I’ve described. It’s especially interesting when people mention new encounters with ghostly beings.”Jenny offers two different tours from March through October: the “Ghost Walk” tour and the “Ghost Encounter” tour. The latter includes a stop at the St. Simons Lighthouse and the keeper’s dwelling. “The people at the lighthouse offered to make it available for the tour and I couldn’t pass it up,” she explains. “It has been very, very popular and it adds a really special element to the tour.”
During October, Jenny will offer the “Ghost Encounter” tour on Saturday nights. Tickets are available at St. Simons Island Bait and Tackle on Mallery Street; or they may purchased prior to the beginning of the tour. Jenny also will do private ghost tours for groups of 10 or more. For information, visit www.ghostwalkofstsimons.com or call Jenny at 638-2756.
CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN WITH A SPECIAL ‘GHOST ENCOUNTER’ TOUR OCT. 30
Join Jenny Strauss for a special “Ghost Encounter” tour Thursday, Oct. 30. The tour begins at 8:00 p.m. at the St. Simons Island fishing pier in the Village. “We’re starting an hour earlier to accommodate any school-age ghost hunters who might dare to join us,” Strauss says.
The Halloween Eve tour will include a stop at the Lighthouse and keeper’s dwelling, and may include some additional “surprise encounters.” Tickets are available at St. Simons Bait and Tackle, or may be purchased prior to the beginning of the tour. Reservations are not required.
