Our Oldest Walking Tour and the Gateway to America's First Western Frontier!!! Lying in the heart of the first Washington County in the country to be named in honor of the first United States President, this tour is great as a package with area haunted and historic Bed and Breakfasts, Grist Mills, Museums, Carriage Rides, and the Virginia State Theatre!
Who's red eyes are seen through the windows of the Abingdon Tavern late at night? Does Bob Porterfield still "manage" the Barter Theater from beyond? Who is the musician presenting the mysterious violin performances inside the Martha Washington Inn?
This is our longest running tour beginning in the Fall of 2004 and so much has happened on this tour you simply have to hear it for yourself. Join your certified ghost hunting tour guide as we walk down Main Street of old Abingdon established in 1778...
The Tavern (1779) - Abingdon, Virginia
Originally named Wolf Hill by Daniel Boone in the year of 1760, you'll be amazed by the mystery, Native American folklore, and legend wrapped in the true stories of history and science woven by your host. Get ready for an evening of enlightenment as you learn about the life and times of those long gone and apparently holding on to the present by virtue of their interactions with local patrons and business owners alike. If you dare, join your guide on a breathtaking walk through the "dark side" of Abingdon as we make our way around the historic district to visit sites which have been centuries in the making.
While visiting this historic locale, be sure to take advantage of fine dining from The Tavern Restaurant, established in 1779, which is one of the oldest buildings in the Southeastern United States still being utilized and open to the public for business. You just might have an encounter with "The Lady of the Tavern", as we like to call her, who you'll hear more about during the tour. Then, you'll hear about the history and hauntings of the Martha Washington Inn, once listed on the Travel Channel as being one of the most haunted inns in America!!!
Barter Theatre - Abingdon, Virginia
In addition, we highly recommend that you make an attempt to time your visit so that you can catch one of the wonderful live plays at the prestigious Barter Theatre, the longest running professional resident theatre in America. The Barter's interior auditorium, in addition to other parts of the building, serve as a home for many mysterious happenings which we will again share with you during the GhostWalk. You just may run into Mr. Porterfield yourself while you're there, especially if it happens to be opening night!
Scientific investigations of the interior of historic buildings along this tour route currently include the famous Barter Theatre, The Tavern Restaurant established in 1779, and The Martha Washington Inn - which was listed on the travel channel as being one of the most haunted inns in America! The results of our ghost hunter investigations are available in DVD format from your tour guide, or from our Ghost Hunter Store...
Visitors may top off their visit take an amazing carriage ride through the back streets and alleys of the town, which we can arrange for you at a discount in combination with our tours. The Historic Abingdon Virginia GhostWalk departs nightly with advance reservations from the Barter Theatre Stage II Cafe located at 110 West Main Street in Abingdon, Virginia - zip 24210 for those with GPS locators. Call (423) 743-WALK (9255) for reservations and directions...
January Through December Historic Abingdon Virginia GhostWalk Energy / Difficulty Level - Low to Medium
Please call (423) 743-WALK (9255) for reservations.
Use the following directions to Appalachian GhostWalks' "Historic Abingdon Virginia GhostWalk" if driving from Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee just a short distance by way of Interstate 40 East and Interstate 81 North to the Barter Theatre Cafe.
Directions to the "Historic Abingdon Virginia GhostWalk"
From Highway US-441 take Highway 66 North for 8.47 miles; Merge onto Interstate I-40 East for 13.77 miles; Merge onto Interstate I-81 North toward the left toward Bristol, TN; Take Exit 17, or Highway VA-75, or Highway US-58-ALT toward Abingdon for 0.21 miles; Turn LEFT onto US-58 ALT/VA-75/CUMMINGS ST SW. 0.8 miles; Turn RIGHT onto US-11/W MAIN ST/LEE HWY. 0.2 mi; End at the Barter Theatre Stage II Cafe located at 110 West Main Street, Abingdon, VA 24210; Total Estimated Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes; Total Distance: 120.73 miles... Appalachian GhostWalks hopes to see you soon! Happy Ghost Hunting!!!
The ARC - Alternate Realities Center is a member supported, not-for-profit organization founded in February of 1994 to study all manner of phenomena that are classified as "the fringe" by most branches of Science. Appalachian GhostWalks was created as a public awareness program of The ARC to reveal the wondrous and often haunting discoveries made at hundreds of Federal, State, and Local Historic Sites throughout our region. Thus, there is nothing false, fictitious, or made-up on any of our tours and vacations package productions - you'll always get REAL Tennessee and Virginia History and TRUE Smoky Mountain Ghost Stories! Through the indepth investigations - conducted before the first walk was ever presented at each location - and by way of the resulting tours which followed, the goal has always been to lend evidence in support of a belief to which so many of us cling. A faith suggestive that when our body stops working there is more which lies ahead for us all. We invite you to come and discover the amazing results of our investigations, in combination with the region's documented history - which actually verified our findings. Facts which will truly give you a spine-tingling feeling for who is haunting these locations and why they are here! Altogether, a positive reflection on the afterlife, appropriate for all ages, and proudly supporting Saint Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
