Halloween: a time when families map out trick-or-treating routes, neighbors stock up on candy and Penn students blur the boundaries between "dressing up" and not dressing at all. With all the celebratory distractions, it's easy to forget that Halloween is supposed to be a scary holiday.
In order to keep this image alive, some people celebrate the Halloween tradition by watching scary movies while scarfing down candy corn. But this year, instead of watching The Ring for the twelfth time, check out this bona fide, only-in-Philadelphia experience: the Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour.
Believe it or not, Philadelphia has its fair share of ghouls to spook thrill-seeking tourists and families. These 75-minute walking tours take place in the Philadelphia Historic District, a normally subdued area in the evening that this after-hours tour brings to life (or, in this case, to death). Stops include over fifteen of Philly's most famous sites, including three cemeteries, all steeped in spooky history. Picture your Intro to American History class, only less painful and with a few scares thrown in.and I don't mean your professor's toupee.
Even the history-phobic will be fascinated by the sites, because the Spirits of '76 has a fair share of pop culture worked in too. The itinerary includes stops at the filming locations of The Sixth Sense and National Treasure. The tour also has a number of spiritual encounters with Philadelphia's notable, eccentric and deceased characters including Benjamin Rush, Betsy Ross and, of course, big bad Ben Franklin. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
This tour may be a little tame for those looking for the type of chills that the likes of Jigsaw or Freddy Krueger could provide. But those looking for clean, hokey fun to put them in the Halloween spirit should look no further. The Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour provides enough chills and thrills to keep you on your toes without interrupting your sleep with horrible nightmares. Plus, if that's not enough, there are free glow sticks to sweeten the deal.
