This Halloween, there are no shortage of creepy, strange or fun things to do around Richmond.
This Halloween, there are no shortage of creepy, strange or fun things to do around Richmond. By now you know RVA Mag has been partying it up all week long with our annual Halloweek events which continue through the weekend. There’s been the annual Richmond Zombie Walk, a Zombie Prom, haunted houses and hayrides all over town and we haven’t even gotten to the official day yet!
Well, thanks to Venture Richmond, you will have one more spooky event to keep you entertained.
The non-profit will host its ninth annual family-friendly haunted boat tour of the Kanawha Canal and James River tonight. Starting at 6 p.m., with boats leaving every half hour until 8:30 p.m., the ride lasts half an hour. Boat captains will be on hand to give creepy narrated ghost tours through some of the oldest and most haunted parts of Richmond.
While the specifics of the tour vary from storyteller to storyteller, according to organizer Alexander Dahm, participants can count on age-appropriate, but spooky stories like that of Nancy Green, whose death in the Richmond Theater fire in 1811 was foretold to her by a prophetic ghost visitor prior to it happening.
Other notable stories to look out for include that of the Richmond vampire said to be roaming Hollywood Cemetery, especially around the grave of William Wortham Pool, and of the ghosts of workers who were trapped when the Church Hill tunnel collapsed in 1925.
Besides the spooky ghost tour, younger participants can rejoice in the prospect of some extra candy the night before trick-or-treating.
Mostly, Dahm wants people to come and enjoy themselves downtown.
“We want people to come down for the free tour and stay and have a drink and chow at one of the 160 restaurants…check out some of the historical sites, go shopping at one of the many [stores], or even just to enjoy the free entertainment that is the James River,” Dahm said.
While the event is free, be sure to come early, as spots are on a first come, first serve basis. The boats in use are courtesy of Riverfront Canal Cruises, which is responsible for non-ghost tour boat rides of the canal nearly every other weekend of the year. Boats will be leaving from the Canal Turning Basin on Dock and 14th Streets.
Venture Richmond’s Eerie Canal Boat Tours depart tonight, Oct. 30, from 6-9 pm. Free.
