Ghost Walk returns to South Main Street

Harrison Township Historical Society is preparing for a night of spooks, haunts and history.

The 24th Annual Ghost Walk will be held on Saturday, October 3, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The walk is led by volunteer tour guides with the historical society who will take groups of 35 people or less around South Main Street to share haunted histories with guests. Each group will take off in ten-minute increments, and the walk itself will last about an hour and a half on foot.

This year’s theme is parlor and funeral home, meaning special attention will be given to the town’s historic funeral homes and stories.

Tickets are $13 for the family- and kid-friendly walk; kids six and under are free. They can be purchased ahead of time on the historical society’s website. Proceeds from the event go towards the mission and work of the historical society, an all-volunteer organization.

The walk begins at High Street Delicatessen (46 South Main Street). The tour guides will lead their groups to about eight different historical buildings and locations on South Main Street. From the deli, it will go north towards Old Town Hall (where Harrison Township Historical Society is based), loop down to Old Mill Antique Mall, then head back towards the heart of South Main Street.

In addition to stories, there will be live paranormal investigations and demonstrations by Jersey Unique Minds Paranormal Society at the Stratton Hall, where the Salem-based group has participated in past years. They will have their cameras set up with a TV outside of the building for the guests to watch and interact with.

“We will gather everybody together at the deli, do a safety briefing (and share) what to expect,” said Eric Elder, a local resident and the 2026 Ghost Walk Coordinator. “Tour guides will spout off fun facts about the different buildings along the way. And then at each location, there will be somebody telling the story that’s been developed (by the historical society). The society prides themselves on the ability to not make up stories.”

Elder said this is his first year participating in the planning and production of the annual Ghost Walk. He has been part of the township’s Historic Preservation Commission for about two years, which eventually led him to become involved with helping the society with its events, like the Asparagus Festival in the spring.

However, in the past, his house has been part of the Ghost Tour, as his home is one of the sites on South Main Street.

Now, as an involved coordinator with the walk, he has worked with the historical society’s committee and volunteers, High Street Delicatessen’s owner Nicholas Giovinco and local businesses to not only uphold the walk’s tradition, but try to implement more kid-centric activities. He created an activity sheet kids can use while on the walk.

“My goal was to engage kids,” Elder said. “I have these little 12-inch tall ghost yard signs, and I put letters on them. They’ll spell out a word. So at each location, they’ll have to spot the ghost, write down the letter and it will be a word scramble at the end.”

The activity sheet will also have other games for kids. Plus, there will be free face painting and photo-ops at the event.

While the Ghost Walk is kid-friendly and not a haunted excursion like Creamy Acres on Lincoln Mill Road, it will still have spooky, creepy elements. In addition to the tour guides dressing up in scary costumes or period-correct garb, some volunteers will be dressed up just wandering the street and tour stops.

The Ghost Walk is a rain or shine event. For updates, go to www.harrisonhistorical.com.