Ghosts & Legends Walking Tours

Sure, it seems like every time you look up, another old NoDa building has been torn down. We may be losing our history, but guess what: The ghosts are still here! Come out and meet them during our 16th annual Ghosts and Legends tour, scheduled this year for Oct. 18.

The Back in the Day Committee has researched ghost stories passed down from previous decades, inter- viewed people who have lived here for generations and listened to some of our neighbors’ more contemporary stories over the years. We’ve compiled the best of these tales into our annual Ghosts & Legends Walking Tours, which take place every October here in NoDa.

This year’s tour route covers about a mile in the High- land Mill village on NoDa’s south side. If you were on last year’s tour, don’t worry; new stories are included each year. Several of the haunted buildings on this year’s tour are still intact, but who knows what will still be standing when we revisit the south side in two years? This could be your last chance to experience the spirits in their original habitats.

Here’s what you need to know:

WHO: The NoDa NBA’s Back in the Day Committee along with the hundreds of ghosts, spirits and legends that still hang out in NoDa. And you, of course.

WHAT: Walking tour of the neighborhood. Don’t worry about special shoes, however. We stick to city streets and will not be going over any rough terrain. Tours last approximately one hour.

WHEN: One night only on Saturday, Oct. 18. Tours will begin at 6 p.m. and run nonstop until the last tour leaves around 10:15 p.m. We’ll have multiple tours leaving every hour, so you won’t have to wait around too long for the next one to start.

WHERE: We will set up our table at Stu’s Barrel House next to Jackbeagle’s. Look for the humans in the blue-and-white striped shirts. Don’t follow the spirits (until you’re with the rest of the group, of course).

WHY: It’s a great way to hear about NoDa’s rich and colorful history from our beginnings as mill villages to now. You might even finally figure out why it feels like you are being watched when you walk down North Alexander Street.

HOW: Tickets will be available the night of the event. Walk-ups are welcome. All you have to do is swing by our table and tell us how many you need and which tour you want to join. We advise coming early to secure your tickets, however, even if you plan on going later in the evening.

HOW MUCH: FREE! However, the Back in the Day committee is a nonprofit group of volunteers with NoDa’s best interests in mind, so dona- tions are gratefully accepted. We’d like to keep doing things like this in the neighborhood. (We’re looking at you, Krampus...)

Shoot us an email if you have questions about the tour, would like to be more involved with the committee, have a ghost story of your own to share, or know any current or former residents we should interview so we can capture our neighborhood’s history: backintheday@noda.org.