Baltimore is scary enough as is. However, in an attempt to make the "Greatest City in America" even more frightening, Amy Lynwander and Missy Garland have created the Fells Point Ghost Walk. This attraction is aimed at helping tourists discover the rich sense of culture behind Baltimore's history.
The walk, which starts at 1623 Thames St, is an hour-long foray into Fells Point's past. The tour's promotion Web site, http://www.fellspointghost.com, claims that Baltimore, circa 1730, was a "rowdy seaport town" that gave birth to America's first clipper ships. The site provides many allusions to Baltimore's rather notorious past. Apparently, Fells Point was home to "All the characters looking to make a living off the maritime industry," sailors and immigrants, as well as prostitutes who made nightly forays into the sweltering streets. Apparently not much has changed.
The tour shows visitors a slice of this life, promising to enable groups to see the haunts which these shady characters frequented, which are now in turn haunted by their spirits. Coordinator Lynwander added, "The purpose is to entertain and also to highlight Fells Point, including its ghosts and colorful history."
Walkers can expect to see brick-faced row houses from the Federal and Victorian periods. "Because Fells Point is on the National Register of Historic Places, it's easy to imagine these buildings in some of their earlier incarnations whether it was boardinghouse, brothel, tavern, or in some cases all three," Lynwander said.
Visitors can visit the same taverns and antique shops to see what life was like in Baltimore during the 1700s. After the tour, guests have the added amenities of shopping and dining at the many chic boutiques and restaurants that are located in Fells Point. One stop that visitors can frequent after the tour is the Wharf Rat pub, home of Oliver's Ale. Comfortable shoes are recommended for the Ghost Tour, because the majority of walking is on cobbled streets.
The tours, which are led by Lynwander and Garland, showcase many vestiges of Baltimore's past. Guides point out the remains of faint sign painted on buildings, such as one that reads "Vote Against Prohibition" - a throwback to early 20th century American history when the debate over the prohibition of alcohol raged on. One of the saloon's featured on the tour is named "The Horse You Came in On," a reference to the time when Baltimoreans regularly rode the streets on their horses and buggy, instead of today's cabs and cars. Lynwander and Garland also take visitors past the Nighthawk, a 19th-century rigged schooner and U.S. Merchant Marine passenger vessel, in an attempt to make it easier for visitors to visualize the importance of the port on Baltimore's early history. Tugboats also dot the Fells Point pier.
Patrons with a keen eye may notice that one of the buildings on the stop was used as the backdrop to the popular American television show, "Homicide: Life on the Street." The Fell-Bond cemetery stop on the walk is the perfect setting against which to truly soak in the stories of horror and mystery which Lynwander and Garland tell groups about.
Lyndwander said, "The crowd's usually mixed with some couples, groups of friends, and even an occasional family reunion." She added that visitors are rarely spooked too much; they mainly "just seem to have fun" and enjoy the walk.
The Ghost walk, which was first started last Halloween and currently runs every Friday from March 1 until Nov. 29 at 7 p.m., has attracted over 100 visitors thus far. In addition, there is a Saturday tour on April 27 at 6 p.m. Tour Baltimore discourages children under the age of nine from attending the tour, because it may prove to scary for them to handle. Parties with 10 or more people are eligible for the group discount, at which case tickets cost only $10. Groups should call 410-522-7400 to make reservations, or visit the Web site for group ticket purchases http://www.fellspointghost.com/groups.
The ambiance of strolling along quaint cobbled sidewalks and smelling the fresh salty air from the pier will make you feel as though you are in some charming European city. The next time you find yourself and your friends lamenting that you are all tired of Towson and don't have the time to go to D.C., consider taking a trip on this Ghost Walk.
