By Alaina Denean
The Selma Times-Journal

Those looking for a ghostly tour of Selma and Dallas County will have that opportunity starting Friday, Oct. 17.

The Haunted History Tours are back for the eighth year, and this year organizers have added an extra night of excitement.

Selma and Dallas County Tourism, along with Old Cahawba Archaeological Park will host this year’s event.

On Oct. 17 and on Saturday, Oct. 25, visitors will have the chance to ride a wagon around Old Cahawba, while listening to ghost stories about the historic town. Visitors will arrive at the cemetery and hear stories about ghosts before traveling to the old slave quarters.

“It’s not scary,” said Ashley Mason, director of the Selma and Dallas County Tourism, “It’s more informative and you just hear the stories and the experiences.”

Mason said some people do get scared because you never can tell what is going to happen while you’re on the tour.

Tours each evening begin at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Visitors are asked to arrive 20 minutes before their scheduled tour.

On Saturday, Oct. 18, visitors will be given a tour of Old Live Oak Cemetery in Selma, where re-enactors will perform and tell stories of prominent people buried in the historic cemetery.

After the cemetery, visitors will then go to three different haunted houses and hear directly from homeowners. Mason said the best part of the tour is “hearing about the history that happened in Selma and seeing how the ghost stories are incorporated into Selma’s history.”

These tours will begin at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. and guests are asked to again arrive 20 minutes ahead of their tour.

“We have a total of 380 tickets to sell for all three nights, and I’m hoping to sell out,” Mason said. “I think we definitely have the potential [to sell out], and we usually do sell out weeks before the event.”

Visitors who plan to attend are encouraged to order tickets in advance. Tickets are $15 per person, per tour and can be purchased at the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce until they are sold out.

For more information about the event, call Ashley Mason at 875-7241 or email tourism@elmaalabama.com.