Main Street gets spirited with virtual ghost tour

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Downtown Mansfield welcomes visitors to live, work and play – and, in some cases, stay forever.

The Mansfield Historical Society is exposing the city’s ghosts and tall tales, and tossing some history into the mix with Historic Ghost Tours, starting Oct. 15 and running through Oct. 31.

“All of the stories are based on historic events in Mansfield history, murders, specific deaths or places that have been known to be haunted and speculating on who those people are,” said Jessica Baber, manager of the Mansfield Historical Museum.  

“This is an event we’ve been doing for years, guided ghost tours,” Baber said. “Obviously, this year because of COVID we didn’t want to do an in-person tour.”

So this year, the boos are going virtual and high-tech – and visitors can take the free tour whenever they have time. Ghost hunters will need their cell phones to track these spirits.

“There’s seven stops on the 100 block of North Main Street,” Baber explained. “You’ll go to each stop and there will be a sign in each window with a QR code. You use your phone to scan the code and there’s a video of a storyteller dressed in period costume of when the event took place, a lot from the 1800s.”

The storytellers - Tom and Karen Leach, Terry and Anita Moore, Art and Carolyn Wright – will tell about historical events and hauntings that actually took place at the Mansfield Historical Museum, Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Board & Brush, Hilltop Bicycle, Main St. Tacos, Aria Grace and the Farr Best Theater. For a map of the tour, go to mansfieldhistory.org.

“It’s an interesting way to get people excited about history,” Baber said. “It’s not your typical museum tour. It lets people know about the history of the town in a fun and exciting way.”

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