Ghostly local history comes alive Saturday night

The ghostly people from Orange's past will come out to the downtown area Saturday as Heritage House Museum presents its Eighth Annual Historic Ghost Walk. Family-friendly walks will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and "night fright" walks will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The event to teach true stories and facts from Orange's history has become the museum's main fundraiser. High school drama students dress in costumes from different periods and tell true history researched and written by Margaret Toal, chair of the Orange County Historical Commission.

The stories include deadly shootouts from the early 20th Century, scandals, and fun facts about the downtown area, where non-indigenous settlers first came in 1828. The stories on the ghost walk are rotated so each succeeding year is different.

The event has turned into a community festival with food trucks, Free State Winery, family games on the museum lawn, plus arts and crafts.

Tours will leave Heritage House Museum, 905 West Division Street, every 10 minutes. The tour goes eastward down Division and past the Orange County Courthouse to the Sabine River. The tour then goes along the riverwalk and to Ochiltree-Inman Park along Front Street. Then along Front Street to circle back to the museum.

The walk is about half a mile and participants should wear comfortable shoes. Families bring wagons and strollers for their children.

"We are excited to bring back the Historic Ghost Walk for its Eighth year at the Heritage House Museum. We are thankful for businesses like Ferguson Law Firm who stepped up to underwrite the full event," said Adam Conrad, a member of the Heritage House Board of Directors and coordinator of the walk. "This year we have actors from 4 Orange County schools, West Orange, LCM, Vidor and Bridge City. The directors from these schools have been working with students to bring these stories to life."

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children younger than 12. This is the first year the museum is selling advance tickets for reserved times. The advance tickets are on sale at the museum's administration office behind the 1902 J.O. Sims House. The office will be open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for ticket sales.

Contact museum director Charlotte Alford during those hours at 409-886-5385 for more information about the Historic Ghost Walk and tickets.

During the "fright night" walks, the drama students dressed as ghosts and zombies from different eras get closer to the people on the tour and may give a little scare.

No rain is in the forecast, which includes a cool night and a pleasantly warm day.

"The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so come out and see the history of Orange County come to life," Conrad said.