Local events dedicated to ghosts and ghouls

Halloween isn't just for trick-or-treaters and kids in costume. This month, there are several events dedicated to ghosts, ghouls and spooky stories. All of the events are family friendly, but you may want to check with individual event organizers before taking young children along; for example, New Madrid's ghost tours are not recommended for children younger than 10.

__An Afternoon and Evening of Ghost Storytelling__

Brian "Fox" Ellis and Megan Hicks will tell scary stories from the stage of the Bedell Performance Hall for the Cape Girardeau Visitor and Convention Bureau's annual ghost storytelling event.

In the past the ghost tales have been told on the lawn of the River Campus, but this year the event is moving indoors.

Stacy Dohogne Lane, director of public relations for the CVB, says organizers received such positive response to an indoor storytelling event in January that they jumped at the chance to work with the River Campus. She says people really liked being able to pick out a seat ahead of time and points out it removes the weather variable.

And for those concerned the move indoors will take away some of the spooky atmosphere, Dohogne Lane says not to worry. "When we met with the River Campus, we told them we love an eerie atmosphere," she says, adding that the technical staff will use all their expertise to make it spooky.

Want to go: 2 and 7 p.m., Oct. 13 at Bedell Performance hall. Tickets, which are $12 for adults for one show or $20 for both and $5 for ages 14 and younger, are on sale at rivercampusevents.com or the River Campus box office.

__Deja Vu Spirit Reunion__

The spirits come alive at Ste. Genevieve's Deja Vu Spirit Reunion at the town's historic Memorial Cemetery. Visitors will tour the cemetery by lantern light, learning the history of Missouri's oldest town from more than 20 spirits, including notable residents such as U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn, Felix and Odile Valle, Marie LaPorte, Joseph Bogy and Col. St. Gemme.

According to the event's website, www.historicstegen.org, Memorial Cemetery was established in 1787 and includes the tombs and grave markers of the area's earliest French pioneers as well as emigrants of German, Scottish and other heritage -- slave, free and integrated spouses of blacks and American Indians.

Want to go: 5 to 8 p.m., Oct. 27, Memorial Cemetery at Fifth and Merchant streets, Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2.50 for children ages 6 to 18 and free for ages 5 and younger.

__Ghost Tales Dinner Train__

The St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway has planned a "really fun evening with lots of (story)tellers and extra surprises" for families, according to Elane Moonier, a volunteer with the not-for-profit group that runs the train.

The train will depart the depot at 5 p.m., and a full dinner will be served aboard while ghost stories are shared with passengers. "Weather permitting, we'll stop at our village and roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories around a fire," Moonier says.

The whole trip should last about two hours and, like all of the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway events, is designed for families.

Want to go: 5 p.m., Oct. 27, St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway in Jackson. Tickets for dinner and the event are $35 for adults and $28 for children and must be purchased in advance. Call the depot at 573-243-1688 or Moonier at 573-450-8367 for tickets and more information.

__New Madrid Ghost Tours__

In its fifth year, the New Madrid Ghost Tours continue to grow. Christina McWaters -- director of the New Madrid Chamber of Commerce and "one and only tour guide" -- came up with the idea after taking a similar tour in Branson, Mo. But New Madrid's ghost tours are unique, McWaters says, and go beyond walking around listening to stories, though that's part of it. "We take visitors inside the building," she says. "We've got three locations and visitors actually assist with ghost hunts."

The stops on the tour include the Hart-Stepp Home (built in the 1830s, it's one of the oldest homes in New Madrid and still has two original rooms), the New Madrid County Courthouse and the Dixie Theater.

And there have been ghostly encounters, McWaters says.

"The most unique thing happened in the Hart-Stepp house," she says. The house is home to two ghosts: Ms. Josephine, an older lady who likes men and has been known to tickle ears, and Ruby, a 14-year-old girl who died in 1915 two weeks after being burned in a fire. Because it's the first stop on the tour, McWaters says she always brings out a K2 meter (a device used in ghost hunting that measures electromagnetic energy) but "we'd never have anything happen in that house." Until one tour that included a 10-year-old girl. McWaters says she and the girl both asked Ruby if she'd like to play and "every light on the K2 meter went off."

Reservations are required for the tours, and each one is limited to 20 to 25 people. McWaters says it's a good idea to make your reservations early, because the tours fill up quickly. As of mid-September, one tour was already half full.

Want to go: 7 and 9 p.m., Oct. 19, 20, 27 and 27. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance. Call 877-748-5300 for more information.

__Halloween Storytelling__

Spooky stories return to the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site this fall. Marilyn Kinsella will tell her tales around a bonfire. "She's a professional storyteller who usually focuses on local lore and legends," says Holly Mitchell, who works at the historic site.

Mitchell says popcorn and apple cider will be provided, but guests are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

Want to go: 7 to 9 p.m., Oct. 19 at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site.