304: America’s Oldest Ghost Tour. Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park.

304: America’s Oldest Ghost Tour. Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park.

National Park After Dark · 2025-06-09

In the 1970s Shirley Dougherty moved to Harpers Ferry West Virginia and started experiencing strange occurrences. And she wasn’t alone. Residents were quick to tell her their experiences with the paranormal, and she eventually complied them into a book - a text that became the foundation of what she claims to be America’s’ oldest ghost tour. Today, Danielle brings us on our own through one of the country’s most spooky locations.

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Sources:

Articles: National Park Service, Fergus M. Bordewich,The Gilder Lehrman Collection, PBS, 12 WBOY, The WV Independent Observer, HauntedHouses.com, Library of Virginia, West Virginia Haunts and Legends, Only In Your State

Videos: Expeditions in Education, The Hauntings of Harpers Ferry

Podcasts: Stuff You Missed In History Class

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National Park After Dark

Hosted by two friends who share a passion for the wilderness and a fascination with what can go wrong there, each week hosts Danielle and Cassie explore the darker side of our National Parks and explore these treasured places in a whole new way - because behind the iconic arches and towering trees lie layered histories, grisly encounters, extraordinary stories of survival, tragic ends and so much more. But it isn’t always chills and thrills. By sharing inspiring tales and their desire for protecting our planet’s wild places, they hope the show will inspire listeners to lace up their own hiking boots and take a walk into the wild to create meaningful adventures of their own.

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