VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Galveston's Haunted History Comes To Life This October. From its storied harbor to its vault-filled cemeteries to its stately Victorian mansions, historic Galveston is filled with legendary figures and ghostly stories. This October, Galveston Historical Foundation is once again hosting the popular Galveston Haunted Happenings Tours.

Galveston is one of the most haunted cities in America, according to numerous websites, books and “ghost hunters” that track reports of ghostly occurrences. Galveston has been home to the allegedly cannibalistic Karankawa Indians and merciless pirates, including the famous Jean Laffite whose lavish and lawless den of thieves was the island's first European settlement. Galvestonians in the 19th century knew fires, epidemics of yellow fever and malaria, military occupation and bitter war, and of course, storms.

"The Great Storm of 1900, which washed clean of houses great swaths of the island and killed well over 6,000 people, remains the worst natural disaster in American History,” says Dwayne Jones, executive director of Galveston Historical Foundation.

“The organized crime that developed around the seaborne smuggling of liquor during the Prohibition era was supplemented by individualized mayhem and tragedy,” says Jones. “Many, many people have lived and died by these waters, and perhaps some of the dead still reside here. We invite our guests to listen to the stories, and decide for themselves. But you don't have to believe in ghosts to know that the dead are a presence on this island."

During the month of October Galveston’s haunted history will be explored in three series of tours:

ASHTON VILLA’S “ARE WE HAUNTED?” TOURS

• October 15, 16, 22 and 23, and 29: 5 p.m.
• October 30 and 31: 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Is Ashton Villa haunted by the spirit of “Miss Bettie,” the daughter of the house’s first owner, James Moreau Brown? Maybe. Maybe not. Since 1975, when GHF opened the restored mansion to the public, legends and ghost stories have attached themselves to Ashton Villa. The one-hour “Are We Haunted?” tour of Ashton Villa shows the restoration in progress on the ground floor level, following damage by Hurricane Ike, then explores the undamaged second floor where ghostly memories still reside.

HAUNTED HARBOR TOURS ABOARD SEAGULL II

• October 15, 16, 22 and 23: 4 p.m.
• October 29, 30 and 31: 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

For the Haunted Harbor Excursion, the tour relates specifically to the water and waterfront. Trained GHF guides present a fascinating, frightening look at the many tragic events that have occurred in and around Galveston Harbor for their guests aboard the 50-foot passenger boat, Seagull II.

“SPIRITS OF THE PAST” CEMETERY TOURS

• October 29, 30, 31: 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The spirits are easy to find at GHF’s “Spirits of the Past” Cemetery Tour. They await discovery at the Broadway Cemetery, located right on the divided boulevard along which presidents, movie stars, oil moguls and millions of ordinary people pass through the rich history that abounds in every neighborhood of the city.

"The markers in these cemeteries can tell stories that textbooks do not," says Denise Alexander, GHF's Director of Heritage Programs. "Each marker is a piece of Galveston and Texas history."

In 1840, the Galveston City Company officially donated blocks between 40th and 42nd streets for the purpose of public burials; other blocks adjacent to the site were soon donated to make up for seven named cemeteries that make up the Broadway Cemetery. The first burial was in October, 1839.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW "SPIRITS OF THE PAST" TOUR -

James B. Magruder (ca. 1810 -1871): Major General Magruder led a combined land and sea operation that successfully returned the City of Galveston to the Confederacy on January 1, 1863.

Perugini Brothers: Frank and Tony Perugini were brothers born on the same date two years apart. They joined the Navy in separate states on the same day, unbeknownst to each other. They both died on the same day in a torpedo gun turret on the cruiser New Orleans during the Battle of the Solomons in World War II.

Alberti Family: Louis G. Alberti operated a butcher shop in Galveston. He and his wife Lizzie became parents of eight children. Two children died of natural causes and four more died on the night of December 4, 1894, after being poisoned by their mother. Eight days later, a court declared her insane and committed Mrs. Alberti to an asylum in San Antonio. Four years later, she died of a morphine overdose and is buried alongside her children.

Tickets for all the “Haunted Happenings” tours are available at GHF’s website: www.galvestonhistory.org. Adult prices are $20 for Ashton Villa, $15 for Haunted Harbor; and $12 for Haunted Cemetery. For more information, call GHF at 409-765-7834.