The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society’s 10th annual Hauntings is back with spookier-than-ever tours of local cemeteries that bring history to life.

Submitted by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society

West Hartford Hauntings is back for its 10th anniversary beginning Oct. 17. Submitted image.

This October, a local tradition will mark its tenth year. West Hartford Hauntings, the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society’s spooky, theatrical cemetery tours will celebrate a major milestone.

The lantern-lit tours will take place on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 17 and 18, 24 and 25 (rain dates Sundays, Oct. 19 and 26). Tours will leave from 6-8:45 p.m. (Sundays 5-7:45). Guests will be led through the stones by a dearly-departed guide, who will tell his/her own tale on the journey.

“When we started out in 2005, we weren’t sure we would do a second year, let alone a tenth!” said program Director Sarah Mocko St. Germain, “It’s incredibly exciting, to say the least!”

The show’s cast is also thrilled to part off the 10^th Anniversary show. Noah Boisvert, whose first show was in 2010, said, “Hauntings is one of the few things I look forward to every year, and it’s hands down the most fun I’ve ever had while freezing my toes off!”

Matthew St. Germain, who has been involved with the show since 2007 said, “Every time I walk into that cemetery, I feel that spark and feeling as if the grounds are alive, still willing and able to share their stories…waiting for Sarah and her researchers to find and tell them.”

Each year, Sarah Mocko St. Germain and several volunteers find new stories to tell. “West Hartford’s past is full of the stories of everyday citizens. It’s really a privilege to search old newspapers, records, and the cemeteries to learn more about their lives and share them with such a large audience.” The stories this year will include the Town’s first residents, a scandalous train accident, and a burglary gone wrong.

The event takes place at the North Cemetery at 80 North Main St. in West Hartford.

Tickets are on sale now. Ticket prices are $9 for children 17 and under and $13 for adults. Due to some frightening content, it is suggested that participants be age 10 or over.

Tickets are available at www.noahwebsterhouse.org or by calling (860) 521-5362 x21. An American Sign Language interpreter will be available for certain tours. Complementary tickets may be available to deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and vision impaired students. Call or email [email protected] for information.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is located in the restored birthplace and childhood home of Noah Webster. Webster was a national figure known not only for the first American dictionary and the Blue-Backed Speller, but also for being a federalist, an abolitionist and a cofounder of Amherst College. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit us at www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.