Weems-Botts Museum again will hold Halloween events

One of Dumfries’ favorite events is back. Friday and Saturday nights in October, starting Oct. 9, the Weems-Botts Museum will be holding Haunted Museum Lock-Ins and its Haunted Heights Ghost Walks.

This year the events include some of the evidence — photographs and audio recordings — of the haunting of the museum. Staff particularly enjoys a woman’s voice that says “Can you hear me? I’m not dead” on the tape from a ghost investigation.

The 30- to 45-minute walking tour through Dumfries’ Haunted Heights includes the ghostly cemetery dating to the 1600s where stories of hair-raising adventures of past gravediggers are told. The groups will pass close to haunted buildings, hearing local tales of spectral wonder and mystery along the way and finish with hot chocolate and cider by the campfire in eerie and haunted Merchant Park. There is always the possibility of seeing a Civil War soldier who is believed to haunt the grounds. Tours start every half hour between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Last fall, the Supernatural Investigators of Virginia spent a night in the museum in the hopes of picking up evidence of the paranormal.

To believers, the Weems-Botts Musuem is thought to be haunted by the Merchant family, who owned the house for almost a century.

In 1869, Richard and Annie Merchant bought the house and lived there with their daughters, Violet and Mamie.

Mamie suffered from epileptic seizures and was kept in an upstairs room until she died in 1906 at the age of 23. Her father died the same year.

Annie asked her daughter Violet, who had moved away and fallen in love, to return home to take care of her. Violet did so until Annie died in 1952 at the age of 98. Violet spent the rest of her life in the house until she died in 1968.

The investigators said they believe the museum is haunted. During their stay they took a photograph outside the museum of a blue mist that seemed to encircle the base of a tree.
In other photos, a dark shadow or mist seems to flow down the stairs from Violet Merchant’s room.

The most compelling piece of evidence to the group was a recording captured that night which said “Get out of my house.” Other recordings included “Can you hear me? I’m not dead.” And “Get out” and a child’s voice.

For those willing to test their bravery, the Haunted Museum Lock-Ins gives visitors the chance to stay at the museum.

The evening begins at 9 p.m. with the Haunted Heights Ghost Walk, followed by entry into the museum where staff members relay stories of supernatural events, the shadowy past and the findings of previous groups of ghost hunters. Then visitors are invited to spend the evening in the museum for an opportunity to experience a ghostly appearance. The lock-ins end at 6 a.m.

Space is extremely limited and reservations are required for both the Haunted Heights Ghost Walk and the Haunted Museum Lock-in. Ghost Walks are $5 for adults, $3 for children. Lock-ins are $50 per person and payment must be received within seven days of making your reservations.

All proceeds from the events benefit Historic Dumfries, Virginia and the Weems-Botts Museum.

For more information, call 703-221-2218.

Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.