Charleston’s Pleasing Terrors Ghost Tour
Pleasing Terrors Ghost Tour Logo and St. Philip’s Cemetery | Image by James Lewis
“It’s a dangerous business…going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)
I love this quote. It reminds me that stepping outside of my comfort zone, as daunting as it may seem sometimes, can often prove rewarding. And such was the case with my most recent adventure.
I’m always in the market for a good ghost tour, especially during the spooky season. Fortunately, the American South has no shortage of locations considered to be haunted with cities like Savannah and New Orleans topping the charts. In late September I had an opportunity to interview the host of the Southern Gothic podcast, Brandon Schexnayder, who is an expert when it comes to the South’s most infamous hauntings. I naturally asked for his recommendation on the matter. His response was immediate and without hesitation: The Pleasing Terrors Ghost Tour by Mike Brown in Charleston, South Carolina.
It was obvious in retrospect. After all, Charleston is one of the oldest cities in the country dating back to the late 1600s. And while I have visited several times for business (not pleasure), I realized at that moment I had never taken a ghost tour during any of my stays. So I decided to take Brandon’s advice, make a reservation, and step onto the road.
From L to R: Mike Brown at the Charleston Library Society, Washington Square Park, Poogan's Porch, and St. Philip's Church | Images by James Lewis
Pleasing Terrors Ghost Tour
Mike Brown is a Charleston native and U.S. Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. He has been guiding ghost tours locally for over 20 years. Mike has been featured on networks like HGTV, the BBC, Voice of America Radio to name a few and is consistently ranked as one of Charleston’s top rated ghost tours on TripAdvisor and Yelp. But despite this acclaim, he is one of the most personable and modest individuals you will ever meet. His mild mannered storytelling delivery is a delightful mix of what I would describe as Vincent Price meets Paul Harvey (“And now you know…the rest of the story”).
Tours are offered seven nights a week at 7:30pm and 9:30pm year round, excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with a maximum group size of 20 patrons. Each tour begins at Washington Square Park in the shadow of the Ravenel House, lasts approximately 90 minutes, covers a walking distance of approximately one mile, and ends at St. Philip’s Church. And I’ll go ahead and say it now in case you are wondering, there is no bait and switch. Meaning when you book a tour with Mike Brown, you get Mike Brown, not an understudy.
He is a true master of his craft. I don’t want to be a spoiler and give away the ending (which I never saw coming by the way), so here is the abridged version of my experience. As daylight faded at sunset, Mike auspiciously stated his intent for starting near the Ravenel House with a teaser that he promised to revisit later in the tour. Then he led our group to the historic Charleston County Courthouse where he set up a spine-tingling cliffhanger for the tale of alleged serial killer, Lavinia Fisher. The next stop was Poogan’s Porch and the legend of the woman in black, Zoe Saint Amand followed by the Charleston Library Society which houses the Blood Book of poet Henry Timrod and reputedly the ghost of William G. Hinson. We then crossed the street and gathered in front of the ominous gate of the Unitarian Church Cemetery where he came full circle on both Lavinia Fisher and his initial foreshadowing of the Ravenel House. After a trot past one of the oldest homes in Charlston (Trott’s Cottage) and the historic Powder Magazine, Mike ended the tour with the somber story of Sue Howard Hardy at the cemetery of St. Philip’s Church.
What amazed me the most about this tour was Mike’s ability to separate folklore from historical fact, provide documentation of paranormal activity, and yet somehow manage to seamlessly tie it all together. Although it was just past 9pm, I wasn’t quite ready to call it a night. I had not eaten dinner plus I had walked a mile (that counts as light exercise, amiright?). So I decided to add a final stop at one of my favorite local culinary haunts to indulge in a few ‘treats’ to balance out Mike’s ‘tricks.’
The Peninsula Grill
From L to R: Oysters on the Half Shell, Seared Foie Gras and the Ultimate Coconut Cake | Images by James Lewis
From the gated entrance on North Market Street, a winding brick path takes you through a courtyard garden lit by carriage lanterns to the front door of the Peninsula Grill. I hadn’t been in years, and since I wasn’t entertaining clients I opted to sit at the bar where I had the good fortune of being entertained by the bartender, Korey. After reviewing the menu, we collaborated on a coursed appetizer/bar pairing flight that included a dozen locally sourced oysters on the half shell, followed by the seared foie gras, and ending with a piece of their world famous 12-layer Ultimate Coconut Cake. And when he noticed me struggling to finish my dessert, Korey made perhaps his best recommendation of the evening, “box it up and have it with coffee in the morning.” It was a perfect nightcap for the evening. I nodded in approval, “Check Please!”
Whether you are visiting Charleston for business or pleasure, if you are fascinated by haunted history be sure to book an evening walking ghost tour with Mike Brown. And if you find yourself looking for a late night snack, just remember that the Peninsula Grill is only a few blocks from the finish line. Be sure to check out Mike’s Pleasing Terrors podcast if his tour leaves you wanting for more.
Stay Spooky my friends!