Write a commentOn Friday and Saturday evenings, Oct. 14 and 15, the Friends of Fort Ontario, Central New York Ghost Hunters, and NYS Parks will host the annual Ghost Reveal and Tour event at Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego.
Tours are by advance reservation only. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased by calling (315) 343-4711, or by visiting the fort’s museum shop Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets will also be available at Oswego Pumpkinfest in the Friends tent Oct. 1 and 2, and at the Oswego Farmer’s Market on Thursday, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. The guided ghost tours are scheduled in 15-minute increments and run from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings.
New evidence gathered in the fort's stone buildings and underground casemates will be presented on lap top computers in the rooms or areas where it was obtained since the last tour. The public is also invited to bring their own ghost hunting equipment and seek new data under the guidance of the experts. The tour is not recommended for children under the age of eight. Footwear suitable for uneven ground, stairs and ramps, and clothing appropriate for cold, wet, and windy weather, and flashlights are encouraged. The event will take place regardless of the weather.
"Fort Ontario was the scene of five battles and is purported to be one of the most haunted locations in the United States," said site superintendent Paul Lear. "It was the subject of an episode of the SYFY Channel’s Ghost Hunters in the fall of 2012. Ghost sightings and soundings have been reported at the old army post since the 1800s. During World War I a sentinel fled his post after claiming to have been scared off the ramparts by a ghostly apparition. He escaped courts-martial when members of the garrison came to his defense and reported similar encounters."
Fort Ontario State Historic Site is located at the north end of East Fourth Street in the City of Oswego. The fort is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m. until the Columbus Day holiday.
For information call Fort Ontario State Historic Site, phone 315-343-4711. For Oswego County visitor information go to www.visitoswegocounty.com.
