This ghost gathering, designed to tickle the funny bone as well as tingle the spine, may be scheduled at any time for tour groups of 30 or more at Falcon Rest.

The 1896 Victorian mansion had a reputation for being haunted long before it was restored and opened to the public in 1993.  Strange events since that time have done nothing but confirm those suspicions.  Footsteps heard on the staircase when no one was there … lights switched on and off … items found in different places than they had been left … strange orbs of light in photos … whistled Christmas tunes from an unseen caroler …

By popular demand, the stories have been brought together in a hilarious haunting called “Ghost at the Mansion.”  Instead of the traditional Halloween “spook house,” however, its setting is a light-hearted ghost convention.  Falcon Rest players are the “host ghosts,” and audience members are given characters of no-longer-living folks as well.

“Falcon Rest is known as ‘the Victorian mansion where history is fun,’” said George McGlothin, “and our ‘spooks’ apparently share that disposition.  In fact, a movie director who claimed sensitivity to the unseen told us years ago, ‘I feel a real presence here, but it is friendly, curious, and just wants to be known.’  It stands to reason that our ghostly goings-on should be fun."
 
The play ends with a special surprise twist and is followed by a “spooktacular” feast in the elegant Victorian Carriage House reception hall.

McGlothin, who produced Falcon Rest’s award-winning “Murder at the Mansion” interactive mystery play and meal, is excited about the ghost show.
 
“People started asking us to do something about our "spirits" as soon as we opened,” said McGlothin.  “We decided to incorporate some of the most popular features of the murder show into an original play about our unseen ‘inhabitants.’”
 
As with "Murder," audience members at “Ghost” assume the characters of actual people.  They get information about their alter ego, but no lines to remember, so they’re free to ad-lib as much or as little as they like. 

But unlike the popular murder mystery set in 1897, personalities attending the ghost convention aren't limited to a certain time period. 

"The only qualifications are that they were interesting and are now dead," McGlothin explained.  "That opens up all sorts of possibilities for free-wheeling interaction.  Anyone from Henry VIII to Lady Godiva to Elvis could show up for the fun."