Most of the time, seeing a hearse parked outside your favorite downtown bar or restuarant wouldn’t excite feelings of fun and excitement. But a new haunted tour company is trying to change that perception as they open up shop for thrill seekers and horror lovers to experience the dark side of Asheville legend and lore just in time for the Halloween season.
Dark Ride Tours, based in Swannanoa, will begin offering haunted hearse rides through the city beginning in September. The company provides the bravehearted with the chance to join storyteller and “undertaker” Virgil Nightshade and his silent chauffeur Charon as they bring a one of a kind experience to tourists and locals alike.
Unlike traditional walk-around ghost tours, Dark Ride offers horror buffs the chance to sit inside an actual “haunted” refurbished 1972 hearse—referred to ominously as “Lenore” in homage of Edgar Allen Poe’s famous unrequited love—as Nightshade regales them with local tales of terror ranging from the famous “woman in white,” who appears occasionally on the steps of the Church of the Redeemer in Woodfin and makes her ghostly way to the waters of the French Broad, to the ruins of the Old Craggy prison on Riverside Drive, as well as a spine-tingling cruise through Riverside Cemetery at dusk and other areas of noted paranormal activity around Asheville.
“Whether you are a serious ghost hunter or just seeking something fun to do while enjoying Asheville’s nightlife…this ghost tour is like no other,” says the company’s website. In addition to tours, Dark Ride is also available for parties, proms and weddings, transportation to and from special events and message deliveries.
While scheduled tours depart from and return to Lexington Avenue Brewery, the company says it has plans for impromptu stops around Asheville and Black Mountain as well: “While enjoying Asheville’s nightlife and having one of the many locally crafted brews at any of Asheville’s or Black Mountain’s wonderful pubs, you might suddenly see our ghostly carriage pull up. Virgil, our ghostly guide, may offer YOU a ride.” Specially priced discounts may be available for those willing to take a ride on a whim.
Regular tours are set to begin in early September, though downtown visitors may see Lenore gliding menacingly down city streets in the next week or two. Tours are available to all ages, though Dark Ride cautions that some of the evening’s frights may be too intense for young children. While bringing food on tours is discouraged, patrons are allowed to bring drinks and beverages (including alcohol) along for the ride, provided they consume them within the hearse.
Pets and video cameras are prohibited from the tour, but customers are allowed to take photos of their ghostly adventures. The price per ticket is $30.50, though group rate discounts are offered, with a limit of six people per ride.
For more information on Dark Ride Tours, to purchase tickets, or to contact the company, check out darkridetours.com or visit the Facebook page here.
Having known Virgil Nightshade for many years , I am delighted that he and Charon will be hosting these frightening and unusual tours. As masters of the macabre, they will not disappoint you! Expect bad dreams after you experience a ride in” Lenore”, the haunted hearse!