By Mary Ann Bourbeau
ATLANTIC HIGHANDS – Atlantic Highlands will once again turn into Atlantic Frightlands, thanks to a new walking tour that will lead guests through some of the rumored haunted buildings in town.
Borough resident Jon Crowley, who has organized haunted house fundraisers for the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society, created the 45-minute tour and business owners were more than willing to get in on the action.
“There’s so much history along First Avenue – from pirates to gangsters and dozens of ghost sightings and paranormal activity – that it was a no-brainer to do a walking ghost hunt in the middle of our town,” he said.
The Haunted Walking Ghost Tour, which will take place on Oct. 16 and 17, will begin at the Painted Frame, where participants will start out by exploring the private backyard behind the building that dates back to around 1900.
“It’s very spooky at night,” Crowley said. “Robert (O’Connor, the owner) thinks there is a spirit in the backyard.”
Crowley said the spirit is possibly that of the owner of the Black Fox Store, which once occupied the building.
“I think he met with an untimely death many years ago,” he said.
From the Painted Frame, tour groups will head up First Avenue to visit about 10 other businesses and hear their stories. They will descend into the basement of AJ Dillon Art Gallery, which formerly served as a gun shop. A stop at Vintage Variety will include stories about the ghost that allegedly haunts the rooms there.
“The owner has seen things, such as books flying across the room,” Crowley said. “She feels like the ghost has a little bit of an attitude. He seems to act up when he wants his privacy.”
Each tour group will also descend into the basement of Memphis Pig Out to see the now-bricked-up opening that once led to a tunnel that stretched to the marina.
“They say that rum-running mobsters used to smuggle alcohol through there from the marina during Prohibition,” Crowley said. “The tunnel was allegedly built with money from (Italian crime boss) Vito Genovese, who lived in Atlantic Highlands. The owners of Memphis Pig Out say that things are constantly falling and moving. They wonder if it’s one of the mobsters from back in the day.”
In addition to peeks into long-hidden spaces, the tour will include some special effects.
“We will definitely be scaring up some ghosts,” Crowley said.
The Haunted Walking Ghost Tour is a safe alternative to trick-or-treating and with a portion of proceeds going to the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council, it’s a great way to help fund the organization’s free arts summer camp.
“The tour will feature stories of the town’s history, colorful characters and ghost stories, and I’m pretty sure it will conjure more than a few spirits along the way,” Crowley said.
For children who may be frightened easily, the “special effects” can be modified to accommodate them.
Crowley, a former executive producer of TruTV, moved from Los Angeles to Atlantic Highlands seven years ago. As a teenager, he often created haunted houses to raise money for charity, and now he’s doing the same with his 12-year-old son.
“It’s a great way for us to do something fun together,” he said. “So much of Halloween involves the imagination. There’s a certain amount of excitement in pretending you’re something you’re not in real life. It’s an extension of why I got into show business.”
Crowley, who now serves as vice president of the Food Network, loves getting involved in his new hometown.
“Our little town has a lot of great people,” he said. “It’s a very artsy community. This is a way to showcase the town and cast a spotlight on some of the great businesses on First Avenue, and give back to a community I really care about.”
The Haunted Walking Ghost Tour takes place on Oct. 16 and 17, with continuous tours leaving from the Painted Frame, 78 First Avenue, from 8 to 10 p.m. Area businesses will be offering snacks and other holiday mementos. Participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight. Tickets are $8 and are available for pre-sale at the Painted Frame, Memphis Pig Out and Vintage Variety.
For more information, visit www.atlanticfrightlands.com.
Arts and entertainment writer Mary Ann Bourbeau can be reached at mbourbeau@tworivertimes.com.
