Cedar Grove Cemetery, New Bern · Attmore-Oliver House (1790, Federal period) · New Bern Historic District churches and downtown
The New Bern Historical Society, headquartered at the 1790 Attmore-Oliver House at 511 Broad Street, has organized Ghostwalk as an annual October fundraiser for 36 years. The event pairs volunteer-led guided stops through Cedar Grove Cemetery with self-guided storytelling stops on downtown historic porches and inside select buildings, including churches such as Broad Street Christian Church, Temple B'nai Sholem, Centenary United Methodist Church, St. Peter's A.M.E. Zion Church, and Old Saint Paul Catholic Church, several of which also host ticketed meal-and-tour combinations during the event. The event is covered by North Carolina's official state tourism site, VisitNC.com, and by regional events coverage on NewBernLive.org.
The Historical Society explicitly distinguishes Ghostwalk from haunted-house or supernatural-scare entertainment, describing it instead as a history-forward, family-friendly community event built around real historical figures and events tied to New Bern's downtown and its historic cemetery. It is a separate, unaffiliated organization from Ghosts of New Bern (`north-carolina/ghosts-of-new-bern`), a distinct, commercially operated year-round walking-tour company headquartered a short walk away on Middle Street.
Sources
- https://newbernhistorical.org/ghostwalk/
- https://www.visitnc.com/event/HRsP/26th-annual-new-bern-ghost-walk
- https://newbernlive.org/october-23-25-35th-annual-ghostwalk-at-new-bern-p6242-227.htm
Costumed historical storytelling (organizer explicitly disclaims supernatural/scare content)
The organizer describes Ghostwalk as combining "spirits from New Bern's past, talented local volunteer actors, historic sites, and a fun-filled, creative environment," with guided stops at Cedar Grove Cemetery presenting "lively stories based on real historical characters and events," and further self-guided stops at downtown porches and select buildings. The organizer is explicit that the event is not a haunted house, spooky, or supernatural experience, positioning it as costumed historical storytelling rather than a paranormal-claims tour.
All of this is the organizer's own event marketing and narrative material, not documented paranormal history independently verified for this listing; it is included here as a description of what the event covers, not as an endorsement of any specific claim.
Media Appearances
- VisitNC.com (North Carolina official state tourism site)
- NewBernLive.org
