HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
Southport Ghosts Walking Tour
Franklin Square Park (E West St & N Howe St), Southport, NC 28461
Research updated August 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Listed at $32 per adult on the operator's GetYourGuide product page; free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Access
Wheelchair OK
About 1 mile of walking through historic downtown Southport, starting at Franklin Square Park.
Equipment
Photos OK
Old Smithville Burying Ground (mid-1700s) · Franklin Square Park · Fort Johnston / Southport Historic District
US Ghost Adventures runs city-branded ghost walks in dozens of U.S. cities under local names; in Southport the program is marketed as Southport Ghosts. The tour meets at the entrance to Franklin Square Park, at the corner of E West St and N Howe St, and covers about a mile of historic downtown Southport on foot over roughly an hour, without entering privately owned buildings.
The route draws on Southport's maritime and law-enforcement history, including the Old Smithville Burying Ground (established alongside Fort Johnston in the mid-1700s), the 1904 Old Brunswick County Jail (now a museum), and the early-1800s Brunswick Inn. A verified booking review on the operator's GetYourGuide listing, naming a specific guide, confirms the program is actively running tours in Southport.
Sources
The operator's preview material highlights the Old Smithville Burying Ground, which it ties to reports of lost sailors and a recurring marker known as "Little Buddy"; the Old Brunswick County Jail, which it connects to Sheriff Jackson Stanland, killed in 1908 pursuing an escaped robber, and to reported cold drafts inside the now-museum building; and the Brunswick Inn, which it ties to the legend of Tony Caseletta, an Italian harpist said to have performed there in the 1880s before an early death, with guests reporting phantom harp music and flickering lights.
All of this is the tour operator's own marketing and narrative material, not documented history independently verified for this listing; it is included here as a description of what the tour covers, not as an endorsement of any specific claim.
A 1-hour, 1-mile walking tour meeting at the entrance to Franklin Square Park, corner of E West St and N Howe St, covering the Old Smithville Burying Ground, the Old Brunswick County Jail, and the Brunswick Inn. Tickets are $32 per adult. Runs nightly, all ages. A bonus extended tour is offered by request.
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Preview stop; a mid-1700s cemetery the operator ties to lost sailors, including the ill-fated pilot boat Mary K. Sprunt.
Preview stop; the operator ties reported activity to Sheriff Jackson Stanland, killed in 1908 while attempting to capture an escaped prisoner. The building is now a museum.
Preview stop; the operator ties reported activity to Tony Caseletta, a harpist said to have performed at the inn in the 1880s.
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