Wilcox Park (1938 hurricane) · Downtown Westerly Historic District · Pawcatuck River waterfront
Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours was founded in 2013 by historian and author Courtney McInvale, whose 2014 book Haunted Mystic anchors the company's Connecticut roots. The company has since expanded to Westerly, Rhode Island, marketing its Downtown Westerly Ghost Tour as the town's original ghost tour, researched from local history. The company has won a USA Today Best of 2024 Ghost Tour award, a 2025 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award, and Best of New England and Best of Connecticut ghost-tour honors.
The Westerly tour meets in front of Westerly Town Hall, 45 Broad St, and covers Wilcox Park, downtown Westerly, and the banks of the Pawcatuck River over roughly 2 hours. A separate, unaffiliated program under the same city, US Ghost Adventures Westerly, meets at the Runaway Bunny Statue in Wilcox Park rather than Town Hall and is run by a different national chain operator; the two should not be confused despite both covering Wilcox Park and Westerly's 1938 hurricane history.
Sources
- https://www.seasideshadows.com/
- https://www.seasideshadows.com/westerly-ri-ghost-tour
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54126-d24126555-Reviews-Seaside_Shadows_Haunted_History_Tours-Westerly_Washington_County_Rhode_Island.html
ApparitionsSpectral LightsFolklore / Legend
The operator's marketing describes a local legend of the Devil's visit to Westerly, a spectral light tied to one of New England's worst shipwrecks, stories of two souls said to share one body, and reported paranormal activity at Westerly's known establishments, including the history of the Savoy Hotel. Wilcox Park is tied to the destructive 1938 hurricane that struck the area.
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.
Media Appearances
- USA Today Best of 2024 Ghost Tour
- TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award 2025
- Best of New England Travel Award
- Best of Connecticut Award