It may still be several weeks before Halloween but the Warren Heritage Society is gearing up for that spookiest time of the year with hourly tours of downtown Front Royal linked to past legends of war fatalities, plagues, murder, and ghostly apparitions roaming restless from those ends right here in the Town of Front Royal, the Virginia municipality once nicknamed \u201cHelltown\u201d circa the late 1800s.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you dare to walk the blood-soaked streets of historic Front Royal? Join us for a spine-tingling evening as the Warren Heritage Society guides you through the shadows of the past,\u201d the Heritage Society promotion of \u201cHaunted Front Royal\u201d reads, adding, \u201cListen closely\u2014some say you can still hear the whispers of lost lovers and the cries of those claimed by war, plague, and misadventure. This ghostly tour will lead you through downtown blocks teeming with restless spirits and forgotten stories. We can\u2019t promise you\u2019ll see a ghost \u2026 But we can promise you\u2019ll never look at Front Royal the same way again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uh oh, with this come-on, how could we resist the Saturday, October 4th, 8 p.m. tour kickoff as day drifted into the darkness of night, with what was within a day of being a full moon rising above? Well, we couldn\u2019t, and here are some pictures to prove we not only were there, but also survived that spiritual unrestfullness described above.<\/p>\n
Tour goers and staff gathering in the Belle Boyd Cottage patio for the Oct. 4th, 8 p.m. Heritage Society\u2019s \u2018Haunted Front Royal\u2019 tour. In the first photo in the upper left, that round, bright object is the almost full moon. Children over age seven are allowed with their parents. In the final shot, event narrator Dr. Harold Grimm, also known as Dan Lelito, sheds a little light on what\u2019s to come. \u2013 Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini, unless otherwise noted, Photos 2 & 3 Heritage Society Courtesy photos<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Don\u2019t worry if you missed the Saturday, October 4th, kickoff \u201cHaunted Front Royal\u201d event. It is scheduled for tours every Saturday between now and Halloween, October 11, 18, and 25, with tours from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 18th and 25th, and an 8 to 9 p.m. tour on Saturday, October 11th.<\/p>\n
After our spooky experience, we sought additional information from Warren Heritage Society officials on the impetus for this month-long run-up to Halloween. Heritage Society Board of Directors President Teresa Henry and Executive Director \u201cLiz\u201d Rishel responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took the position of Executive Director at the end of April of this year, and almost from the beginning, I had Board and community suggestions for Ghost Tours,\u201d Rishel told us, observing, \u201cWe took Teresa Henry\u2019s stories, found an amazing Ghost Tour guide, and we decided October was the perfect time to launch!\u201d<\/p>\n
Teresa Henry\u2019s stories, what stories?\u201d we asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond the thrills, \u2018Front Royal Haunts\u2019 carries a deeper purpose. Teresa Henry is currently seeking sponsorship to help publish her book \u2018Front Royal Haunts: Ghost Lore of Warren County,\u00a0 a project she has passionately developed over the past two years, with 100% of the profits pledged to support the Warren Heritage Society.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs President of the organization, she has worked alongside a dedicated board and staff to ensure its vitality \u2014 bringing events, education, and a deep love of community history to life,\u201d Rishel told us, adding, \u201cThe tour brings to life chilling tales of real people and events, carefully woven with historical accuracy and eerie imagination. Each story is drawn from Teresa\u2019s book \u2018Front Royal Haunts: Ghost Lore of Warren County\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe staff of the Warren Heritage Society worked together to transform Teresa\u2019s ghostly tales into a fully immersive experience \u2014 creating not only a spine-tingling attraction but also a fun and entertaining fundraiser for the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of that staff involvement, we were told, \u201cLeading the way is Dan Lelito, who slips seamlessly into his own creation: the role of Dr. Harold Grimm, the tour\u2019s enigmatic narrator. With theatrical flair, he brings each ghostly encounter vividly to life. Drawing inspiration from Teresa\u2019s stories, Dan shaped the tour and adapted the tales to fit his character\u2019s voice, making them uniquely his own while staying true to their haunted heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nDr. Grimm continues to prepare tour participants for the coming encounters before leading them into Front Royal\u2019s ghostly history. As the tour spreads out down Chester St., we\u2019re not sure those lanterns are bright enough to shed any light on coming ghostly encounters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Fundraising & Registering for Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n It was pointed out to us that fundraising is an important part of maintaining Heritage Society operations. \u201cWe are an independent non-profit 501c3 and rely heavily on donations to fund our programming, care for our collections and historic buildings, and pay our dedicated employees.\u00a0 We do not receive funding from the local, state, or federal government,\u201d Rishel and Henry told us.<\/p>\n With the double dose of a spooky and historical month-long weekend run up to Halloween and the event fee committed to non-profit Warren Heritage Society operations, what locally based fan of history, mystery, and things that go \u201cBOO\u201d in the night can resist taking on the Haunted Front Royal tour?!!?<\/p>\n The Heritage Society logo for the \u2018Front Royal Haunts\u2019 event. Below, \u2018Dr. Grimm describes the history of the first stop building on Chester St. at the Garrison House, where the Lemmon-Hale law firm now presides. We wonder if the current occupant law firm has gotten any ghostly client requests lately.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As for the logistics of registering and reporting for a Haunted Front Royal tour, we were told this: \u201cThe cost is $40 for everyone. Tickets are available online \u2013 there is a link on our website (warrenheritagesociety.org<\/a>). We do recommend that parents be mindful of the gory details of the tour. Children are allowed, as long as they are 7 or over.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless it is raining, guests meet in front of the Belle Boyd Cottage patio, which is right behind our main building, the Ivy Lodge, which is located at 101 Chester Street.\u00a0 The tours ARE rain or moonshine (unless truly dangerous conditions exist), and if it is raining, we will meet in the Ivy Lodge.<\/p>\n \u201d \u2018Front Royal Haunts\u2019 is more than a seasonal attraction this year. In hopes to expand to longer if well accepted; it\u2019s a celebration of local heritage, storytelling, and the enduring spirit of a town that refuses to let its past be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/royalexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3a-promo-PHOTO-Feature-image-I-think-scaled.jpg\")
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