Photograph courtesy of Rob Snyder, editor of the Spirit of Jefferson
Charles Town Ghost Tours, the original haunted walk of Charles Town, came to life in 2009.
It was the brain-child of the city’s Mayor, Peggy Smith. She tapped Ann Khiel Fern to be the guide of what was originally only meant to be a two-night event. Little did Smith or Fern realize how popular the ghost walk tour would become with both the living and the dead!
Very quickly, the term “ghosties” came into play as many of the patrons became return participants – some of which have attended twenty or more of Fern’s tours.
In 2015, Ann Khiel Fern, affectionately know by locals as the “Ghost Lady of Charles Town”, published a second book on the hauntings of Jefferson County. Jefferson County, WV – Sometimes the Dead Speak: Haunted Tales of an Historic County is available on any of the Charles Town Ghost Tours. Find out more about Fern’s books on the Books page.
Ann Khiel Fern has been featured on Fox 5 News, the television series Ghosts of Shepherdstown; the Martinsburg, West Virginia, the radio station WRNR Talk Radio; newspapers The Journal, located in Martinsburg, and the Spirit of Jefferson; and the magazine Around the Panhandle Magazine, Sept/Oct 2010, “Take a Ghost Tour”.
On April 18, 2024, Toni Milbourne interviewed Ann for The Journal – “Charles Town Ghost Tours celebrating 15 years providing multiple tour options“.
Charles Town Ghost Tours prides itself on the authenticity of the tales told and the honor with which the guides treat their resident spirits. Fern believes the respect shown to the dead is the reason that so many unique and unexplained experiences occur on the tours.
Charles Town Ghost Tours is constantly evolving with more diverse tours and new tales added regularly. Join us and add unforgettable memories of your own.
Charles Town Ghost Tours 