
DATE: Sunday, October 26, 1997              TAG: 9710240259

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 22   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: AFTER DARK 

SOURCE: BY JOHN HARPER 

                                            LENGTH:   51 lines

TAKE A HAUNTED HISTORY TOUR - IF YOU DARE

STEP RIGHT UP for the ``Haunted History Tour of Waterside Theatre.''

The tour, running through Halloween, is a collaborative effort of the Dare County Jaycees and ``The Lost Colony.''

``The Haunted History Tour is not your average scare-fest,'' says Jaycees chairman Eric Hause. ``It takes advantage of the abundance of legends and tales on North Carolina's famous Outer Banks.''

Now in its second season, the tour is a 45-minute lantern-guided adventure. Visitors will walk a dark path that winds through Fort Raleigh and The Waterside Theatre.

Along the way, tour-goers will be greeted by ghosts, goblins and mysterious characters from the past, such as Blackbeard and Virginia Dare.

Storytellers will offer such tales as ``The Witch of Nags Head Woods,'' ``The Gray Man of Hatteras'' and ``Blackbeard's Lost Treasure.'' In all, 13 stops will entertain and frighten those on the tour.

``There are so many true stories and scary events that have taken place here,'' Hause says. ``It's logical to bring them to life at the site of the most famous of these legends, The Lost Colony.''

Hause says more than 120 volunteers, including performers from ``The Lost Colony'' outdoor drama and the Theatre of Dare, are involved in the production of ``The Haunted History Tour.''

And don't expect a carbon copy of last year's tour.

``We've added a few new tales,'' Hause says. ``We've also added some spectacular special effects that guarantee those who came last year a scarier time.''

Money raised from the tour benefits ``The Lost Colony'' and the Dare County Jaycees' community projects. Last year's tour netted $10,000. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW WILSON

David Miller, technical director for ``The Lost Colony,'' shows part

of the spooky Halloween tour he helped put together at the Waterside

Theatre in Manteo.

Graphic

HOW TO SEE IT

What: Haunted History Tour of Waterside Theatre

When: Oct. 24-31. Tours begin nightly at 7:30 and run every 15

minutes until 10:30 p.m.

Where: Tour starts at The Lost Colony box office at Fort Raleigh

Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children

Call: 473-2127