Six of the Best Places to Get Paranormal on St. Patty’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Catnipthyme over at Ghost Lounge inspired me with her post about great haunted pubs in NYC for St. Patty’s Day fun. It got me to thinking about other great places that boast both paranormal activity and lively St. Patty’s Day celebrations.

Here’s my picks for best places to get both a paranormal and a St. Patrick’s Day groove on:

1. IRELAND

What more natural starting point than with the Motherland right?

Here’s something interesting I learned while researching St. Patrick’s Day events in Ireland: they’re not the one day affairs like they are here in the States. They make festivals out of them!

Cork, Dublin and Galway each have one. Complete with parades and everything!

And if you want to get your paranormal on in any of these cities, here’s some suggestions:

• Take Hidden Dublin Walking Tours Haunted History Tour.
• Take the Cork City Gaol Haunted History Tour. (Thanks to modern technology you can even take it virtually. See the YouTube clip below.)
• The haunted place you’d want to jaunt to in Galway is Dunguaire Castle. It’s one of Ireland’s most photographed castles, if not the most photographed, and according to Ghost Haunts was a favorite haunt of such literary greats as George Bernard Shaw, Lady Gregory, J.M Synge and W.B. Yeats. No telling if their spirits still remain –or what others do. (There could be many as the castle is over 500 years old.)

2. BOSTON

Boston boasts a pretty large Irish American population. (The biggest even I believe.) So you know the pubs’ll be a hoppin’ and the green beer a’flowin’ there tonight.

I can’t think of anything more fun than chugging a few and then Haunt Jaunting all around looking for ghosts. (As long as it was by foot or I had a designated driver. I am NOT an advocate for drunk driving!) According to Citysearch, the best places to look for non-alcoholic spirits in Boston are:

• Boston Common – They used to hang people here back in the day. Some of their souls are rumored to still remain.
• Omni Parker House – Employees claim apparitions wander the halls and blame that for the mysterious flickering lights in this swanky Spooky Stay.
• Cutler Majestic Theatre – Beware! You could be sharing a seat with the ghost of a former mayor who died in his seat during a performance when you buy tickets to a show at this theatre.

3. NEW YORK

No one does a parade bigger than the Big Apple and their St. Patrick’s Day parade is no exception. According to About.com’s list, you can eat, sleep, and even take in a show with ghosts at these haunted places after watching the floats:

• Algonquin Hotel
• Bridge Cafe
• Belasco Theatre
• Ear Inn
• Empire State Building
• Landmark Tavern
• Morris-Jumel Mansion
• Merchant’s House Museum
• Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• One If By Land, Two If By Sea Restaurant
• Radio City Music Hall
• St. Marks Church-in-the-Bowery
• Washington Square Park

4. CHICAGO

Chicago’s claim to St. Patrick’s Day fame is dying the Chicago River green. But because of its colorful past and intriguing places, it’s also a Haunt Jaunters dream destination.

The best way to take in the supernatural sights would probably be with one of these ghost tours:

• Nighttime Supernatural Cruise – What lurks on the waterways, river and lakefront surrounding the city? Take this two-hour cruise and find out. (There’s even talk about a couple of ghost ships that have been spotted.)
• Nighttime Supernatural Tour by Coach – For those less partial to boats Chicago Tours has got you covered with a bus tour of Chicago’s famed haunted spots.
• Chicago’s Hauntings Tours – Reserve a spot on their “ghost bus” and enjoy an interactive haunted history tour of the city.

5. SAVANNAH

Savannah may not be as large as some of the other cities mentioned above, but that doesn’t stop them from doing up St. Patrick’s Day right. Their St. Patrick’s Celebration on the River has grown so large it’s now won Savannah the title for throwing the second largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the States. We’re talking a two-day bash that includes entertainment on multiple stages plus food and beverages.

But Savannah’s also one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. (Some say Savannah is the most haunted city but my jury’s still out on that.)

However, there’s no disputing Savannah has more than its fair share of haunts. In fact, one thing I just might give them credit for having the most of is sites promoting their paranormal tourism. Check it out:

• BedandBreakfastsofSavannah.com has a Haunts & Spirits page on their site which lists Savannah’s spooky stays.
• The Sorrel-Weed House (as seen on Syfy’s Ghost Hunters) offers a paranormal tour.
• Speaking of tours, to find a list of all the ones you’ll find in Savannah, check out the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Hauntings page.  (It’ll also tell you about Savannah’s haunted history in general.)
• Thanks to SavannahNOW and the Savannah Morning News you can experience Savannah’s most renowned haunted places without even leaving home. Simply check out Best of Haunted Savannah. You can watch videos and see pictures taken at the best haunted places Savannah has to offer, such as the Olde Pink House and Moon River Brewing Company. And when you’re ready to visit, they also have a handy dandy tour page listing all of Savannah’s ghost tours. (Including their famed Haunted Pub Crawl which is probably going to see a lot of spirits tonight, though perhaps of the green variety more than the white.)

6. AT HOME IN FRONT OF YOUR TV

Ever since I learned that Destination Truth’s season premier would be tonight with Josh Gates in Ireland hunting for leprechauns, I knew without a doubt what my St. Patty’s Day plans would be: camping out in front of the TV watching Destination Truth with my Guinness (if I can’t find my preferred choice, which is Murphy’s Irish Stout) while eating corned beef and cabbage. Erin Go Bragh!

POLL