Walk across the creaking floors of the most haunted mansion in Annapolis after dark…if you dare. As the weather chills and dying leaves crunch under your feet, it’s time to experience a ghostly tour with Annapolis Tours by Watermark and Historic Annapolis. During the month of October, Watermark’s Historic Ghost Walk expands to Special Historic Hauntings and includes an exclusive trip inside the haunted James Brice House at night. Also known as the Big Brice House, the historic home is newly open to the public and exclusively open to Watermark guests at night. Ghoulish period-dressed guides lead the way by candlelight through historic – and many say haunted – Annapolis. Step into the drawing room of what many call the most haunted house in Annapolis and enjoy a dramatic retelling of the bludgeoning that once took place there. Special Historic Hauntings begins Friday, September 30 and is offered Friday and Saturday evenings through October 29.
Special Historic Hauntings are offered during the month of October only, just in time for the Halloween season. A partnership between Annapolis Tours by Watermark and Historic Annapolis, this unique tour offers guests an exclusive opportunity to step inside one of Annapolis’ most known and least explored haunts, the James Brice House, at night. Guides lead by candlelight and stories based on real reports are told during a walk of the historic district. The tour culminates with a dramatic visit inside the mansion. The tour is 1 and ¾ hours long.
Carrie Kiewitt, Senior Vice President of Advancement for Historic Annapolis says, “The James Brice House is not only an Annapolis treasure, but also a national one. For 248 years the house served as private residences and office spaces and has rarely been open to the public. We are thrilled to partner with Watermark to open this lavish colonial building, and share its magnificent, and sometimes mysterious history, with the public.”
Heather Skipper, Director of Land Operations for Watermark says, “Annapolis Tours by Watermark and Historic Annapolis look forward to bringing people inside the Big Brice House at night. For years, our tour guides have stood outside the mansion telling the home’s creepiest tales. When you step inside the room where Thomas Brice was bludgeoned to death, you can feel the floorboards moving underneath your feet. We’re thankful to the spirits for welcoming us into the home and charming our guests with their presence during these tours.”
About the James Brice House: The home is one of the largest and most elegant of Annapolis’ historic mansions. Construction of the home started in 1767 by James Brice and took nearly 7 years to complete. James Brice was a lawyer and planter, a local and county officeholder, a member of Maryland’s Executive Council for many years and acting Governor in 1792. The house stayed in the Brice family until the 1870s. During the years after it served as a private residence, faculty apartments for St. John’s college and more recently the headquarters of the International Masonry Institute from 1979-2014. In 2014 the state of Maryland purchased the house and arranged for Historic Annapolis to maintain and manage the property. Today, this National Historic Landmark is the headquarters of Historic Annapolis.
Believers and skeptics alike are welcome to join Watermark’s creepy and entertaining guides. Listen to tales of spirits in the mist and look out for roaming ghosts. It’s a true adventure into the unknown! Special Historic Hauntings is offered from September 30 – October 29 on Fridays and Saturdays. The tour departs at 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. from the Historic Annapolis Museum at 99 Main Street, Annapolis. Price is $22/adults, $14/children 3 -11, free for children 2 and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance at AnnapolisTours.com and in person from the Museum Store. Advanced reservations are highly recommended. A glowing ghost necklace is provided to protect guests from the spirits; an important step as guests on past tours have captured photos of digital orbs on this tour.
From Spring through September, Annapolis Tours by Watermark’s regularly offered 1 ½ hour Historic Ghost Walk tells the infamous ghost tales of this historic city including spooky stories of drowned watermen, headless apparitions, night wanderings, grisly accidents and the town’s most haunted property, the Big Brice House.
Photos Included. Photos by Sabrina Raymond. More photos available by request.
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