New tour will get you in the Red Bank spirit

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New tour will get you in the Red Bank spirit
August 7, 2009
By BOBBY OLIVIER
APP.com

Since 2006, Tabitha Bradley of Keyport has been leading ghost tours of her hometown's most ghoulish spots. The lantern-lit tours have been a big hit with Shoregoers, Bradley said, and are now being extended to a new hair-raising area: Red Bank.
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"We felt that there was enough history of tragedy and untimely deaths in Red Bank to offer tours here, too," Bradley said.

At 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, the Red Bank ghost tour will depart for the first time, beginning at the Dublin House on Monmouth Street. Tickets will be sold at 8 p.m. in front of the Dublin House.

The hourlong tour will take visitors past the historic Count Basie Theatre, down to Riverside Gardens Park and along Broad Street as Bradley, or other guides in period dress, tell tales of the town's past.

Such stories include that of Samuel Sleeper, a Revolutionary War soldier of Red Bank whose body was never properly laid to rest, told in front of the town's war memorial on Monmouth Street. Another ghost story includes Stokaboka Surf and Skate next to the Dublin House. While in the shop's basement, the owner says he has heard footsteps above his head after all doors and windows had been locked, Bradley said.

Tours of Red Bank will be held each Friday throughout August and September.

Ghost tours of Keyport will continue as well, with the first tour beginning Saturday, Aug. 1. Tours of Keyport begin in the mini park across from Espresso Joe's on West Front Street and move down to the bay and along Main and West Front streets.

At the water, Bradley tells pirate stories including the tale of the oyster sloop, the E.A. Johnson. A well-documented, bloody episode of harbor piracy, the story goes that a crew member revolted, went mad and slaughtered the ship's crew with an ax, Bradley said.

Also told is the story of Trinity Restaurant, an 130-year old church renovated into an eatery on Broad Street. The restaurant's staff have seen and heard spirits believed to be from the church, and paranormal investigators have supported the claims, Bradley said.

A highlight of the tour is Don and Lorraine Lukowski's house on Maple Street. In the house, paranormal activity has included footsteps in the attic, sounds of doors opening and closing, and what is believed to be a child's ghost tapping on the Lukowski's bed and tugging on their sheets, Lorraine said.
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Much research is done to secure these stories, Bradley added. Stories from both Red Bank and Keyport are gathered by talking to residents and learning of their experiences through discussions and interviews, Bradley said. Historical facts are gathered through libraries and historical societies.

Keyport ghost tours will continue through August and September as well. In October, Halloween season will see both tours running on Fridays and Saturdays.

Jersey Shore Ghost Tours originated with Bradley's previous paranormal interests.

"I have always loved going on ghost tours, and I thought that there was enough history and mystery in Keyport to start a tour of our own," she said. Other ghost tours Bradley has taken include Harper's Ferry, W.V.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Williamsburg, Va.; New Hope, Pa.; and Charleston, S.C.

Reservations are encouraged, and groups are kept at no more than 30 to maintain a more personal experience, Bradley added. Tickets are cash only and are $12 for adults and $10 for children younger than 10.

For more information, go to www.jerseyshoreghosttours.com or call 732-500-6262.