Spooky Season Recap - Awards, Donations, Day of the Dead & Book Tour

Thank You, Ghost Walkers and Friends. With your support, we are proud to announce that we won #3 for Best Ghost Tour in the nation in USAToday. We ranked first for our New England region and for the East Coast as a whole! You can read the full article and see complete ranking below.

From our Press Release: “As the highest-ranking tour in New England and along the East Coast, this is a significant achievement for Seaside Shadows in their first national nomination and win.

Founded by author and historian Courtney McInvale in 2013, Seaside Shadows offers a unique blend of historical accuracy, local legend, and paranormal lore across the storied shores of Mystic, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island. McInvale’s passion for weaving history with the supernatural has propelled Seaside Shadows into the national spotlight, earning acclaim for its authentic and immersive experiences.

USAToday describes Seaside Shadows as a premier tour operator that “blends history with the occult on guided tours,” offering everything from downtown walking tours to spirit-themed pub crawls. Each tour reflects an affinity for the paranormal, providing participants with a unique and engaging perspective on New England’s rich history.

“This is an incredible honor for our small business,” says McInvale. “Seaside Shadows began as a grassroots effort, and to now be recognized nationally alongside some of the best ghost tours in the country is a testament to our team’s dedication to storytelling, history, and the supernatural. We are proud to represent New England and excited to continue sharing our region’s haunted past with guests from near and far.”

As a woman-owned small business, Seaside Shadows remains committed to offering high-quality, historically grounded tours with a focus on community engagement and visitor experience.”

A special thank you also goes to AAA Travel and AARP who listed us among the Best Ghost Tours in the region and country respectively as well!

On Halloween night, we were able to have a very special benefit among our Ghost Tours where proceeds from all ticket sales were sent to the relief efforts for Hurricane Helene through GlobalGiving. We were able to raise $1,000 from ticket sales to help in these efforts and want to thank each and every guest who made this donation possible by their patronage on All Hallow’s Eve! Fittingly we had 31 people on each tour on the 31st of October!

As we enter in November 2nd, we celebrate what is known as All Soul’s Day and Day of the Dead, where practices across cultures remember their ancestors and their loved ones who cam before. Whether you are setting the ofrenda or setting an extra place setting at the table and a candle in the window, you may find that on this 3rd day of Halloween, the night is perfect for your loved ones to come and pay you visit. The veil is thin at this time as we find ourselves between seasons, we are also between worlds and our ancestors knew this represented the time when spirits could easily reach us. As such, we want to wish each and every one of you a blessed Day of the Dead and All Soul’s Day. We hope you get to celebrate those who came before, cherish dear memories and welcome them for a visit. Our Dia de los Muertos tours take place on Nov 2nd at 7 PM in Downtown Mystic. Our annual flower laying took place in the cemetery on Halloween night. Tour tickets can be booked at www.seasideshadows.com/calendar

And Courtney would like to send a big thank you to all who came to see her across Georgia for her book tour on Civil War Ghosts of Georgia book tour. All across Georgia, she enjoyed meeting every and can’t wait to be back in the near future with more history and mystery. To book Courtney at your university, nonprofit or organization - please visit www.courtneymcinvale.com or email [email protected]

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