Hunt ghosts in style during Pub Crawl in Lebanon

How to go

What: Old Lebanon Ghost Walk and Pub Crawl

When: Oct. 3, 6 p.m.

Where: Lebanon Conference and Banquet Center, 121 S. Broadway St., Lebanon

Cost: $25 (alcoholic beverages not included)

More Info: 513-932-1817

This is the second year for the Old Lebanon Ghost Walk and Pub Crawl, but the first where a dinner buffet will be served beforehand. According to Jodi Werling, marketing manager for the Warren County Historical Society & Museum, there were reasons for the buffet besides just providing an absorbent for the libations to be imbibed later.

“It’s like a meet-and-greet,” she said. “It’ll get people talking, get them into the spirit.”

The ghost walk and pub crawl, which takes place at 6 p.m. Oct. 3, debuted last year after museum officials brainstormed a Halloween event that promotes Warren County history and culture. Over the years, they’d all heard stories of the alleged ghosts said to be haunting various spots throughout downtown Lebanon. These haunted sites led to the idea of a walking tour. Incorporating a pub crawl was the logical next step.

The pre-crawl dinner buffet will also feature a presentation by Shadow Hunters Paranormal, which has investigated several Lebanon haunts and will display the video and audio evidence they’ve collected.

“They have a lot,” Werling said. “There’s shadowy figures, and voices coming out of silence.”

The menu is still a work in progress. Werling said they were working with a local caterer, and that the most likely items will be grilled chicken and pulled pork, plus one complimentary beverage. Attendance is limited to 100 people (and has always sold out thus far). After dinner, the crawlers will be divided into groups of 25, taking different routes to the Black Horse Tavern, the Village Wine Cellar, and the Elk Lodge. In between stops, costumed tour guides will point out various structures and landmarks and reveal the paranormal histories behind them.

“The outside of the library has the spirit of a gentleman who was struck by a car,” she said. “The ghost hunters have communicated with him. Sometimes, the bartender will have something to add. The Elk Lodge has a lot of stories.”

Cost of the event is $25. Register by calling 513-932-1817.