Ellicott City is haunted. Ask anyone, and you will hear stories of unexplained happenings. Ask Tony or any of the guides who lead the Ghost Tours on Friday and Saturday nights, and you will find out more than you ever wanted to know about scary things that go bump in the night. You will learn not only about the history of the town on the tour but also of its ghostly inhabitants. And if you are lucky, you may even see orbs of energy and light, and perhaps even an apparition.

Why is Ellicott City inhabited by so many unearthly residents? There are a number of theories: spirits like to be near the river that flows under the buildings; the abundant electric lines attract energy; and the disasters that have hit the town, including floods and fires, have left behind spirits who are not ready to leave. Whatever the reason, some shopkeepers and tavern owners have had some interesting experiences with visitors they can’t always see but can sense.

The tour leads you to the salon where Casper the cat lives and where a ghostly inhabitant gives massages. You will visit the former garage where the owner died and came back to visit, startling the man who was painting the building’s interior. You will walk down Main Street and up narrow alleyways, stopping along the way to gather facts about what you are seeing. There’s the old hearse, residing on the second floor of the Wagon Wheel Antique Shop, that does not like to stay still. There’s the former funeral home, now the Bean Hollow, where a cleanser was called in to help an apparition named Sarah move on toward the light where she needed to go.

As you continue walking with caution through the town along with your guide, you will hear of murders, suicides, and women in old-fashioned clothing appearing and disappearing. Stand in front of the Tea House on the Tiber, where orbs of energy have been captured on photos, and you will hear of various paranormal happenings there. The opera house brings stories of encounters by paranormal investigators. It is there you can look up at a nearby outdoor staircase, hoping to see the Confederate soldier who was killed on that very spot. Should you feel extra daring, you can explore the cemetery, where the Ellicott brothers are buried, on your own.

If all of this is not enough to satisfy your fascination for the paranormal, you can travel to nearby Savage Mill, where you will hear true stories about its mill workers and their sometimes violent end. There’s the ghost of the Tower, a woman who was in charge of the mill workers’ children in the 19th century—until falling to her death on the tower’s stairs. Another tower houses a bell that seems to ring by itself despite that it must be rung by hand. As they close the doors to what appear to be empty rooms, store owners report sounds and whispers.

Whether it’s Ellicott City, Savage Mill or both, be sure to bring a camera. You never know what may turn up in your photos!

Howard County Tourism’s Ellicott City Ghost Tours are conducted Friday and Saturday nights from April through November. Tours begin at 8:30 p.m. sharp at the Howard County Visitor’s Center, 8267 Main Street, Ellicott City, Md. In October, tours are conducted every half-hour from 7 to 9 p.m. Full Moon Tours begin at 9 p.m.

Howard County Tourism offers Savage Mill Ghost Walks in October and November.

For information, visit www.visithowardcounty.com or call 410-313-1900 or 1-800-288-8747.