How to Halloween at Home

Halloween – that American tradition Australia pretend to celebrate.  Only a small percentage of people like to participate so trick or treating on the neighbours presents somewhat of a challenge.  But for those who do want to join in on the American spooky spirit, there are  alternatives around Adelaide. Ghost tours in the city are a popular choice for that unique Halloween experience.

 A Tragic Past

Even Adelaide has its share of ghostly sightings.  Take a walk passed some of the old shopping arcades and you may feel a ghostly presence inside.  South Australia’s Adelaide Arcade in Rundle Mall, is a bustling hub of activity during the day.  But when darkness falls, there is a new afterlife presence to be felt.

Adelaide Arcade is the oldest shopping arcade in Australia, opened for business in 1885, and comes complete with a mysterious yet tragic past.  Since the Arcade’s opening there had been three tragic deaths.

The first was in 1887 when the Arcade’s caretaker was killed in a workplace accident.  Francis Cluney was checking out a flickering light when he fell into an electrical generator that resulted in the decapitation of his head. He died instantly.

There were two more traumatic deaths that resulted from tragedy in the years following the arcade’s opening.  In 1902 a young boy died of gas inhalation, he and his mother lived in the apartment on the second floor.  Then in 1904 a young lady, out shopping with friends, was tragically shot by her estranged husband of whom she separated from just 2 weeks earlier.

A Ghostly Presence

Since these events, shop owners and visitors have reported mysterious sightings, footsteps, and even the movement of objects from one place to another.  No-one can explain these strange phenomenal events. Today it is not uncommon to feel a ghostly presence and even experience a cool breeze brush against you as you shop in the many specialty stores in the arcade.

So on Halloween night why not take a walk through Adelaide Arcade and experience the sinister side of the city for yourself.  As you walk through the arcade, look out for dark shadowy figures passing by.  You may also hear the pacing footsteps on the 2^nd floor of Gays Arcade.  If you feel an ice-cold breeze brush against your skin it may the feathery touch of those lost spirits reaching out.

Video footage has been caught on CCTV and shows an illusion of a shimmering blue light.  However, it is not possible to conclude from this image if it is the figure of a person or not.  It is rumoured to be a man in long, dark coat.  You be the judge, is this a ghostly figure?

Walking tours of the Adelaide arcade are available after dark.  Not only do you get to walk the arcade in the hope of spotting “friendly Francis” but also go downstairs to the basement where the ghosts are said to inhabit.

Tours of the Arcade after dark are held at 9:30 pm and end around 11.15pm and are great for a unique night out. Click here for more details