Spooked: Haunted Tour Guide Organizing Occoquan Ghost Meet Up Group

Do you believe in ghosts?

It’s no secret that the tiny Town of Occoquan and the Town of Dumfries, both in Prince William County, have their fair share of ghost stories. And, why wouldn’t they, as both towns have history that dates back to the years 1765 and 1620, respectively. Ghosts are said to haunt Occuquan’s Rockledge Mansion and a spirit often spooks visitors at Dumfries’ Weems-Botts Museum.

But a new effort underway by a woman who gives ghost tours of Occoquan for a living hopes to form a group for locals to share some of their ghost stories, as well as look at why these local legends have become lore.

“I wanted to inform people about what we do, as well as hear their stories, because not everyone is going to have the opportunity to go on an [ghost] investigation,” said Kay Pietrewicz, owner of Haunted Occoquan, which provides ghost tours to visitors to the town.

TV shows like “Ghost Hunters” on the SyFy network has made searching for spirits more popular. The talks Pietrewicz wants to have within her group will focus on the technology being used in ghost hunts, such as EMF meters to measure electromagnetic fields, thermal scanners to detect drops in temperature, as well as audio recording devices.

“Some people think that all paranormal activity is negative but I’d like to disposes them of that thought. Many times were dealing with small spirits, but “demonic,” well, that’s on the far other side of the spectrum,” said Pietrewicz.

While some may be harmfuless, some ghosts can also be jerks.

“If you had a very nasty person who lived in a house and died there you could have a very nasty ghost,” said Pietrewicz.

A true believer, Pietrewicz says she appreciates skeptics and their need to have see proof to validate their experiences or beliefs. There is also a danger of people wanting to see or hear a ghost so much during ghost investigations, she said. They could misinterpret their findings of believing they’ve found the undead when they’ve really stumbled on nothing at all.

“If I have another person show me a picture of an orb I’ll scream. They’re caused by…it’s a technical glitch,” said Pietrewicz.

If interest is there, the group will meet on the last Sunday of each month in Occoqaun. There is no fee to join the group. Those who want to attend should email Pietrewicz at hauntedoccoquan[at]gmail.com.