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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260815T163000
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SUMMARY:Haunted Harbor Tour on the Thames River
DESCRIPTION:Haunted Harbor Tour on the Thames River takes passengers onto the water Saturday\, August 15\, for an afternoon of ghost stories drawn from the centuries of history surrounding Groton Bank. Departing from Thames River Landing in Groton at 4:45 p.m.\, the 75-minute cruise explores stories of unexplained encounters\, Revolutionary War soldiers and residents who\, according to local lore\, never quite left the neighborhood. \nThe guides aren’t simply repeating stories collected from the internet. The tour is led by Hali Keeler and Leslie Evans\, two of the authors behind Ghosts of Groton Bank\, a book devoted to the supernatural stories attached to this small but remarkably historic section of Groton. Evans is associated with the Avery-Copp House Museum\, while Keeler has worked with Fort Griswold Battlefield\, putting both guides close to the places and history behind the stories. (averycopphouse.org) \nAnd then there’s the setting. Rather than walking from one supposedly haunted building to another\, passengers hear the stories from a boat on the Thames River\, looking back toward the actual shoreline where many of them originated. \nThe Ghosts of Groton Bank\nGroton Bank occupies only about half a square mile\, but its history reaches deep into the colonial and Revolutionary periods. \nThat history has produced its share of ghost stories. \nGhosts of Groton Bank\, published by Arcadia Publishing in 2016\, collects accounts connected to historic houses\, military sites and waterfront buildings throughout the neighborhood. Its stories range from phantom Revolutionary War soldiers and unexplained footsteps to sea captains who never returned home and former residents who apparently aren’t ready to move out. (openroadmedia.com) \nThe book was written by Hali Keeler with Leslie Evans and David Rose\, drawing the supernatural stories together with the documented history of the neighborhood. (goodreads.com) \nThe Haunted Harbor Tour takes some of those stories back to the landscape where they began. \nMother Bailey and the Battle of Groton Heights\nOne of the names passengers will hear is Mother Bailey\, a legendary figure in Groton’s Revolutionary War history. \nBut some of the darkest stories surrounding Groton Bank trace back to Fort Griswold. \nOn September 6\, 1781\, British forces under Benedict Arnold attacked New London and Groton. The fighting at Fort Griswold became one of the bloodiest episodes in Connecticut’s Revolutionary War history\, with scores of American defenders killed during and immediately after the battle. \nMore than two centuries later\, stories of soldiers who never left the battlefield have become part of Groton Bank’s folklore. Ghosts of Groton Bank recounts reports of ghostly soldiers around the neighborhood\, along with other unexplained activity connected to the historic homes surrounding the fort. \nHearing those stories from the river adds some perspective. The battlefield and surrounding neighborhood aren’t distant historical abstractions. They’re right there on the hillside above the boat. \nHaunted Houses Along the Thames\nThe battlefield isn’t the only source of Groton Bank’s supernatural reputation. \nThe Avery-Copp House\, built around 1800 and standing above the Thames River\, appears in the area’s ghost lore through accounts of former residents who seem reluctant to leave. \nNearby\, the Ebenezer Avery House has its own stories\, including reports of unexplained footsteps. The house also has a direct connection to the Battle of Groton Heights: wounded soldiers were brought there after the fighting at Fort Griswold. \nOther tales collected in Ghosts of Groton Bank reach into the Submarine Veterans Club and Fleet Reserve\, giving the neighborhood a surprisingly crowded cast of alleged spectral residents. \nWhether you believe any of it is another question. \nThe documented history beneath the stories is real enough. \nA Historic Boat for a History Tour\nEven the boat has a past. \nThames River Heritage Park operates its cruises aboard refurbished former U.S. Navy liberty launches. These utility boats were originally used to carry sailors between larger Navy vessels and shore during liberty periods. \nOne of the Heritage Park boats served aboard the USS LaSalle\, which became flagship of the U.S. Middle East Force in 1988. Another was assigned to the USS Hunley\, a submarine tender that supported the Navy’s nuclear-powered Polaris submarine fleet. (thamesriverheritagepark.org) \nToday\, those former Navy boats carry visitors through a stretch of river that has witnessed everything from colonial trade and one of America’s great 19th-century whaling ports to the birth of the nuclear submarine age. \nFor this trip\, they’re carrying ghost stories. \nAbout Thames River Heritage Park\nThe Haunted Harbor Tour is part of the seasonal programming offered by Thames River Heritage Park\, which connects historic and cultural sites on both sides of the Thames. \nUnlike a traditional park contained within a single boundary\, the Heritage Park stretches across New London and Groton. More than 30 historic and cultural locations are represented\, including Fort Trumbull\, Fort Griswold Battlefield\, the Hempsted Houses\, Avery-Copp House\, the Garde Arts Center\, Ledge Lighthouse and the Submarine Force Museum and USS Nautilus. \nThe river ties them together. \nDuring summer weekends\, the park operates its Hop On\, Hop Off Harbor Cruise between waterfront stops in New London and Groton\, along with specialty narrated history tours and evening cruises. \nBring Snacks and Drinks\nThe Haunted Harbor Tour is open to all ages\, and guests are welcome to bring a cooler with beverages and snacks. \nThere is one practical detail worth knowing before boarding: the former Navy launches do not have restrooms. \nThe vessels also aren’t ADA compliant. Passengers must be able to walk up and down four stairs and board the boat independently with only minimal assistance from the crew. \nWeather\nThe Haunted Harbor Tour is weather dependent. \nConditions on the Thames can affect or cancel scheduled cruises\, particularly when thunderstorms or other unsafe weather moves through the area. \nThames River Heritage Park posts the current operating status of its boats on its website and also communicates weather-related changes to ticket holders. \nCheck the status before heading to Groton if the forecast looks questionable. \nEvent Details\nDate\nSaturday\, August 15\, 2026 \nTime\n4:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. \nDuration\nApproximately 75 minutes \nDeparture Location\nThames River Landing \nLocation\nThames Street\nGroton\, CT \nPresented By\nThames River Heritage Park \nGuides\nTwo authors of Ghosts of Groton Bank \nAge Restrictions\nNone. Guests of all ages are welcome. \nFood & Drinks\nGuests may bring a cooler with their own beverages and snacks. \nRestrooms\nThere is no restroom aboard the boat. \nAccessibility\nThe former Navy launches are not ADA compliant. Passengers must be able to navigate four stairs and board and disembark independently with minimal assistance. \nWeather\nWeather dependent. Check the Thames River Heritage Park website or social media before departure for current operating information. \nQuestions\n(860) 333-6706 \nMore Information\nFor more information\, visit the event website using the Event Website link below. \nFor ticket purchases\, click on the Ticketing link below. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/haunted-harbor-tour-on-the-thames-river/
LOCATION:Thames River Landing Park\, 301 Thames Street\, Groton\, 06340\, United States
CATEGORIES:Thames River Landing Park
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