Ghost Tours delve into the Old County Courthouse’s haunted past

Before the Warren County Municipal Center was built five miles south of Lake George Village, County business was conducted in the center of the Village just north of what is now Shepard Park. The Old County Courthouse still stands, an iconic structure of brick and mortar with a clock tower and basement jail cells. It was built in 1845 and served as a courthouse until 1963. The building now houses the Lake George Historical Association, which operates a museum there.

The Association’s exhibits and artifacts tell the stories of Lake George from pre-history, through the bloody wars, and the rise of the tourism industry into modern times, but the walls of the old building itself have stories to tell as well. Over the years, people have heard unexplained sounds and seen ghostly apparitions in the dank basement, on the creaking staircases, and coming from the judge’s chambers.

Related:  The haunted places of Lake George Village

The Lake George Historical Association has collected these stories and is offering Ghost Tours of the building. A guide leads tour groups through all three stories of the building, telling these stories along the way. The summer tours are held each Wednesday in August, with one 2025 tour left on the schedule for August 20. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at the Association’s website. Proceeds from ticket sales support the Historical Association.

The ghosts will take a break for September, but the ghost tours will return in October with tours held every Friday and Saturday throughout the month. The Lake George Historical Association will conclude its Ghost Tour season on Halloween, October 31, with a live paranormal investigation conducted with paranormal research group Finding Dystopia. Ticket information for the October ghost tours and the paranormal investigation will be announced in coming weeks on the Historical Association’s website.