Old Town's spooky past – and the spirits still lingering there today

OLD TOWN, Va. - Just across the bridge from the nation's capital lies the quaint and picturesque Old Town, Alexandria. The Virginia neighborhood is the third-oldest historic district in the country, with old cobblestone streets and buildings, making it a perfect place to experience paranormal activity.

FOX 5's Jacqueline Matter hosts the latest installment of Historic Haunts, as we learn more about the haunted history that Old Town has to offer.

Jimmy Meritt from Alexandria Colonial Tours says Old Town is "an active, vibrant community" with a lot of history – and some spooky sightings.

"We give you gruesome murders, strange tales of true crime, tragic, accidental deaths. We give you the history of the building, all the things that have happened in it. And then we also share with you the stories of encounters people have had with the spirits in these buildings," says Meritt.

Meritt says the stories they tell on their tours are "very well researched."

"We get them from old police reports and a lot of old newspapers. We use the Alexandria Herald and the Alexandria Gazette, which are both papers that go back to the 1800s," says Meritt. "In the 1800s, they would report on ghost sightings the same way they report on any other bit of news."

Uncover the eerie history behind the most haunted places in the DC metro area in FOX5's latest mini-series, FOX 5 Historic Haunts. Hosted by Jacqueline Matter, this series dives into the most chilling supernatural tales of the region, guided by experts who know these locations best. Watch now on FOX Local.