RALEIGH — Fact will be more chilling than fiction Saturday, Oct. 17, during the State Capitol’s hair-raising but family-friendly event “Scare on the Square.” From 5:30-9:30 p.m., old-fashioned carriage rides and live bluegrass music performed by the Southern String Band will delight young and old as they wait outside to be taken on “spooky” guided tours.
The 30-minute tour will highlight various mysterious events that have occurred at the State Capitol over its long and storied history. The Capitol is part of the Division of State Historic Sites and Properties within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The tour is free, and registration is strongly encouraged. Registration opens Oct. 1. To register, call the Capitol at (919) 733-4994.
Does that faint scent of cigar smoke some have smelled wafting through the old Senate Chamber come from a long-gone senator’s stogie? What have paranormal researchers discovered at the State Capitol? Why do they think that North Carolina has the most haunted capitol in America? These are some of the questions that will be answered (or at least explored) on the “Scare on the Square” tours.
A National Historic Landmark, the State Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the United States. It features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance. Until 1888 its granite walls housed all of state government, and the Legislature met here until 1961. Today the governor and her staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.
The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the architecture, history and functions of the 1840 Capitol building and Union Square where it is located. In downtown Raleigh, the State Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. Free parking is available in state lots near the Capitol.
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture through such programs as the yearlong theme observance “Treasure N.C. Culture.”