Q&A with Courtney McInvale Reardon of Seaside Shadows

Mystic has new business that is entirely appropriate for this time of the year when the sun goes down early and you wonder if that was a cool breeze that’s sending chills down your spine or something else… 

Courtney McInvale Reardon of Seaside Shadows is Mystic’s newest tour guide and she promises to keep you safe while introducing you to downtown’s most storied and (some would say haunted) spots. 

Reardon will begin conducting haunted history tours in Downtown Mystic beginning Thursday (get your tickets here) and Patch sat down with Reardon to find out more about her plans to scare the Dickens out of us. 

How did your background prepare you for this new venture?

First you must know that Readron’s childhood home in East Hampton, Connecticut was investigated by Lorraine Warren, a paranormal investigator whose cases inspired The Amityville Horror, The Haunting in Connecticut and The Conjuring.

“She had a lot of findings,” said Reardon. “And she validated that a lot of spirits were in the house.” Reardon said she became sensitive to paranormal activity while living in the house.

Later Reardon became an investigator herself only for the FBI and Homeland Security. The experience turned out to be proper training for hunting ghost stories.

“It's a little bit the same – with government work, there’s a lot of research and a lot of corroboration of facts and that's a lot like what getting ghost stories,” she said. 

Why did you pick Mystic to hold a ghost tour?

“I found awesome material! There are a lot of local businesses and locations that have great stories,” Reardon said. Her favorite story comes from the Voodoo Grill but that’s all she’ll divulge – we’ll have to take the tour to find out more.

“I picked Mystic for the walkability of the area and its history is unique. I knew they would have really great stories,” she said. 

Are you having tours only around Halloween?

Nope! Seaside Shadows will conduct tours year-around and they plan on expanding to areas beyond Downtown Mystic. Reardon said they’ll hold special events once a month and partner with local venues to offer tour packages. This month’s event is a Whitehall Mansion and cemetery tour on Oct. 28. 

The tours in Downtown Mystic are about one hour long and cover less than one mile of ground. Reardon said the tour is appropriate for ages 13 and older and people should wear comfortable shoes. 

The tour calendar and ticket information is available on the Seaside Shadows website. Check out their Facebook page for the 2-for-1 Groupon Deal.