Beaufort County is rich in legends passed down generation to generation, and some of those stories will be showcased during special events planned throughout October.

Bath and Washington are the settings for walking tours that focus on the history of the area, with a side dish of hauntings for those who enjoy a good ghost story.

First up is Bath Towne After Dark, hosted by Historic Bath Site and planned for Oct. 16-17. Site manager Leigh Swain described the tour as “a walk through town where your guide leads you to various historical figures who have walked the streets of Bath before you.”

Local history is the focal point of this tour, conceived by the late Bea Latham and presented in 2013, according to Swain.

“It was a very successful program in 2013, so much so that we really did not anticipate the crowd and the difficulties of moving so many people at one time,” she said. “We have this year’s event planned a little different.”

Tickets will not be sold in advance this year; instead, those interested in learning more about the history of North Carolina’s oldest incorporated town can begin gathering at the visitor center at 6 p.m. Seven tours of 25 people will be offered each evening and will leave the visitor center at 15 minute intervals.

“We’re hoping that the smaller groups, each with their own guide, will have a very positive experience,” Swain said. “This will not be a scary tour.”

Assistant site manager Elizabeth Midyette and Tania Lilley-Corey, who majored in theater in college, have assembled a selection of historical tales to educate and entertain visitors. Lilley-Corey works with a group of home schooled children and teenagers, and they will portray several of the characters featured in the tours, according to Swain.

“The home school drama club T.E.A.C.H. is very excited about playing some of the historical characters, and Ellen Heck will be back as Edna Ferber,” she added.

Tickets are $12 for anyone 12 years old and up, and $8 for children 11 years old and younger. For more information about BathTowne After Dark, call the Historic Bath visitor center at 252-923-3971.

The last weekend of the Washington Haunts tour will offer a few more chills and thrills, with just the right blend of history andhauntings. That tour is slated for Oct. 30-31, according to guide Terry Rollins.

Washington Haunts entertains folks throughout the year, but the Halloween weekend tours wind up the 2015 season. A ghost walk would be a particularly appropriate way to observe Halloween, Rollins noted.

“This year has seen the most supernatural sightings to date for Washington Haunts,” he said. “At Halloween, some folks say that the veils between the physical and spiritual worlds are the thinnest. Join us and see what you may see in one of America’s most haunted cities.”

Stops along the tour include several private homes with scary stories in their past, a courthouse and theater with resident ghosts, a church cemetery and even a haunted bridge.

Anyone wishing to take the Washington Haunts tour should meet beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Harding Square, adjacent to the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce office overlooking the Pamlico River. The tour begins promptly at 7 p.m.Tickets are $10 per person and reservations are not accepted.

For more information, call Rollins at 252-402-8595.