Over the years, Columbia has experienced its fair share of tragedy. There was the burning of the Columbia Opera House, deaths on Wright's Ferry, a deadly trolley crash and the famous burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge. Rivertown Theatre Productions will bring this spooky history to life during Columbia's Haunted Lantern Tour. Tours will be given every half-hour between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 15, 16, 22 and 23, as well as every half-hour between 6 and 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17. Tours will leave from the Columbia Market House, 15 S. Third St.

The tour is billed as "theater in the street," and it features a cast of about 25 costumed characters. This year's theme is "Unfortunate Events."

"One of the stops will be the dungeons below the Columbia Market House," said Rebecca Wright, who co-owns Rivertown Theatre Productions with Sara Mimnall. While the market has been beautifully renovated, the dungeons have not been touched since they were used to house inmates many years ago. "They are historically accurate, right down to the chains used to hold prisoners," Wright noted, adding that they make the perfect creepy setting for a tour stop.

Additional stops will include the old Becker's Chip Factory, as well as Art Printing Company, located in the historic Miller Mansion, where Rivertown Theatre Productions has its home base.

"The Becker's Chip Factory is a brand-new, never-before-seen stop on our tour," Wright noted, adding that it will be transformed into Black's Hotel for the event. Tourgoers will also be able to ride the Rivertowne Trolley for part of the tour.

This is the fifth year for the Haunted Lantern Tour, and Mimnall said it's a unique event. "One of the things that sets us apart is that we talk as if the events are happening here and now," she explained. "Our actors are portraying that person during the event. We want to make people feel as if they are there in the story."

Proceeds from the tour will benefit local organizations, including the upkeep of the Miller Mansion.

Wright and Mimnall said they hope attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of Columbia's rich past. "The tour is equally historical and theatrical," Mimnall explained. "It's mostly on the historical side, with some subtle jump scares, but nothing too scary."

Reservations are recommended for the tour, although walk-ins will be accepted if space allows. To reserve tickets, call Holly at 717-587-5368.