Ghosts haunting Perkins House in Liverpool

Perkins House is having a grand opening 2-4 p.m. June 7 for the holograph ghosts to introduce themselves to the public.

These ghosts are friendly however, and ironically are there to make the house seem more “alive” to visitors. The ghosts are interactive, and will tell stories about what life was like during their time.

Producer Ernest J. Dick says this project has been in the works for two years. To make the dialogue accurate and informative much of that time was spent pouring over Simeon Perkins’ diaries, around 2,000 pages of daily life in Liverpool during the 1700s.

The ghosts were filmed during September 2008, and many of the actors are residents of Queens Co. Perkins is played by Alan Steele, and Elizabeth Perkins is played by well-known teacher Annette Burke. Students from Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy play the Perkins’ children.

Global Exhibit Technology is setting up the equipment to display the ghosts. The company has done similar projects around the world, including several at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Project Manager Ted Ratcliffe says once completed visitors will see very little evidence of the 21st century.

Each project presents its own unique challenges however. For example, because Perkins House is so old, there are very few straight lines to hang the screen on. “We basically left the level in the car,” laughs Ratcliffe’s son, Donovan.

Perkins House is only the second museum in Nova Scotia to have ghosts installed. The other is in Annapolis Royal at the Sinclair Inn. The project is funded by Nova Scotia Museums, and cost approximately $50,000.

Perkins House opens on June 1.