Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Goron.
Hi Patricia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got a job driving the Rickshaw in 1987. Charlestons first full time female Rickshaw Drver! I quickly became friends with the Tour Guide‘s driving the carriages. When I wasn’t taking people around on the rickshaw I was able to hang out with the Carriage drivers. We talked mostly about the history of Charleston and I loved it.
“ I grew up in Charleston and at 12 years of age was allowed to ride my bicycle almost anywhere south of Calhoun Street. That was a big deal back in the day. My favorite thing to do was to sneak in 16 Meeting St. we would play The Munsters or The Adams Family. I remember people seeing us sneak in but back then no one really cared. They let kids be kids and we had the very best time. We didn’t stay in there long at all but we sure had fun doing it.”
I knew I wanted to be a Tour Guide and started working at the Carriage company shortly after hurricane Hugo. It was in the spring of 1990 that I gave my very first tour.
Just a few years later, I was asked to do Ghostwalk Tours in the evenings. Anna Blythe owned the company and told me I was the very best person to hand Ghostwalk to when she retired. I was gifted Ghostwalk in 2006 and have been blessed to be able to give Tours this many years later. I am excited to go to work every single day which amazes me because there has never been a day that I did not want to do my job. I will be giving Tours of Charleston until I’m too old to do it. There have been many Tour Guide’s in their 80s giving Tours so I still have a few more years to go.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been smooth going the whole way. I think the reason for that is because I love what I do. The only challenges I have are with the weather being and it being an outside venue.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is guiding people through our city. I’ve been doing it since 1990, and I still love it as much as I did on my very first tour. What I specialize in is making the stories feel personal and real. I’m not just telling ghost stories I’m sharing the history of the city where I was born and raised, and the places I grew up exploring.
I’m proud of keeping this tradition alive for over three decades and I’m continuing the tradition of the first ghost tour in America, which is a rare honor and responsibility.
I was voted one of the 25 most fascinating people in Charleston in 2011. In 2013 Simon Cowell called me and set up a private tour. He heard I was the best, it ended up being Demi Lavato and her body guard, best friend, and her hairdresser that went. I have given many famous people a tour.
I can’t really tell you what sets me apart from others except that I grew up in the “old school” Charleston and had the best school teacher of Local History, Mrs O’Neill. I learned from not only her but from daily life. That is what really sets me apart from others. I can say I’m old enough to remember the push carts selling shrimp and hearing them sing while selling. You could smell them before you’d see them!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe in keeping things original. We offer one good product, which we called Ghostwalk which is our Tour company name. It is the second most popular thing to do in Charleston over a carriage tour.
The risk I took, which was the best risk I have ever taken was changing our company name from Ghostwalk to The Original Ghostwalk of Charleston.
By doing this, it sets me apart from the many other Ghost Tour companies that have recently opened in Charleston. Many of those companies advertise a ghost walk and one company was answering their phone Ghostwalk. Competition can be fierce, but I know our tour is the best and the most unique one out there. We have many customers from the past who are now bringing their grandchildren on our tour. That speaks volumes so we just stay true to ourselves and offer one good Ghost Tour instead of offering many different kinds of tours. we believe in keeping it simple because simplicity is better overall in our case.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.ghostwalk.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostwalkcharleston
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19jzuVkUyo/
- Twitter: @ghostwalkcharleston
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@charlestonscghosttours
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ghostwalkcharleston
