For a different perspective on the state’s spirited past and present, consider a ghost tour in Mobile, Alabama. On the Mobile Ghosts tour, you’ll hear spooky stories about Alabama’s oldest city as you stop at six different sites. That’s a fitting number considering one of the town's nicknames is the City of Six Flags.

Before your mind goes to the theme park (mine did), stop right there. Did you know that the flags of six different ruling governments flew over the city from its founding in 1702 to 1861? That long period of conflict alone could give rise to a haunted history. Regardless of whether you pick up any ghost stories of your own, you’re guaranteed to gain some knowledge on this tour.

The tour starts at Bienville Square, which owes its namesake is Mobile's founder, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville. Congress saved the space for the city to develop a park in 1824.

The park takes up a full city block in the heart of downtown and hosts several signature community events. Some say it's also home to at least one ghost, if not more.

The next stop is the circa-1896 structure that was the second home of St. Francis Street Methodist Church. The National Register of Historic Places listed it in 1984. The building is now event and concert venue called The Steeple.

While it's rumored to be haunted, here's another interesting tidbit: The 1896 church replaced a smaller one, where Holland Nimmons McTyeire was a pastor in the late 1840s. It was there he met his wife, Amelia Townsend. Later, he became a bishop and also co-founded Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The university is named for Cornelius Vanderbilt because he gave McTyeire $1 million to establish it. Amelia Townsend McTyeire happened to be the first cousin of Vanderbilt's second wife, which helped them put in a word for the request.

Next up is the Richards-DAR House Museum, which was the spectacular 1860's Italianate townhouse of Capt. Charles G. and Caroline Steele Richards. Sadly, Caroline passed in 1867 from complications of childbirth. The Richards had many children, and the home stayed in the family over several generations.

In 1947, a local business bought the property and used it as a headquarters until deeding it to the city in 1973. It was then when the Daughters of the American Revolution assumed a lease and restored it to period authenticity. Today, the home and museum offers tours and hosts special events. Several paranormal investigators have visited the home and collected evidence of activity.

The fourth stop is the opulent (and supposedly haunted) Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa. The property stands where Andrew Jackson established his headquarters in the War of 1812. The current structure dates to 1908, which replaced an 1852 building that burned in 1905.

Despite the site's military connection, its name is the surname of the men who built it - John, Samuel, and their uncle, James Battle. Tales about several ghosts and unexplained happenings at this luxurious hotel still circulate among guests and locals. There's a "lady in red" said to be a young bride who died there in 1910. Then there is another lost guest who has allegedly roamed the fifth floor since 1932, when he was killed there in a crime of passion.

Next, the tour takes you to the grounds of Colonial Fort Condé, which features a 1976 replica of the original French-built 1723 fort.

The History Museum of Mobile operates the site today. The organization offers interpretive tours and several living history events, people have reported seeing an apparition in truly authentic attire. Some visitors say they've seen what seems to be a confused or lost soldier wandering the grounds.

The last stop is the most modern, although the Admiral Hotel dates to 1940. When it opened to great fanfare, The Admiral rose in the city skyline with unprecedented luxury for Mobile. For example, it was the city's first fully air conditioned hotel.

In its early days, the guest list included famous names such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, and Gene Autry. Jimmy Buffett frequently played the lounge in the early 1970s before his career skyrocketed. Much more recently, the hotel underwent a $27 million transformation into a boutique hotel in 2014. As for historic hauntings, people have reported seeing apparitions of a housekeeper, a chef, and a former guest, plus other odd occurrences.

Have you visited any of Mobile’s most historic places? Did you have any supernatural encounters? We’d love to hear your stories.