Ghosts have been a fascination for Leisa Wilkie of Buffington since she was a young girl.

She recalls a day when she was 11 or 12 years old that - while playing the organ in her home in Buffington - she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I expected it to be my mom, but when I turned around, there was nobody attached to that arm," said Ms. Wilkie, 42.

Her interest in the paranormal set her on a trail that led to the creation this year of the Canton Ghost Tour.

The idea for the tour came to her while at New Hightower Church one night about a year ago when she noticed some kids taking photos in the cemetery.

"Ghosts have become mainstream again," she said, noting the popularity of ghost-themed TV shows such as "Ghost Hunters" on the Syfy Channel and "Ghost Adventures" on the Travel Channel. "I saw the interest. I thought, 'Maybe it is time to do this.'"

The tour has caught on with the public, attracting as many as 30 people per tour. For Halloween, she is conducting tours at 7 and 9 p.m. this evening. After Halloween, she will continue to hold tours by appointment. She already is booked into December.

Ms. Wilkie said she does a great deal of research for the tour. Some information comes from people who share stories with her.

"It is as historically accurate as I can get it," said the former pharmacy technician, who has made the tours her full-time career. "Even if people don't believe in ghosts, at least they get an education."

Some of the historical tidbits from the tour include information about soldiers buried at Riverview Cemetery, the town's country music roots and its connection with the Kennedy family.

The tour begins at the gazebo at Cannon Park on the square and covers the downtown Canton area.

It includes the story of the daughters of Benjamin Franklin Perry, the first editor of the newspaper that today is the Cherokee Tribune, who lived in the house next to the Canton Fire Department. She said people claim to have seen the daughters waving from the upstairs level of the building.

It passes the home of Canton's first mayor, Odian W. Putnam, on Marietta Street, where he reportedly still can be heard walking through the house.

She even has had people ask about a young woman dressed in 1890s clothing they thought they saw leading the tour.

The tour ends in the historic Riverview Cemetery behind the Cherokee Arts Center.

Stefanie Joyner, executive director of the Cherokee County Historical Society, said the society has heard local ghost stories, but has not documented any of them.

She said she has not been on the tour, but is happy to see new interest in local history.

"We are thrilled if it is getting people into downtown and getting them interested in the history," she said.

For information about the Canton Ghost Tour, call (770) 651-8901 or see the Web site at www.cantonghosttour.com.