HUNTINGDON — Few could blame Paul Fagley from looking over his shoulder even today, especially as another Halloween nears.

More than once, Fagley, who lives in Burnham, had glanced from one of his blacksmithing demonstrations at the forge in Greenwood Furnace State Park in Huntingdon to see spirited spectators beyond those who had gathered for his program.

Appearing behind the living onlookers was a man in a brown suit, a boy in blue clothing with a shaggy Irish setter-type dog. He also saw a lady in a lacy white gown while sitting in the building. “I called out a name and the ghost momentarily paused,” Fagley recalled. “This person had hung herself in the 1870s due to dementia.”

Both remain haunted in different ways.

“I am not a believer in the paranormal, but I can’t explain these things any other way,” said Fagley, who retired in 2022 after serving as an environmental education specialist at the Huntingdon County state park for more than 30 years.

The extra faces in the crowd are far from the only unusual experiences Fagley has encountered.

At other times he heard low-level conversations. “You could hear them talking, but you couldn’t make out what they were saying,” Fagley explained.

And, once while working late, the anvil in the blacksmith shop began ringing. Fagley was fairly certain there was no one else in the building, but when the ringing continued for several minutes he went to check it out. It was still ringing when he got to the anvil. And, when he placed his hand on the base of the anvil, it was vibrating.

“I’ve tried imagining ways to find real world explanations,” Fagley said. “How do you explain something like this? It is kind of creepy.”

Spooky stories like these surface around this time each year as Greenwood Furnace prepares for its annual Halloween in the Park from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Park officials invite the public to join them for an evening of Halloween-themed games and activities. Attendees should start near Pavilion No. 6 and follow the decorated path towards the campground. Officials also encourage those attending to bring a flashlight.

Trick-or-Treating will be held in the campground, along with a campsite decorating contest. Other activities include puking pumpkins, Frankenworms, pumpkin bowling, ring toss, s-more station, live owls and more.

Admission is free and open to all ages. Non-campers should park across from the lake.