BRUNSWICK — A Midcoast tour company that opened in 2007 as a Halloween season specialty in Damariscotta and grew to cover eight Maine villages has recently added three more locations to their line-up. Red Cloak Tours will now offer Haunted History Tours in Freeport and Kennebunkport, as well as a Secrets of Brunswick tour in that town.

Earlier in the 2020 season, Red Cloak Tours had to develop an entirely new method in response to COVID-19 concerns, eliminating for the time being their traditional evening historical walking tours led by a guide clad in a red cloak. Instead, they developed Red Cloak TeleTours, designed as private experiences for small groups and families, led live and in person by a Red Cloak Tour guide via telephone conference call or Zoom, using up to 10 cell phones simultaneously.

“We have been pleasantly surprised at how well these TeleTours have been received by the public,” said Sally Lobkowicz, owner of Red Cloak Tours. “Our guests have the opportunity to enjoy an experience that is much more personalized than what we can achieve with a group of 20 or 30 people on our standard tours, and minimizes any potential exposure to the virus.”

According to Lobkowicz, the new TeleTours have become so popular that she plans on offering them along with her standard tours in the future.

“Hopefully, the current virus situation will have been well mitigated by spring of 2021, and we can return to general tours guided in person as well as private TeleTours guided live by telephone conference call or Zoom,” Lobkowicz said.

In the meantime, Lobkowicz hopes she can now bring the Red Cloak tour experience to the residents and visitors of Freeport, Brunswick and Kennebunkport. “Each of our tours are a combination of education and entertainment, delving into the history and mystery of locations along the route our guests are walking,” Lobkowicz said. “We have made sure that the products, including the Haunted History Tours, are appropriate for all ages, so families should feel comfortable joining us.” That consideration is especially true of the TeleTours that can be personalized for the small group or family.

With the three new locations included, Red Cloak TeleTours are now available in 11 towns, with 32 tour choices available to guests.

All of the new TeleTours are available on an hourly basis from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Reservations can be made by telephone at (207) 380-3806 or online at RedCloakTours.com. The fee is $19.99, which is inclusive for the entire group from one to ten.

Red Cloak Tours is based in Damariscotta with a satellite office in Bar Harbor. As well as the new locations in Freeport, Brunswick, and Kennebunkport, Red Cloak Tours are available in Bath, Wiscasset, Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, Hallowell, Rockland, Camden and Bar Harbor.

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