Ghost Story Island Guide

Synopsis

Hemlock Harbor is a town with a secret. Restless spirits are said to haunt its shores, but no one knows who they are, what they want — or how to get rid of them. Can you hunt the ghosts of Hemlock Harbor and uncover the mystery that will set them free?

For walkthroughs on Ghost Story Island, scroll down.

Resources on this page: Island Extras | Synopsis from Poptropica | Video Walkthrough | Written Walkthrough | Album Photos | Trivia

Island Extras: PHB Island Review | Map | Official Tour | Trailer | Video Playlist

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Video Walkthrough

For a written walkthrough with pictures, scroll down on this page!

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Written Walkthrough

Walkthrough and pictures by Brave Tomato & Slanted Fish

Welcome to Hemlock Harbor, a town rumoured to be rampant with ghosts. Pick up a shaker of Salt from the superstitious guy on the left. This may seem odd right now, but you’ll need it later.

Next, head left and you’ll be at the entrance to the cemetery. When you walk further, your character will hear something. Then the gates will open… revealing a tour guide. Thank goodness. He’s just about to tour you around “haunted” places, when the ma-magi-magistrate busts him. Mr. Tour Guide will run off and his Pamphlet will conveniently land into your hands.

The magistrate will tell you to find a place to reside for the night, but you really don’t have anywhere to go. For now, talk to the mopey-looking guy on the left. He’s looking for his uncle’s grave, but can’t find it.

Head back to Main Street on the right, and enter the newspaper building, The Hemlock Herald. Ask the lady to let you see the archives, and she’ll allow you with no worries. Enter the room marked “Archives”, then click on the box marked “Cemetery Plots”.

Laugh at some of the names if you like, but keep turning the pages until you see the name Silas Moon. You’ll automatically highlight his name and the place he’s buried.

Go back to the cemetery. Talk to the mopey nephew, and to thank you for the favor, he will give you his Room B Key – a key to a room at the inn! Great, you have a room to spend the night now.

Head to the right again, past Main Street this time, until you see the inn. Enter, and a woman who looks like Edna Mode from The Incredibles will be relieved to know that a room became available for you, and says something about “preparations”. Odd. Go upstairs into room 2B, the one you have a key for. Click on the bed and you’ll try to fall asleep.

During a fun first-person POV cutscene, you try to sleep, but things keep moving on their own! You can’t sleep, you’re getting scared, and you decide to investigate.

Go to the closet and click on it. The Edna look-a-like will fall out and run to her hubby. Augh! Tricked! That’s not funny, guys. You threaten to let the magistrate know, but they apologize. Then, the Edna look-a-like will say that in order to find one of the ghosts, you should play her favorite song on the violin.

Go back out into the hallway of the inn and go over to where the piano is. Click on the Violin and Music next to it to take it with you.

Exit and jump up to the roof of the inn, then click use on the violin. Move the bow back and forth to play the song. Don’t worry if your bow starts glowing, that’s normal. Keep your volume up for this part, and enjoy the tune!

After playing the song, you’ll notice a movement in the window of the mansion.

Go down and talk to that weird ghost hunter guy. He’ll say he saw what’s going on in the window too. However, the magistrate will take him away. Again. After he and the magistrate has gone, pick up the Binoculars by the tent.

Go back to the roof of the inn and use the binoculars. You’ll see an elderly woman open the curtains temporarily and close them again, and then she’ll beckon you over.

Go over to the mansion and enter through the storm cellar. You’ll see creepy dolls and a sheet covering a sewing dummy. Go to the right a little more. Attempt to climb the stairs, but they’ll fall apart. Jump up and push the small crate off of the larger one. Push them both until the bigger crate is just about near where the stairs resume, and climb up.

You’ll pass by a fireplace with a picture of a happy couple. Ah, Poptropican love. Go up the wide stairs and enter through the door. Go to the right until you see a telescope, and look through it for a bit.

As you exit, you’ll hear (literally hear) a woman’s voice asking “Are you looking for someone?” Don’t worry. Someone’s not in your room. It’s just the game.

Of course, with the impeccable manners you have, the first thing you ask is if this woman’s a ghost. She says she’s not, but she’s here to take care of some unfinished business. And she’s going to help you with your ghost hunting journey. She tells you to see Jane, the baker from the Gingerbread House, and say that “Fiona” sent me.

Exit the mansion and enter to the bakery on Main Street. Talk to Jane the baker and tell her that Fiona sent you. Ignore the other two wacky responses.

Jane will press a button and reveal a secret cabinet with an impressive array of ghost-hunting equipment: a Thermal Sensor, a Thermometer, an EMF Detector, and a Camera – all of which she gives to you.

(If you want, you can see the wall of peeps who visited the place. You can see that one of them is a bit show-offish and puts his picture on a frame. One of them is even one of the Poptropican stand-ins in the sneak peeks! So that guy’s name is Abe.

…sheesh. How come all of the NPCs have normal names?! Oh well. Brave Tomato is fine. But still.)

On your way out, grab the plate of Hot Cross Buns from the table.

Your character will decide that the cemetery is probably the best place to go ghost-hunting, so head over to the cemetery on the left, and enter through the gates.

You’ll be in first person view again, but this time, it’s more annoying. Go forward by clicking straight arrows, or click the rounded arrow to change your direction. Check the map to watch out for dead ends.

Go forward, forward again, turn to the right, go forward, turn to the left, and enter through the gates marked A. Go up and you’ll see a psycho-looking woman telling you to hide because some guy in a cloak is coming. One of the ghosts mentioned in the pamphlet leaves a rose in front of a grave.

The camera will be flashing in the bottom right corner, so click on it to be brought to your inventory, and click use on your Camera. You’ll see a black and white screen. Aim for the hooded guy leaving a rose to take the Photo just as the man runs off. Good shot, though!

Exit the cemetery (you can click on “H” on the map to be brought right back to the start) and revisit the newspaper building, The Hemlock Herald. Use the photo, and the newspaper editor will reward you with some Money.

You should store this in the bank. Exit the newspaper building, and enter the bank. Go all the way right and down to the bank vault, then click use on the Money while standing in front of the security guard. He’ll lead you inside the bank vault.

Inside, the security guard’s dog will start digging away at the ground, bothered by something.

The thermal detector will flash in the bottom right corner. Use it, and scan the area underneath where the dog is digging. You’ll see a ghostly figure hammering away at something.

Okay… something is down there. Or someone.

In the meantime, go outside near the Hemlock Herald news building. You’ll see a group of undercover ghost hunters carrying newspapers, including tinfoil hat guy, the guy who sells souvenirs, the guy holding a camera, and the guy who carries salt. It turns out that your photo has made front page news.

The magistrate will walk over and says that it was probably just another hoax. He also yells at everyone to go home. Everyone else runs off, and the magistrate warns you that he’s keeping his eye out on you.

Meanwhile, a boat docks near the shores of the manor with the woman in the window.

Go over there, and you’ll see the boat’s sailor, who’s looking for a room. Give him your Room B Key, and he’ll thank you by letting you use his boat anytime.

Get on the boat and head to the left. Dock at the lighthouse there.

As you enter the lighthouse, grab the unlit Torch. It’ll be helpful once you get inside.

Enter the lighthouse and equip the Torch. Stop by the lit torch to light your torch, then start going up the stairs. Jump two times upwards, then duck, minding the winds that can both knock you over and put the fire out.

When you reach a new staircase, duck the first chance you get on there. Watch out for the gaps. Keep this up until you reach the top.

When you get up, you’ll wonder about the temperature, and the thermometer will flash in the bottom left corner. Use your Thermometer to place it on the wall. Then, go to the right a little and up the ladder.

You can shine the lighthouse’s light around, and if you check the top-right corner you’ll see an Alcatraz-like prison. Jump off the lighthouse and get on the boat. Head over there, but watch out for the rocks, and dock at the prison.

Enter the prison, and click use on the EMF Detector. Head towards the right and take the elevator to floor H. The EMF detector will be in the orange area when you get there.

Go to the right until you see the warden’s office, and enter. You’ll have to click use on your EMF Detector again, or you can use the Thermal Sensor. Either way, you’ll notice that someone is on that rocking chair!

Okay, you’re right in front of a ghost right now. Don’t panic. Instead, use the Hot Cross Buns. The spirit will walk over and eat them. He also says that you aren’t Prisoner 24601 (that’s a reference to Les Miserables!).

The spirit of the warden will give you a mugshot of the escaped prisoner, which also tells you which cell he was supposed to be in. After a bit of explaining from the warden, take the elevator to floor D and head towards the right until you see Cell 8. Go in… go over to the bed…

…and the warden traps you there! Oh great. He wants you as a living replacement for a dead prisoner.

Push the bed out of the way and you’ll see a hole. Go through it.

Using the thermal scanner, you’ll see someone in the top right corner. It’s probably the ghost of the escaped prisoner! Go along the tunnel path. Along the way, you’ll pick up Sardines, a Pickaxe, and a Note to Prisoner.

Read the note and talk to the prisoner to get the backstory about some guy named “Flatbottom” and another named “Valiant”. The plot thickens!

Then, go back the way you came and exit the tunnel. Now, you have to get out of there yourself. Use the pickaxe in the cell, and you’ll end up outside the cell. Yes! Get out of this horrible prison island!

Board the boat and head towards the regular land. You’ll notice that the thermometer has dropped! Get back in that boat and head back to the lighthouse. You have to use the torch, but there’s no wind bothering you now… although there is a floating torch ascending the steps…

Go up the stairs, and at the top, you’ll find the spirit of the lighthouse keeper crying over a mistake that caused the restlessness in his afterlife.

He’ll also say that the remains of the boat he was responsible for crashing are north of the lighthouse. Exit the lighthouse and go on the boat. Travel north, and the light from the lighthouse will illuminate a horrible wreckage scene. Oh my goodness…

Examine the wreckage and you’ll find a Locket. Go back to regular land. When you land, examine the locket, and you’ll find the note forged by Prisoner 24601 on behalf of Flatbottom’s trick:

Oh… oh my gosh. Fiona?! New love?! Wasn’t the woman who scared the bajeezles out of me named Fiona? Go into the manor and follow the same way you did before. This time, after you enter the door, go left and up. Fiona is by the bed.

Talk to her, showing her both the locket and the note to the prisoner. She’ll freak out.

Fiona says that the ring that this Henry guy gave her is at the bottom of the fountain, and then she’ll walk off sobbing. Get down and pick up the Scrapbook, then examine it.

The story’s coming together even more now…

Go to the fountain on Main Street, and you’ll find a bird guarding her nest there. Use the Sardines to drive her off, then click on the object shimmering in the nest. It’s the Ring!

Now, go left and enter the cemetery. The directions you should take are right, forward, left, forward, forward, forward, right, and enter through gate B. Run over to the right and enter the engraver’s shop. Click “use” on the ring in front of the engraver, and he’ll tell you that Flatbottom used it to propose to Fiona but was rejected.

You ask what Flatbottom’s job was, and the engraver tells you to go to the archives and look up August 18, 1929 for the whole story. (By the way, if you click on the owl in Cemetery lot B, the tinfoil hat guy will jump and mistake the hoots for the sounds of the spirits. Uh…)

Anyway, exit the cemetery and head over to the Hemlock Herald news building on Main Street. Inside, enter the Archives room and click on the microfilm resting in the right corner.

Turn the cranks until it says 1929, then click zoom. Turns out, Henry Flatbottom is the magistrate!

Lot A. Hmm… wasn’t that near where that cloaked figure was? Was that… the magistrate?! Well… we’ll have to see!

Go to Lot A of the cemetery (just click A on the map in the corner). Go to the left until you see a fancy grave. Push open the lid… and out comes… a ladder?! Hop in and investigate.

You’ll encounter another labyrinth, but to find your away around, just follow the pink rose petals. Use the map in the corner to watch out for dead ends and see what direction you’re facing. If you did it right, you’ll encounter a ladder up.

Go up the ladder. It’s a secret passage from the tree stump! You’ll hear footsteps and hide.

It’s that cloaked guy… and he… he…

…sneezes. You’ll come from your hiding place and confront this guy. You’ll follow him into the stump, and end up back in lot A. Chase him around until you see him where you first saw him: the covered grave he placed the flower on.

Once you get there, you’ll take off his hood, shake the salt into his eyes (told you it would be useful!)… and it IS the magistrate.

He tries to go off-topic, asking you to leave. You go off-topic from HIS off-topicness and say that he’s responsible for the death of Valiant Lovejoy by sending the fake letter. Oooooo….

The magistrate says that he liked Fiona as well and had to betray his best friend to try to marry her. Yikes, Poptropica’s first love triangle. And also… he says something that you DIDN’T know.

He keeps sending the roses to try to plead forgiveness for the death, but it isn’t working for him. A gust of wind blows, blowing away the cobwebs, clearly showing Fiona’s name on the grave…

And the spirit of Fiona comes out from behind a grave! She says that she forgives him and thanks him for his confession, at which point the rest of the spirits come over too. And… look who joined the party of four spirits and two mortals!

It’s Val-Val-Valiant!

Fiona approaches closer to Valiant and says that she thanks us for giving the restless spirits the chance to finally rest in peace. They disappear, along with the other spirits. The magistrate will thank you for helping him find peace between the spirits and himself. For that… he gives you the island medallion and credits to spend at the Store!

Congratulations! You have finished Ghost Story Island!

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Well, before we leave, here’s a tribute for Fiona.

RIP Fiona, Valiant, and all of the other spirits we met. ❤

Looking for more walkthroughs? Check out our Island Help page! 🙂

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Album Photos

These pictures are collected in your Poptropica photo album in the profile section. Click to enlarge.

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Trivia

• Ghost Story Island is Poptropica’s 23rd island. The countdown started on December 12, 2011 and it was released on December 15 for members with a demo for non-members. It was opened to all on January 12, 2012.
• Prisoner 24601 is a reference to Jean Valjean from Les Miserables.
• Common room: Visitor Center
• Salt is believed to protect from evil spirits, as demonstrated by one of the citizens on Main Street.
• Inside the Gingerbread House bakery, there’s a picture of a customer named “Abe,” who later shows up in Zomberry Island (released a year after Ghost Story) as the video game junkie. Abe’s character is believed to be modeled after Abe Tena, a Poptropica Creator.
• In the archive task of the Hemlock Herald building where you turn the handles to search through old newspapers, a box in the lower left corner is labeled “Balloon Boy articles” – Balloon Boy is a running gag that started with Counterfeit Island. Also in the archive room, there are boxes labeled “errata” (meaning printing errors) and “lorem ipsum” (a common placeholder text).
• This is the first time you hear a Poptropican speak, and it’s Fiona sneaking up behind you asking, “Are you looking for someone?” Many players have reported being scared by the sudden unexpected whispery sound!
• The poster of a ghost with a red circle and slash on it (found on Main Street) is a reference to the Ghostbusters icon.
• Valiant wears the same outfit Bert from Disney’s Mary Poppins wore during the part where they visit the cartoon world.
• On November 21, 2011, a members-only Ghost Hunter Suit was released, but it had to be earned as a prize from the “Spook Central” mini-game. Several ghosts were scattered across Poptropica, and you were given a Plasma Net, Ghost Files, and an EMF detector to help you track them down. The Headless Horseman was on 24 Carrot, Sweet William’s ghost was on Shrink Ray, the Bell Witch was on Wild West, Deogen was on Steamworks, and the Brown Lady was on Skullduggery.

👻 boo! 👻