When traveling to a new town or city, enrolling in a ghost tour can be a great way to delve into the area’s history and local lore.
From sleepovers at haunted locales to captivating tours of city streets, keep reading for the top ghost tours in the U.S.
Here are 10 to know about and investigate.
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Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tour Company on the Haunted History Trail of New York in Saratoga Springs, New York
If you are interested in a ghoulish adventure, you will not want to miss out on the Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tour in New York. (©AmityPhotos)
The Haunted History of Trail of New York State, which features more than 80 locations on a 400-mile trail (the ghost hunts listed below are among those locations), gives Empire State visitors a peek into the supernatural world.
Whether you catch epic thrills (and goosebumps) from Park After Dark Ghost Tours in Sylvan Beach or New York State Capitol Hauntings Tour in Albany, you’re in for a memorable experience on the ghost-scouting front.
One option is the Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tour Company ($22 per person) in ever-enchanting Saratoga Springs.
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Here, you can wander about town looking for local ghosts.
This can happen Friday and Saturday, May through mid-November.
While on your tour, you will have the opportunity to hear about the various folklore on the premises. (©AmityPhotos)
During the tour, you will hear about — and perhaps even cross paths with — Old Smoke who, it is said, lingers around the old Canfield Casino, Angeline, known as the Witch of Saratoga, and Hattie, who has been known to make appearances in her restaurant since her passing and more.
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Private tours are also available by appointment.
Learn more at HauntedHistoryTrail.com.
New England Curiosities Historic Portsmouth Legends and Ghost Walk in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Consider taking part in the Portsmouth Halloween Parade — but be sure to dress in your favorite costume. (Sydney Bilodeau)
Offered in October and November, this tour allows you to join Roxie J. Zwicker, author of the bestselling book, “Haunted Portsmouth: Spirits and Shadows of the Past,” for a 90-minute evening amble around downtown Portsmouth ($21 per adult; $16 per child).
You’ll spend time at 13 hot spots for spirits to learn the strange truth behind the worst fire in the state’s history.
You can also find out where the daring can post up with local spirits at hotels like Hotel Portsmouth and visit Point of Graves — a forgotten 18th century cemetery where remains were discovered at a secret room beneath the grounds.
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Another fun thing in town: The Portsmouth Halloween Parade, an annual march with lots of captivated costumes.
Learn more at NewEnglandCuriosities.com.
The Stanley Hotel Spirited Night Tour in Estes Park, Colorado
This night tour could bring a shiver down your spine as you walk the grounds of this 100+-year-old hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. (Visit Estes Park)
A price of $30 per person gets you access to roam the halls of one of the most haunted hotels in the nation.
The 60-minute walking tour introduces visitors to spirit folklore surrounding the 100-year-old hotel.
When you step outside into the star-lit skies of the Rocky Mountains at the tour’s end, good luck not checking over both your shoulders to make sure no one is behind you.
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Tours are offered year-round and are wheelchair accessible.
Learn more at StanleyHotel.com.
AlbuquerqueTourism and Sightseeing Factory’s Albucreepy Ghost Walk in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Look out for any El Chupacabra and other creatures from the Land of Enchantment on this ghost tale tour in Albuquerque. (Visit Albuquerque)
Keep your eyes peeled for shadows in the night like La Llorona, El Chupacabra, El Cucuy, all creatures and spectors hailing from the Land of Enchantment.
Here, TourABQ ($30 per adult) takes you on a mysterious midnight (well, evening) trek of ghost tales paired with local spirits (the ones you can drink).
Guests will say bottoms up at Sawmill and Old Town area watering holes to get into the spirited adventures with a buzz.
Learn more at TourABQ.com.
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Fort Worth Stockyards Ghost Tour in Fort Worth, Texas
Get in the spooky season spirit with a little bit of country flare by learning all about the paranormal activity in Fort Worth, Texas. (Fort Worth Stockyards)
Love Western culture?
The Fort Worth Stockyards is a National Historic District that should be on your list this fall.
The paranormal activity found in the Stockyards is said to be one of the most active in the country — and this 90-minute walking tour ($13 per child; $25 per adult; $20 per senior or student) delivers.
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You’ll get acquainted with tales from the Bordello Brothel, the legendary shootouts, the hangings and much more.
Check out all the historic sites, including the very hotel where the infamous criminals Bonnie and Clyde would stay. (Fort Worth Stockyards)
The tour begins at the haunted Cowtown Winery and stops include The Cadillac Hotel, Miss Molly’s B&B, and The Stockyards Hotel, where the infamous American criminals Bonnie and Clyde would stay, and more spots that attract otherworldly apparitions.
Learn more at FortWorthStockyards.org.
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St. Mary’s Art Center Ghost Investigation and Sleepover in Virginia City, Nevada
This Halloween season, immerse yourself in some spirited adventures by staying at the abandoned St. Mary’s Art Center in Virginia City, Nevada. (Virginia City Tourism Commission)
During the period Oct. 27 through Oct. 30, 2023, consider making a trip to St. Mary’s Art Center.
It was originally built as a hospital for the booming Comstock Lode (where the discovery of silver ore was made public in 1859) and its miners in 1875 before slipping into a state of abandonment for many years.
This Halloween season, St. Mary’s is offering spooky seekers a chance to spend the night in the building with a ghost investigative team and event host, W.I.G.S. (Women Investigating Ghost Sightings), and maybe engage in some eerie encounters.
Tickets start at $175 per person (13 years and older only) — and 100% of the ticket sales will go to St. Mary’s Art Center for continuing restoration and repairs.
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Learn more at StMarysArtCenter.org.
Rock Candy Tours’ Macon Macabre Tour in Macon, Georgia
Learn all about the spooky sites in Macon by taking part in the Rock Candy Tours. (Visit Macon)
Intrigued by the spirits world, murder and mayhem?
Sign up for this year-round tour (with more tours on offer during Halloween season) centered around downtown’s nightlife outposts and businesses.
With many historic buildings dating back to the early 1800s, you can see spots like the Hay House, Rose Hill Cemetery and the Big House Museum where the Allman Brothers lived and, we hope, see a ghost or two along the way.
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The tour lasts one-and-a-half hours and costs $20 per person.
Learn more at RockCandyTours.com.
Ghost & Paranormal Tours at the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, Missouri
What could be spookier than touring the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi? How about taking part in an overnight paranormal experience in the penitentiary? (Visit Missouri)
For some dark tourism, venture to The Missouri State Penitentiary, once the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi.
It was home to inmates for 186 years until it was decommissioned in 2004.
Come nightfall, visitors can participate in a two-hour ghost tour ($35 per person), a three-hour ghost hunt ($45 per person), or an overnight paranormal investigation (from $75 to $100 per person for five or eight hours, respectively).
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Private tours are also on offer if you prefer to use your EMF meter (a tool that measures the intensity and frequency of electromagnetic radiation in its environment used by paranormal investigators and enthusiasts) in a more intimate setting.
Learn more at MissouriPenTours.com.
Burn Brae Mansion Ghost Tour in Glen Spey, New York
Paranormal lovers will want to stay at this haunted Bed & Breakfast at the Burn Brae Mansion in New York. (Steve Shoemaker)
Escape Manhattan to the hallowed hills of the Sullivan County Catskills — and check into the Burn Brae Mansion, built in 1907 by Margaret Ross MacKenzie Elkin as part of the estate of George Ross MacKenzie, Margaret’s father.
The current owners, Mike and Pat Fraysse, bought the mansion and the surrounding property in 1993 to run a cycling training center, only to discover the environs were haunted.
The couple currently operates the space as a bed and breakfast — and overnight guests are privy to stories of the paranormal and tours of the house and its Attic of Curiosities, including a secret room that was uncovered just a few years ago.
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Over the years, there have been footsteps, dolls and toys moving on their own, as well as slamming doors and visions of a woman in white — but even just hearing about the ground’s history will be enough to raise the hair on your neck.
You can get paired with a paranormal researcher who will show you ghoulish finds on the premises at the Burn Brae Mansion. (Steve Vaccariello)
The mansion is available for private investigations and will even pair you with a paranormal researcher, if that’s your thing.
Overnight stays start at $120 per night and can be made over email at info@burnbraemansion.com or via phone at 845-856-3335; the ghost tours of the mansion are included with overnight stays.
Dark Forest Fright Walks also run weekend tours from Oct. 13-28, Friday and Saturday from 7-10 p.m. for $20 each, or a group of 10 for $150; with a special children’s matinée on Oct. 22 from 2-4 p.m. for $10; learn more here.
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Learn more at BurnBraeMansion.com.
Louisville Historic Tours’ Victorian Ghost Walk in Louisville, Kentucky
Immerse yourself in this walking and theatrical tour all rolled up into one spooky experience in Old Louisville. (Courtesy David Dominé)
If you happen to be in Derby City on Oct. 20, 21, or 22, you’ll be able to see why it also deserves the title “Spook City” on Louisville Historic Tours’ 15th annual Victorian Ghost Walk, featuring theatrical performances presented by South Fourth Street Association that celebrate Old Louisville.
These evening events are part-walking tours, part-play starts at 6 p.m.
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They include 12 performances per night with tours departing every 15 minutes and lasting for two hours from the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum for $35 per person.
Expect to travel to the realm of the supernatural as tour guides and historical characters give you major goosebumps.
Daily from March through November and on select dates in the off season, you can also take Louisville Historic Tours’ ghost tours ($28 per person) at 7.30 p.m.
No matter where you are in America, there is bound to be some startling site nearby that will get you in the Halloween spirit — it may just be one of these. (©AmityPhotos/Virginia City Tourism Commission)
Learn more at LouisvilleHistoricTours.com.
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