Learn the spooky history of your town on a ghost tour. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
Top 10 ghost tours in the U.S.
Allegra Pusateri2024年10月28日
If you’re like me, you like to learn about the history of a place when you travel… but you also don’t necessarily need to do it in a museum. You want something with character. Something with drama. Something that will grab your attention. Which is why, without fail, I go on a ghost tour every time I visit a new city. It’s a fun and easy way to get to know a place and its history. So grab your favorite walking shoes and muster up some courage because in honor of Halloween and spooky season, I’m sharing my top 10 favorite cities with ghost tours in the U.S.
1. Dallas, Texas
There’s a few ghost tours in Dallas, but if you’re looking for something a little less terrifying and a little more indulgent, I recommend the Dallas Booze and Boos Tour from Nightly Spirits. You’ll learn more about the city’s hidden past, the hauntings it inspired and you’ll obviously get the chance to enjoy a drink or two.
3. Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is already known as a spooky place due to the Salem Witch Trials, and there are so many ghost tours available in Salem it can get overwhelming. I recommend one of the Black Cat Tours. The history and stories they discuss on the tour are factually accurate. You can take a day tour or a night tour, and there are walking tours and boat tours. Plus, it’s family friendly.
4. Seattle, Washington
Rather than taking a normal ghost tour in Seattle, go on a ghost hunt at the Lizzie Borden House. You’ll learn more about the history of Lizzie and the house itself, plus get your very own equipment to feel like a real ghost hunter.
5. New Orleans, Louisiana
It’s almost a requirement to go on the Voodoo History Tour when you’re in New Orleans. You’ll learn more about the complex history of the practice of voodoo and the historical and cultural traditions surrounding it. Everything discussed on the tour is historically accurate and works to dispel the myths and stigma surrounding one of the most misunderstood practices in the world.
6. Denver, Colorado
Go see a series of haunted mansions (no, not the video game) in Denver on the Twilight Ghost Tour. Also known as millionaires row, this is one of the most expensive areas of Denver. The tour explains the history of the area and the stories of the people who used to live in these homes. It’s not unusual for guests on this tour to capture inexplicable anomalies in photos, including shadowy figures and orbs of light.
7. Charleston, South Carolina
Give your feet a rest after all the walking tours, and hitch a ride on the Haunted Carriage Tour in Charleston. You’ll learn about everything from historical spirits to ghost dogs to hidden alleyways to dungeons—all in the comfort of a horse drawn carriage.
9. Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the U.S. On the Dark Side of Santa Fe walking tour you’ll get to learn about (and possibly meet) some of the city’s original residents, like Julia Staab at the La Posada Hotel. They swear they can make a believer out of anyone. I cannot confirm or deny whether they managed to make me one.