Filled with history, ghost tours offer families a fun way to explore a new city
Ghosts and goblins, gather ’round! Families looking for a spooky but history-filled experience should head straight for these kid-friendly ghost tours. More spooky than scary, these ghost tours offer a glimpse into the afterlife that you can’t find anywhere else. Choose daytime options through haunted houses for little ones who scare easily and flashlight night tours for those who aren’t afraid of the dark.
Heard dat?! Voodoo, Zombies and Vampire Legends Tour | New Orleans, LA
Explore the dark and treacherous history of New Orleans with ToursByLocals, offering the spooky excursion Heard dat?! Voodoo, Zoombies and Vampire Legends. A guide will meet you by the Mississippi River around sundown and lead you through the alleyways and haunted historical sites scattered about the French Quarter. Along the way, your guide—a sixth-generation New Orleanian whose ancestors came here in the early 1800s—will regale you with creepy stories and legends that haunt the area to this very day. Learn about zombie rituals and voodoo originating from Western and Central Africa that settled into New Orleans culture. Visit the Ursuline convent where the first legend of the vampire came. This family-friendly tour can be modified for all ages and includes a stop at Café du Monde for beignets. A scarier version of this tour for the ages 21 and up crowd drops by the Dungeon bar for a Bloody Mary instead.
Book here: toursbylocals.com
Related: Virtual Ghost Tours & Spooky Cams to Freak Yourself Out Watching Right Now
Ghosts and Gravestones Tours | Key West, FL
Take a ride to Key West’s dark side and drive past the African Cemetery where 15 poor souls perished on their fateful journey and hear the ghostly tales of the famous Captain Tony’s Saloon where not all the spirits are stored in bottles. You'll hear truly spooky tales of a mischievous doll named Robert whose nefarious powers are still wreaking havoc today and learn of lost tombs, sacred grounds, and the infamous Lady in Blue.
Book here: ghostsandgravestones.com/key-west
Related: Magnetic Poetry: 10 Reasons to Plan a Trip to Key West with the Kids
Winchester Mystery House Walk with Spirits Tour | San Jose, CA
Attend the wake for a departed soul in the parlor of the famous Winchester Mystery House, ascend to the third floor to experience a Victorian-era seance, and end in the dark and foreboding basement, home to the famous “Wheelbarrow Ghost”. Can't make this in-person tour? You can always check out the Winchester Mystery House 360º virtual tour.
Book here: winchestermysteryhouse.com
Salem Black Cat Tours | Salem, MA
Whether you opt for the daytime history tour or the more eerie night tour, we know you'll love learning all about Salem, MA and its spooky past from its humble beginnings as a city founded on the idea of peace for all, to the site of the largest incident of witchcraft hysteria in the modern world. Learn how it became the site of the first spilled blood of the Revolutionary War and played host to some of the most famous authors of all time. You can find even more Salem-area tours here.
Book here: blackcatsalem.com
Haunted History Ghost Tours | Seattle, WA
Take this tour with professional paranormal investigators to discover all the hidden history of Seattle. Stories and evidence have been collected from over three decades of experience living in Seattle so you know they are meticulously researched. Skeptics and believers are both welcome!
Book here: hauntedhistoryseattle.com
Related: All the Touristy (& Unique) Things You Can Do in 3 Days in Seattle
San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour
Tour through Pacific Heights, one of San Francisco's oldest neighborhoods, and learn about the history of this area from a San Francisco native. Learn about the supernatural spirits that reside here like the ghost bride of California Street.
Book here: sfghosthunt.com
Chicago Gangsters and Ghost Tour
One of the best ways to really acquaint yourself with the infamous city of Chicago is to do it from the streets, through a guided Chicago Gangster and Ghost Tour, detailing the crimes, deals, and charisma that made the city what it is today. Known as the vice district during the 1920s and 30s shady partying, deal-making, and threats, riddled with speakeasy saloons, secret underground tunnels used by bootleggers, and the famous Al Capone, The Loop is where the understanding and depiction of the 20th-century gangster began. Guests will have the rare opportunity to visit these heralded haunted locations and old crime scenes where it all went down 100 years ago.
Book here: gangstersandghosts.com
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