Colonial Ghosts Ranked in “13 Bone-Chilling Haunted Tours”

On February 3, 2014, Colonial Ghosts was ranked by US City Traveler as one of the “13 Bone-Chilling Haunted Tours” in the US. Other tours ranked come from New Orleans; Salem, Massachusetts; Tombstone, Arizona; and several other cities. Colonial Ghosts provides a fresh and new take on ghost tours in Williamsburg, with a new focus and new stories not told on other ghost tours that are delivered in a different way. Here’s the article below:

13 Bone-Chilling Haunted Tours in the US

There’s no better way to get in touch with the spirit world, than with a personal tour guide and walk through some of the most haunted places in America. With one of the top ghost tours in the US, you get to listen in on the hidden history of a city riddled with struggle, sudden loss and tragedy. There are things they didn’t tell you for a reason! To hear the inside story on the ghosts and spirits that still like to hang around town, check out a ghost tour on your next trip. Here is a list of the top 13 ghost tours in America:

1. Ybor City Ghost Tour—Tampa, Florida The Ybor City Ghost Tour is one of the most popular haunted tours in America that delivers the inside scoop on the legends and ghosts of Ybor city. Listen to the tales as you walk the historic streets as the guide takes you around to some of the most reputed haunts in town.

You get to do your own investigating at well-documented paranormal sites with an electromagnetic energy detector. This tour has received a Certificate of Excellence on Trip Advisor in 2013, and tours start at 6:30 Monday through Wednesday and 8pm all other nights. Reservations are required and admission costs $25 for adults and $10 for children 6-12. The tour meets at King Corona Cigars at 1523 7th Avenue in Ybor City, Tampa.

2. Salem Witch Walk—Salem, Massachusetts What better way to get acquainted with the city of Salem than with a Salem Witch Walk—with real witches! On this one and a half hour tour you get to hear tales of past, from the witchcraft and Witch Trials to the beginnings of Salem’s history. You also get to visit the enchanted sites, experience witchcraft, and partake in a modern day ritual at one of America’s oldest cemeteries.

Take home a blessed crystal and even receive a discount at the local witch shops! This tour runs from 3 pm to 7 pm throughout the year and an added time at 5 pm during the month of October. The tour leaves from Crow Haven Corner at 125 Essex Street ion Salem. It costs $13 a person and is also kid friendly.

3. Chattanooga Ghost Tours—Chattanooga, TennesseeWinner of a 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, this nightly tour combines humorous guides and haunted stories for a s spooky and historically informative experience. Learn the haunted history of Chattanooga, local ghost stories and walk through the old cemetery.

Be sure to check out our interview with Amy Petulla, the founder of Chattanooga Ghost Tours!This tour runs at 9:00 pm in the spring & summer and 7:30 during the fall. Admission is $15 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under. Tours begin acrioss from the Aquarium at the Little Curiosity Shoppe at 138 Market Street.

4. Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg—Gatlinburg, Tennessee The Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg is a unique way to learn the old folklore of the Smokey Mountain area. This hour long walking tour takes you to Gatlinburg’s historic haunts rich with forgotten tales and murder stories from the past 100 years.

The tour guides are mighty entertaining and dress old garb, and you are even give an EMF detector during the tour. The tours run at 9 pm, 10:30 pm and midnight each night. Adults cost $15, children 6-12 cost $8, and there is a Money Back Guarantee. Meet your tourguide at White Oak Flat Cemetery in Gatlinburg.

5. Haunted Heartland Tours—Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky One of the most unique ghost tours in the US is the Haunted Heartland Tour—a personal guided tour inside some of the most haunted buildings in the heartland! These tours allow you to step inside and investigate famous haunted sites that are often chosen by top ghost-hunters such as Taps.

The list includes Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, Pennsylvania’s Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, West Virginia’s State Penitentiary in Moundsville and the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.The tours range from several hours to overnight events and cost between $80 and $160 per person.

6. Sheriff’s Ghost Walk Tours—St. Augustine Florida Sheriffs Ghost Walk Tours takes you inside a long forgotten tale of Sheriff Guy White—who once lived in Saint Augustine during the turn of the 20th Century. Explore the historic facts of the deputy and sheriff’s death with a 90 minute walking tour through the streets and cemeteries of Old Saint Augustine.

This ghost tour takes you back 400 years with one of the oldest settlements in America—with well-researched haunts and dark corners revealed. This tour is given a 2013 Certificate of Excellence on TripAdvisor. Nightly tours are offered at 8 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Adults cost $15 and children are $8. Tours begin at 18 George Street across from the Old Water Wheel and Mill Top Tavern.

7. Haunted Haight Walking Tour—San Francisco, California The Haunted Haight Walking Tour in San Francisco is a fine look into the city’s macabre secrets. This two hour tour takes you along the streets to some of the creepiest areas in town where infamous murders and cult leaders alike once lived along the Haight-Ashbury district.

Hear the well-documented tales of San Francisco’s past and step inside a haunted pub for a drink at the end. Each tour gives you the chance to win spooky prizes, and the cost is $20 per person. Tours meet at Coffee To The People at 1206 Masonic Avenue on Saturdays at 7 pm. It is not recommended for children 13 and under.

8. Tombstone Gunfighter and Ghost Tour—Tombstone, Arizona The Tombstone Gunfighter and Ghost Tour is an absolute must when in this old western town. You won’t believe some of the most infamous shootouts and haunts around town. This fun, informative and entertaining walking tour gives you glimpse into Tombstone’s bloody past and gives you the inside scoop of where many famous western heros and criminals fell.

This tour is perfect to add to the beginning of your stay in Tombstone, so you can look around town better acquainted with the local folklore. Hear about the most infamous OK Corral shootout, the stories of China Mary’s in old China town and the most haunted sites in Tombstone—the General Hospital, the Aztec House and Birdcage Theatre. The tour leave at dusk, and tickets can be purchased at Big Nosed Kate’s Saloon at 417 Allen Street. It costs $15 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under.

9. Colonial Ghosts—Williamsburg, Virginia With over a dozen stories at haunted locations, this walking tour is likely to leave you coming face to face with a spook or two (if you’re lucky enough). See one of the most haunted places in Virginia, the Peyton Randolph House, as well as the Wren Building, the oldest academic building still used today, which once served as a hospital during the Revolution and Civil Wars and burned down three times.

One of the coolest sights is the Haunted Gaol, which was once a prison that held pirate Blackbeard’s men. The tour leaves at 7:30 pm seven days a week; it’s an hour and 15 minute tour–to a 2 hour extended tour. It meets at Kimball Theater at 424 W Duke of Gloucester St, Williamsburg. It costs $11 for adults and children 12 and under are $9, with an added $4 for the extended tour.

10. Blue Orb Savannah Ghost Tours—Savannah, GeorgiaNamed “Best Savannah Ghost Tour” by The Destination Guide, Blue Orb Tours offers 3 ghost tours in Savannah, Ga. They have two adults only Savannah ghost walks (The Modern Hauntings Tour and The Uncensored Zombie Tour) as well as a family friendly ghost tour (The City of the Dead Tour). If you are a fan of Haunted Savannah, hags, shadow people, secret cemeteries and all things strange then Blue Orb Tours is going to be a home run for you and your family.

Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, this is a very entertaining way to see the city. Reservations are required. Consider taking part in their upcoming special event, My Bloody Valentine Ghost Tour—on February 14th, which will be centered around tragic deaths, suicides and murders in the name of love, from 8 to 10 pm. The adult ghost tours cost $30 per person and the family tour is $20.

11. New Orleans Ghost Tour—New Orleans, Louisiana See the Haunted Mansion on Royal Street, where the victims of criminal Delphine LaLaurie are said to still scream and cry at night. If it’s a rainy evening, listen closely for the sound of Pere Dagobert, the French monk whose singing is said to haunt New Orleans rain.

Their tour guides have been on the SciFi Channels’ Ghosthunters, the Food Channel, Travel Channel’s Haunted Travels and a number of others. It can be found at 723 St Peter Street, New Orleans, LA. The tour runs at 3:00 pm from Dec 26 thru July 31 and Oct 1 thru Nov 30; and also 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm nightly year round.

12. Haunted San Diego—San Diego, California A great way to step into San Diego’s past is a tour with Haunted San Diego. This two hour bus tour takes you to the paranormal sites of Old Town with tales of hauntings in the Gaslamp Quarter. Haunted San Diego is a fun, informative and entertaining experience with guides dressed in Victorian garb.

You get to explore some of the best sites for ghosts such as Old Town’s El Campo Santo cemetery and enter three haunted locations to learn about who still haunts the place today. The tour can be found inside The Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel at 4041 Harney Street. It runs at 7 pm Wednesday through Sunday and costs $35 per person.

13. The Stanley Hotel Ghosts and History Tour—Estes Park, Colorado The Stanley Hotel is one of the most infamous haunts in America—blown up on the big screen with lunatic played by Jack Nicholson in the Shining. This movie favorite was based on Stephen King’s novel the Shining in which this best-selling horror author found inspiration at Stanley Hotel high in the Rockies. Learn the details behind King’s inspiration with a 90 minute tour around the hotel.

You will get a firsthand look at room 217 and chance to hear about the ghosts who still linger the halls and rooms. Tours cost $20 per hotel guest and $25 for non hotel guests. Paranormal Investigation and Ghost Hunting Tours are also offered for $50 per hotel guest and $60 per non hotel guest. The Stanley Hotel is located at 333 Wonderview Avenue in Estes Park, Colorado.