Covers the towns that sell their ghosts: the Deep South, the old Florida coast, Salem and Gettysburg.
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Most American ghost tours never go through a door.
That's not a complaint. The towns that sell them best, Savannah, Charleston, St. Augustine, Gettysburg, lock their burying grounds at dusk, so the trade grew up on sidewalks and at railings. A good guide makes that work. Three tours on this page do get you inside something after dark, and I'll point them out, because they're the ones that feel different the next morning.
We scored 72 ghost tours in our 12 US cities, each read on its own product page on October 26, 2026, and ranked the top 15 with a limit of three per city. Six towns made it. Boston, New York, Chicago and Washington, DC didn't, and that tells you where America keeps its ghosts.
At a glance
Best overall
Streets of Sin's adults-only true crime walk, New Orleans
Best for going inside
Spirits of Jennie Wade, Gettysburg: the cellar, lights off
Best cemetery at night
After Dark cemetery bus, New Orleans, usually Odd Fellows Rest
Best with gear
Savannah Ghostwalker, 9 p.m., K2 meters, 16 and up
Cheapest
Three tie at $20 (€17.90): two in Gettysburg, one in Savannah
Missing
Boston, New York, Chicago and DC
On this page
The ranking
Every ghost tour we scored in our US cities, in Night Score order, at most 3 per city. Night Score = 30% rating, 10% review count, 20% price per hour, 40% how much the night is the point. How we score
The scores say this is America's best ghost tour, and the reason isn't the ghosts. It's the perfect 5.0 from 2,164 people. Streets of Sin mixes true crime into the haunted material, which suits a city where the murders are better documented than the spirits. Up to 28 gather at the Jackson Square fence opposite St. Louis Cathedral. 17 and up, and the guides turn away anyone drunk. $38 (€34) for 1 hour 45 minutes, with drinks on sale at the final stop.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%10.0
Review countData · 10%8.7
Price per hourData · 20%7.7
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: An adults-only true-crime and ghost walk by Streets of Sin, meeting at the Jackson Square fence opposite St. Louis Cathedral.
Good to know: Ages 17 and up; intoxicated guests are turned away. Drinks are sold at the last stop, no buildings are entered, and the tour is rescheduled for bad weather; up to 28 per group.
After dark: Murder and ghost stories told on dark French Quarter streets land harder than the same stops by day.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Savannah's top scorer is a candle walk, which feels right for a town of squares and live oaks. It runs 90 minutes from Chippewa Square to the gates of Colonial Park Cemetery. History and haunts is the format, so expect as much 18th-century Savannah as spooks. 4.9 from 3,565 reviews, $39 (€35), lower rates for kids. It goes out in anything short of severe weather.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.8
Review countData · 10%9.5
Price per hourData · 20%7.0
After darkEditors · 40%6.5
What it is: A candlelit 90-minute ghost and history walk by Savannah History & Haunts from Chippewa Square (17 W McDonough Street) to Colonial Park Cemetery.
Good to know: Arrive 15 minutes early; gratuities are not included. Children with an adult, kid rates; up to 30; runs in all but severe weather.
After dark: Carried by candlelight through the squares, it needs the dark, and it ends at the gates of Colonial Park Cemetery.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
If you'd rather do something than listen, take this one. You carry K2 EMF meters around the squares from Madison Square at 9 p.m., and the guide treats the readings as evidence. Sixteen and up, no exceptions, and a cap of 16, so it feels less like a crowd shuffle than the 30-person Savannah walks. $35 (€31) for two hours. Entry to houses and cemeteries isn't part of it.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%7.9
Review countData · 10%7.1
Price per hourData · 20%8.5
After darkEditors · 40%7.0
What it is: A two-hour ghost walk and hunt from the southwest corner of Madison Square, using the operator's K2 EMF meters.
Good to know: 16 and up, no exceptions; maximum 16. Guide tips and entry to homes, cemeteries or museums are not included; no alcohol or animals.
After dark: A 9 p.m. ghost hunt with K2 EMF meters, which only makes sense in the dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Not witches. Voodoo, vampires and ghosts, which in Salem counts as a change of subject. Spellbound's guides start at the Revere Bell outside the Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, and walk 90 minutes past the old houses near the Common after dark. Rated 4.9 by 2,056 people. $28 (€25), tips included. Groups reach 40 in season, so stand near the guide.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.6
Review countData · 10%8.7
Price per hourData · 20%8.3
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute ghost, vampire and voodoo walk by Spellbound Tours from the Revere Bell outside the Salem Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street.
Good to know: Gratuities included; free cancellation up to 24 hours. Children must be with an adult; up to 40 per group. GetYourGuide sells the same tour from $25 with fewer reviews.
After dark: Run as a daily evening walk, when the old houses around the Common are dark and the stories carry.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Gettysburg's park closes from sunset to sunrise, so most of its ghost tours work the streets. This one has a key. You spend 45 minutes inside the Jennie Wade House, down to the cellar with the lights off, then another 45 outside. Ten people a tour. A 4.8 on 390 reviews is the weak part of its score; $20 (€17.90) is the strong part. Meet at Ghostly Images, 778 Baltimore Street, not at the gift shop.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.8
Review countData · 10%6.1
Price per hourData · 20%9.6
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A night ghost tour by Gettysburg Battlefield Tours that spends 45 minutes inside the Jennie Wade House, the home of the only civilian killed in the battle, then 45 minutes outdoors.
Good to know: Capped at 10; Jennie Wade House admission included. Starts at 778 Baltimore Street, not at the Jennie Wade gift shop; steps inside the house, not wheelchair accessible. Reviewers say it repeats the daytime house tour, so do one or the other.
After dark: You go inside the Jennie Wade House after hours, down to the cellar with the lights switched off, something a daytime museum visit does not give.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Salem's best history walk, if 16,502 reviews at 4.9 mean anything. As a ghost tour it's half-strength unless you pick the lantern-light night departure, since the daytime one covers the same ground. Two hours from Old Town Hall in Derby Square to the Witch Trials Memorial. The Witch House isn't entered. No refunds, no changes, rain or shine, up to 40 a group. $36 (€32).
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%9.0
Review countData · 10%10.0
Price per hourData · 20%8.4
After darkEditors · 40%5.0
What it is: A two-hour witch trials and hauntings walk by Witch City Walking Tours from Old Town Hall in Derby Square to the Witch Trials Memorial.
Good to know: Non-refundable and non-changeable, rain or shine; groups up to 40 at busy times. Gratuities are listed as included; the Witch House is not entered. Booked about 29 days ahead on average.
After dark: The lantern-light night departure turns a strong history walk into a ghost walk; the daytime version covers the same ground.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Of Gettysburg's two night-only interiors, this is the one in the National Soldiers' Orphanage. The 7 p.m. tour takes you down into its cellar with the lights out and finishes on East Cemetery Hill. Ten people. It sells out about 25 days ahead, so book it the moment your dates are fixed. $20 (€17.90) for 90 minutes. The stairs are steep and narrow, and it isn't wheelchair accessible.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.6
Review countData · 10%5.9
Price per hourData · 20%9.6
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A 7 p.m. ghostly-encounter walk by Gettysburg Battlefield Tours into the National Soldiers' Orphanage, including its cellar, plus East Cemetery Hill.
Good to know: Capped at 10, often sells out about 25 days ahead. Narrow, steep basement stairs, not wheelchair accessible; reviewers are split on bringing children under 12.
After dark: The evening slot takes you into the National Soldiers' Orphanage cellar with the lights off, a night-only interior.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Savannah's cheapest entry at $20 (€17.90), and it scores 9.6 on value for it. Savannah Supernatural Tours starts at 7 p.m. outside Moon River Brewing Company on West Bay Street and ends on Broughton Street 90 minutes later. Reviewers say it isn't too scary for children of about 8 to 10. It's stroller accessible, with kid and senior rates. Up to 30 a group.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%7.7
Review countData · 10%6.8
Price per hourData · 20%9.6
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute haunted walk by Savannah Supernatural Tours from outside Moon River Brewing Company, 21 W Bay Street, to Broughton Street.
Good to know: Kid and senior rates; stroller accessible, not wheelchair accessible; up to 30. Reviewers say it is not too scary for children around 8 to 10.
After dark: A 7 p.m. walk from the riverfront into the squares as the light goes, Savannah's best value ghost walk.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Charleston's best on our score is the small one. Holy City Walks caps it at 12 and leaves from the oak-tree square on the north side of the Old Exchange, 122 E Bay Street. Like most Charleston walks it tells its graveyard stories from outside, because the churchyards lock at dusk. Hosts mention a 9 p.m. tour. $32 (€28) on sale from $35 (€31), 4.9 from 1,028 reviews.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.2
Review countData · 10%7.6
Price per hourData · 20%7.8
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute small-group ghost walk by Holy City Walks from the oak-tree square on the north side of the Old Exchange, 122 E Bay Street.
Good to know: Sale price $31.50 (was $35, 10% off). Bottled water included, tips optional. Capped at 12, though the host says groups run 13 to 14.
After dark: A capped small-group night walk from the Old Exchange through the oldest streets, which feel closest after dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Nothing else on this list offers it: a New Orleans cemetery after dark. The bus leaves 620 Decatur Street, passes Cypress Grove, Greenwood and the Katrina Memorial, and stops for about 35 minutes inside a cemetery, usually Odd Fellows Rest on Canal Street, with EMF readers. Rated 4.7 by 1,865 people, $56 (€50), up to 42 aboard. I think it's the most distinctive ghost tour in the city. The rating is what keeps it 10th.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.2
Review countData · 10%8.5
Price per hourData · 20%6.7
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A two-hour air-conditioned bus tour by New Orleans Ghost Adventures from 620 Decatur Street, with a walk inside a cemetery at night and EMF readers.
Good to know: The cemetery stop is about 35 minutes; the bus passes Cypress Grove, Greenwood and the Katrina Memorial. Gratuities included; up to 42 per bus, and the listing page showed a $45 sale price on 26 October while the product page showed $56.
After dark: It includes after-dark entry to a cemetery (usually Odd Fellows Rest on Canal Street), which is closed to the public at night.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The cheapest well-reviewed ghost walk in New Orleans: $21 (€18.80), taxes and tips included. French Quarter Phantoms walks two hours from 718 N Rampart Street to Jackson Square, with the LaLaurie Mansion seen from the street. Reviewers mention a 6 p.m. start. It's 11th because a 4.7 earns little in our rating factor, even though it scores a 10 on value. Children are welcome with an adult.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.3
Review countData · 10%9.0
Price per hourData · 20%10.0
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A two-hour nighttime ghost and vampire walk by French Quarter Phantoms from 718 N Rampart Street to Jackson Square.
Good to know: Gratuities and taxes are included; LaLaurie Mansion is viewed from outside. Children welcome with an adult, kid and senior rates; up to 28 per group.
After dark: A nighttime French Quarter walk that ends at Jackson Square after dark, the city's cheapest well-reviewed ghost tour.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Old Charleston Tours sends Mike Brown out from the George Washington statue in Washington Square, 80 Broad Street, for 90 minutes of night-only stories ending by St. Philip's Church. Up to 20 walkers. The Library Society stop is seen from outside. $29 (€26), youth rates, bottled water in summer. Rated 4.8 by 1,417 people.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%6.8
Review countData · 10%8.1
Price per hourData · 20%8.1
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute night ghost walk by Old Charleston Tours, led by Mike Brown, from the George Washington statue in Washington Square, 80 Broad Street.
Good to know: Bottled water in summer; youth rates; up to 20. The Library Society stop is viewed from outside.
After dark: A night-only walk from Washington Square to St. Philip's Church through the oldest streets.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Same city, same locked gates. 108 Elemental Tours starts and ends at Cumberland and Church Streets, passes St. Philip's and the churchyards and tells the stories at the railings. Reviewers mention 8 p.m. $35 (€31), tips not included, youth rates, 20 at most. It ties Pleasing Terrors on 6.9 and sits behind it only on review count.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%7.7
Review countData · 10%6.9
Price per hourData · 20%7.4
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 90-minute ghost walk by 108 Elemental Tours from the corner of Cumberland and Church Streets and back.
Good to know: Gratuity not included; youth rates; up to 20. Graveyards are not entered.
After dark: A night walk past St. Philip's and the churchyards, which are locked at dusk, so the stories are told at the gates.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The one Florida entry. Spyglass Tours starts at 9 p.m. from the front steps of the Visitor Information Center on South Castillo Drive (look for the purple lantern), late enough that the Castillo and St. George Street are dark and mostly empty. Huguenot and Tolomato cemeteries are seen from outside, and Tolomato only opens one Saturday a month anyway. $27 (€24), up to 25, with a ghost map.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%7.2
Review countData · 10%6.3
Price per hourData · 20%8.5
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 9 p.m. haunted history walk by Spyglass Tours from the front steps of the Visitor Information Center (look for the purple lantern).
Good to know: Up to 25 per group; includes a ghost map. Admission to Huguenot Cemetery, Tolomato Cemetery and the Castillo is not included, so those are seen from outside; confirmation can take up to 48 hours.
After dark: A 9 p.m. start puts the Castillo, St. George Street and the old cemeteries in full dark with the town mostly emptied out.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Night-only and 13-plus, with real murders instead of witch lore. Witch City Walking Tours goes from Old Town Hall to the Charter Street burying ground in the dark. Groups run to 40, it's non-refundable, and people book about 38 days ahead, the longest lead time we recorded. $36 (€32) for 1 hour 40 minutes. Younger kids are refused at the start, so don't try.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%6.8
Review countData · 10%8.3
Price per hourData · 20%7.7
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A night-time murder and mystery walk by Witch City Walking Tours from Old Town Hall in Derby Square to the Charter Street burying ground.
Good to know: Ages 13 and up only, children younger are refused. Non-refundable, rain or shine; up to 40 per group; booked about 38 days ahead on average.
After dark: A night-only true-crime walk that finishes at the Burying Point on Charter Street in the dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Reserve links go to GetYourGuide or Viator. Booking through them can earn us a commission at no cost to you; it never changes a score or a rank. How we make money
How this list works
Every tour is scored out of 10 on traveler rating (30%), review count (10%), price per hour (20%) and how much the night matters (40%). Ghost walks cluster in a few towns, so this list allows three per city instead of two. The details are on how we score night tours.
The three that go inside
Most of the list is sidewalk storytelling. Three tours are not.
Spirits of Jennie Wade, Gettysburg. The house and its cellar, after hours, lights off.
Spirits Speak Orphanage, Gettysburg. The cellar of the National Soldiers' Orphanage.
After Dark cemetery bus, New Orleans. About 35 minutes inside a cemetery, usually Odd Fellows Rest.
Everything else stops at gates, and there are good reasons. Gettysburg's park and National Cemetery are closed to the public from sunset to sunrise. Charleston's churchyards lock at dusk; the Unitarian Church lists its churchyard as open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Saturday. St. Augustine's Tolomato Cemetery opens on the third Saturday of each month, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Savannah's Colonial Park has posted hours too.
One more way in that isn't on the list: New Orleans' St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 runs an official After-Dark Tour on select nights from $46 (€41), 55 minutes, booked with its own operator rather than Viator. See our New Orleans page.
Age limits, because they're enforced
Salem's Mysteries and Murders refuses anyone under 13. The Savannah Ghostwalker is 16 and up with no exceptions. The New Orleans true-crime walk is 17 and up. The rest of this list takes children with an adult, and several have kid rates, but not all of them are kid material: reviewers are split on bringing under-12s into the Gettysburg orphanage cellar, and they say the Savannah Supernatural walk is fine for about 8 to 10. For gentler options see the family list.
Runners-up, and where the ghosts aren't
The three-per-city cap cut two more Savannah walks, the adults-only 10 p.m. Spirits and Scoundrels walk (7.0) and the Genteel and Bard ghost encounter (6.9), and the New Orleans Paranormal Society's three-hour ghost hunt (6.9). Next in line after those: an After Dark evening investigation in Gettysburg at 6.8.
Then the big cities, all well short. DC's Ghosts of Georgetown and New York's Gangsters and Ghosts walk both score 6.7, San Francisco and Chicago top out at 6.6, and Boston's best is the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley at 6.1, held back by a 4.5 rating. Las Vegas manages 5.4. I'd read that as the old Southern and colonial towns simply doing this better.
Booking around October
October is the season and it fills up. Two of the three Salem tours here are non-refundable and booked about a month ahead on average. Salem's Night Ghost Tour, not on this list, keeps late arrivals' money and lets the guide leave on the minute. In New Orleans, one October host calls it the French Quarter's busiest time of year, and routes change around parades.
Halloween 2026 is a Saturday. If you want a small group on that night, you're probably already late. Go midweek, or go in November, when the crowds thin out and it's dark by dinner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ghost tour in the US?
By our Night Score, Streets of Sin's adults-only true crime and ghost walk in New Orleans: 7.8, rated 5.0 from 2,164 reviews, $38 (€34). For a tour that actually takes you inside somewhere at night, Gettysburg's Spirits of Jennie Wade at $20 (€17.90).
What is the most haunted city in the US?
Several cities and plenty of operators claim the title, and nobody can measure it. What we can say is where the good ghost tours are: New Orleans, Savannah, Salem and Charleston each fill three spots here, Gettysburg two.
Do ghost tours go inside cemeteries at night?
Rarely. On this list only the New Orleans After Dark bus does, usually at Odd Fellows Rest. Charleston, Savannah, St. Augustine and Gettysburg tours stop at the gates because the grounds are closed after dark.
How much does a ghost tour cost in the US?
On this list, from $20 (€17.90) in Gettysburg and Savannah to $56 (€50) for the New Orleans cemetery bus. Most walks are $28 (€25) to $39 (€35) for 90 minutes to two hours. Check whether tips are included: they are on Spellbound and French Quarter Phantoms, not on the Savannah candle walk.
Are ghost tours too scary for kids?
Most are more history than horror. Reviewers call the Savannah Supernatural walk fine for kids around 8 to 10. Avoid the cellar tours with young children and skip the 13+, 16+ and 17+ tours entirely.
