Top 10 ghost tours in the U.S.

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.

Spend the day on the beach and then head to downtown Honolulu after the sun sets for the Night Marchers tour from Mysteries of Hawai’i (which is the only Native Hawaiian-owned ghost tour company in Hawai’i). Night Marchers, or Huaka’I Pō, are the ghosts of past warriors who are still carrying out their regular duties every night. On the tour you’ll learn more about the stories of these warriors and their people, including some eyewitness accounts.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Take a tour of the haunted San Remo Hotel on the Paranormal Investigation Tour. The San Remo is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country. And on this tour you get to investigate anomalies first hand and try to capture evidence of this haunting. Plus, you get to enjoy a cocktail and hear about true crime while you do it.

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.

I have to admit, the Haunted Eureka Springs tour might my favorite one. A good tour guide can make or break any tour (especially a haunted one). And the guides here are top-notch. They’ll take you through the history of the area, to secret spots (including underground tunnels) and maybe throw in a few restaurant recommendations after working up your appetite by scaring you.