Top Five Ghost Tours in America

By Violet Wisdom

There is no shortage of ghost tours come October in America! And although there are hundreds, maybe thousands of excellent tours out there we have narrowed it down to the top five. But before we get to the list, here are a few tips to make the best of your tour.

1. Find out what kind of terrain you’ll be walking in and dress accordingly. Walking through mud or across broken boards isn’t going to go well in your best shoes.

2. Find out what you can bring on your tour. Drinks,cameras, recording devices and even children might not be allowed.

3. If you have your own ghost hunting equipment, check to see if you can bring it along as well. Some tours will even encourage you to do so.

4. Check reviews. Especially when you have a lot of options. Not every review is going to be fair but going over several reviews will give you a good indication of how good the tour will be.

5. Learn your local history, or some of the history of the area you are visiting. A great tour won’t need to make up history to fit their tour. Instead, a great tour will be able to explain the things you are seeing and hearing because of a good understanding of history.

6. Don’t leave it to popular television shows to guide you through the world of the spirits. Most shows are created to entertain you. A good ghost tour will allow you to have an actually legitimate experience.

After comparing several national top ghost tour lists, the following five rank as the most popular:

Black Cat Tours in Salem, Massachusetts. From their website: "Welcome to Salem Black Cat Tours - a one-of-a-kind adventure!

Our day tours offer a complete, 100% factual history of Salem,

including Salem's ONLY walking/boat tour combo or you can join us, if you dare, on an eerie evening ghost tour unlike any other! Our guides make YOU and your experience our first priority!"

Mysteries of Hawaii in Oahu, Hawaii. From their website: "Welcome to Hawaii’s only locally-owned ghost tour company. Established in 1997 as a part of Glen Grant’s famous Haunted Hawaiian tours, sharing ghost stories and local legends, and helping to set the stage for all other ghost tours in Honolulu, on Oahu, and across the Hawaiian Islands. Native Hawaiian owned and operated, Lopaka Kapanui’s Mysteries of Hawai‘i is the most real, most exciting historical and haunted ghost tours of Hawai‘i. Come with us and learn, not just about Honolulu’s haunts, but about haunted places all over Hawai‘i."

Ghost City Tours in Savannah, Georgia. From their website: "Our incredible Tour Guides will take you on an exciting and spooky journey to Savannah's most haunted locations. Imagine being in a REAL haunted location after the sun goes down. Will you be the next to experience a real ghost? Here at Ghost City Tours, we take a lot of pride in telling the stories of Savannah's ghosts and hauntings. Our ghost tours all offer their unique take on the ghosts and haunted places of Savannah."

Secrets of St. Augustine in Saint Augustine, Florida. From their website: "A 90-minute walking tour by licensed tour guide and Master Storyteller, Dion Moore, known as the American Spinner, takes guests through the historic and haunted streets of the Oldest City so they can hear ghost stories, tall tales, and legends. Featured on the CW, the Secrets of St. Augustine Ghost Tours visits the City Gates, public burial grounds, Tolomato Cemetery, the old funeral parlor, Castillo de San Marcos, and the Oldest Wooden School House."

Bar Harbor Ghost Tours in Bar Harbor, Maine. From their website: "We are professional storytellers who bring unscripted history to life...and death. We take you to the very best haunted and historic spaces within Downtown Bar Harbor.

All walking tours are about 60-90 minutes, and our routes are approximately one-half to one mile. Guests will walk at a leisurely pace that winds through the Downtown Bar Harbor area. Bring your camera and wear comfortable walking shoes. Our weather can change on a dime so rainy/misty/windy nights can be between 40-50 degrees and the "real feel" can be as low as the 20s in October. Check your weather app early and often."

Wherever you decide to go, just be sure to leave the ghosts on the tours, have a great time and please share your favorite tours with us!