Walking ghost tours really began as an English Tradition, which is likely not difficult to imagine. From castles to wars, from Jack the Ripper to the Plague, the United Kingdom has a plethora of great ghost stories to explore.  

I remember when my future wife were on vacation, and she was interested in taking the local ghost tour at the town we were visiting, which happened to be Savanna, Georgia. I had no idea what we were in for.  

Were the stories made up or were they authentic? Would we be guaranteed to see a ghost? Was it indoors or outside? Was it a scientific endeavor or more historic? Were there “jump scares” or things rigged throughout the tour to frighten the groups?

After taking that tour, we were hooked and would from then on always take the ghost tour of any city we were visiting, if they had one. But I’ll never forget my apprehension and questions that first time, so I thought it might be helpful to share my thoughts on an industry that has become my family’s work and passion.

One thing to realize about a ghost tour is that every ghost tour is different in how they approach the topic. With the content, the vast majority of the ghost tours base their content on the authentic haunted history of the city. Most people in this industry began leading ghost tours as a labor of love, and do their best to provide a quality tour. Of course, as with anything there are some companies that don’t do adequate research when putting a tour together.

How do you know if a ghost tour is right for you? Online reviews can be manipulated, so they are not always the best indicator of the quality of a tour. There are two things I do when considering a ghost tour that have proved helpful

1). Ask the locals. The concierge or front desk clerk at your hotel is often a great resource.  They get a lot of feedback about which tours in town are professional and well received, and it’s in their best interest to give you an honest opinion on what to do while in town. If you take a cab or Uber anywhere, ask them as well. Taxi drivers are often a wealth of information and will have likely heard about the local ghost tour (good and bad)

2). Visit the website. What kind of feel does it have? The messaging in a company’s advertising is often a sign of the kind of service they will provide. If you take the time to read a company’s website, you will often either get a good feeling or may see some red flags. 

But what should I expect?

The majority of the ghost tours out there are story telling tours. Think of the vibe you get at a campfire ghost story or when you watch “Haunted History Week.” Tour guides all have their own styles. Some are funny and engaging, while some entertain in a more dramatic or suspenseful way. Some are very interactive to the point where your entire group will often know each others ghost stories, while other ghost tour guides treat a tour more as a performance.

Ghost Tours typically do not rig anything on the tour or do jump scares, because most ghost tours are hoping to get lucky on any given night that an authentic paranormal event might occur. Imagine if a ghost tour company used some cheesy smoke and mirror effect at some point in the tour, and then later that evening a REAL paranormal event occurred.  What would your reaction be? Most likely you would think that it had been faked as well.

Most ghost tours are walking tours and can vary in duration from 1 to 3 hours. Some are all outdoors, and some will go inside certain locations. With ghostly sightings, no one can really guarantee a paranormal experience will occur on any given night. After leading ghost tours in Nashville for 20 years, I have learned that the spirits work only on their schedule. So I would always be wary of any company offering “guarantees” about seeing ghosts.

One thing I have learned over the years is that there are two things that really make a ghost tour great.  

1). A tour with a great balance of authentic, local history AND ghost stories. If a ghost tour leans too far one way or the other, I often don’t find this as enjoyable. One of the things I like about ghost tours is that they are sort of sneaky history tours. It’s just that it’s the dark history. The scandals, tragedies, murders, intrigue and such are often at the heart of most great haunted tales.

2). The skill of the tour guide is a huge factor as well. If selecting a ghost tour, it might be a good idea to find out how long the company has been around. Or you could even reach out to the company and ask who their best guides are and which night they are working.  

If you haven’t ever taken one or are skeptical of ghost tours, I highly recommend trying at least just one. They are often reasonably priced, take place in the evenings when it’s cooler and will give you a good sense of the local culture and history.

Did I miss any elements that make a Ghost Tour great?  Do you agree with my recommendations?  Comment below.

Happy Haunting,

Frank

#ghosttours #hauntedtours #hauntedwalkingtours #amerighost #ghostwalk