While haunted walking tours are fascinating throughout the year, taking one around Halloween makes for a particularly spooky and unforgettable celebration. Check out some of the best haunted walking tours in these cities around the world.
Credit: Edmund GarmanSalem
Salem, Massachusetts
In this charming east coast village in 1692, 20 citizens were accused of witchcraft and put to death. Today, Salem is known as one of the most popular Halloween holiday destinations, as well as a place for haunted tales year-round. The Salem Witch Walk, run by real witches, offers tours of the city's creepiest sights, telling the story from the witches' point of view, including a magic circle, a tour of the most haunted cemetery in America, and lectures on spells and incantations. While you're here, visit the Salem Witch Museum to learn about witchcraft and the historical reasons behind the witch trials.
Credit: Reading by Tom New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Haunted walking tours in New Orleans are renowned as some of the best on the planet. They take you through the unique and mysterious mix of vampire legends, famous cemeteries, voodoo rituals and surrounding swamps. Hear the stories of legendary urban apparitions such as Queen of Voodoo Marie Laveau, Armory Ghost and Creole Lady of Faubour-Marigny. You can also explore the Haunted Mansion on Royal Street, where the victims of notorious criminal Delphine LaLaurie are said to still weep and scream at night. If it's a rainy night, be sure to listen to the sound of Pere Dagobert, a French monk whose chanting is said to haunt the rain in the Big Easy.
Credit: bigstock.comGettysburg, PennsylvaniaGettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
As the site of the 'greatest battle ever fought on American soil', where 51,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died during the three-day battle at Gettysburg in 1863, the bloodiest conflict of the Civil War, it is no surprise that Gettysburg is considered one of America's I most haunted places, particularly on the battlefield. There have been many sightings of ghostly soldiers and the sounds of battle heard over the years. Take the Ghosts of Gettysburg Tour where history comes alive through the spirits of America's past as you stroll the area by candlelight. You may just spot soldiers moving in formation through the fields where they were killed. You'll also visit the steps of the county courthouse, where a wounded soldier is often spotted, along with a number of other supposedly haunted buildings.
Credit: bigstock.comAlcatrazAlcatraz
San Francisco, California
Home to the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Alcatraz and some of the spookiest ghost stories of America's past, San Francisco is a fabulous place to visit for haunted scenery and tales. Take a haunted tour after dark in the old prison known as 'The Rock', one of the country's creepiest destinations. Here you are likely to feel cold spots and also hear unexplained moaning and mysterious music. Occasionally, apparitions are even seen through its walls. The Haunted Haight Walking Tour is another good choice that includes a two-hour walk to infamous and lesser-known sites in the city. It includes the Haight-Ashbury district, which was not only the base for the 'Summer of Love' in the 1960s, but was also home to notorious murderers and cult leaders.
Credit: wikimedia.orgTombstone, ArizonaTombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is well known as another of America's most haunted places with numerous sightings throughout the town, including the Boothill Cemetery, which is famous for its high number of sightings. You can often see them wandering through old wooden markers - and some have even been captured on film. The Tombstone Gunfighter and Ghost Tour will take you to the 10 most haunted here. You'll head to the most haunted building in the US, the Bird Cage Theatre, which houses the spirits of cowboys, showgirls and 14 people shot to death within its walls, as well as the corner of Fifth and Allen Streets where more than 30 gunfighters lost their lives.
Credit: WanderingtheWorld (www.ChrisFord.com) New York New York
New York City, New York
Ghosts and ghost stories can be heard in every New York City neighbourhood. With tales of disease, murder, missed opportunities and political intrigue everywhere you turn, you're likely to encounter numerous spirits. The Ghosts of New York Tour will surprise you with its strange and unusual tales of centuries past, haunted places, ghostly sightings and supernatural intrigue in Manhattan, including the spirits of Alexander Hamilton and Captain Kidd. In Brooklyn Heights, you can look for the ghosts of Jackie Robinson and Walt Whitman, and in the East Village, you'll need to keep an eye out for Harry Houdini and Edgar Allen Poe.
Credit: Seattle Municipal ArchivesSeattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Pike Place Market is not only famous for its seafood, fresh flowers and being a fabulous place to shop, it is also famous as an incredibly haunted place. The market is also home to an old brothel, a cemetery and the city's first morgue. Join the Market Ghost Tour where you'll discover the Market Theatre, where the laughter of orphans who are no longer in this world can still be heard, as well as listen to the ghost of Chief Seattle's daughter, Angeline, who is said to haunt the building.While you're there, you won't want to miss lunch at America's most haunted pub, Kell's Irish Bar. Seattle's underground tours also offer a special walking tour in the dark, where visitors can get a quick lesson in the basics of ghost hunting before heading out to look for paranormal events.
Credit: Ron CogswellSavannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah's historic district is full of magnificent and majestic old houses, and many of them are haunted. Join the Hearst Ghost Tour, where you'll ride through the city in a hearse and visit the Pirate's House on Broad Street, one of Savannah's oldest buildings, as well as the Olde Pink House, where the ghosts of the former homeowner, and some of his former slaves, are said to still roam. You'll also want to check out Sorrel-Weed House on Harris Street, which has been featured on HGTV and Syfy - it's renowned as the most haunted place in all of Savannah.
Credit: wikimedia.orgBostonBoston
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is known for its particularly fascinating past with its long history of ghosts, from colonial times to the present day. Hangings on Boston Common, pirate executions, Civil War prison dungeons, the Boston Strangler and even tales of being buried alive have led to a very interesting present. Take The Haunted Boston Ghost to visit all the historical sites in the city, including historic cemeteries such as the King's Chapel Burying Ground in downtown Boston. This fascinating cemetery is said to have seen haunted spirits roam since the gravestones were moved in 1810. The Central Burying Ground in Boston Common also houses the ghosts of some of the city's poor and forgotten children.
Credit: wikimedia.orgCripple Creek, ColoradoCripple Creek, Colorado
Cripple Creek, Colorado
Entering Cripple Creek, Colorado feels like stepping back in time, in this former gold rush town dubbed 'the world's largest gold camp'. Not only do old mine shafts, head frames and cabins dot the hills surrounding the town, but there are numerous spirits to be found everywhere from the cemetery to turn-of-the-century hospitals turned into B&Bs, hotels, casinos and more. The Cripple Creek District Museum, which is said to be haunted itself, offers ghost tours at night where you can learn about the town's unique history and its many ghosts. Find out more about the man hiding in the wise man's office, the little girl haunting the upper floors of the train depot and much more. You can also learn about paranormal investigation techniques and equipment.
Credit: wikimedia.orgChicago, IllinoisChicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago has a history of tragedy and criminal activity, including the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which ripped through the heart of the city, leaving at least 300 dead and thousands homeless. In the 1920s and 1930s, mobs ran through the city, killing thousands of victims. Join the Chicago Hauntings Tour, where you'll visit sites such as disasters, serial killer dumps, haunted houses, murder sites and abandoned cemeteries. You can also look for ghosts at Bachelors Grove Cemetery, famous as one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world. You'll learn about the city's history from its early beginnings as a frontier outpost through the gangster era and today, with tours based on Ursula Bielski's nearly three decades of ghost hunting in the city and her Chicago Haunts book series.
Credit: wikimedia.orgBurlington, Ontario, CanadaBurlington, Ontario, Canada
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Located an hour from Niagara Falls on Lake Ontario, the city of Burlington offers not only plenty to do, including fantastic restaurants, shopping, the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, art galleries and museums, hiking and cycling, but also has its own unique history of spooky sightings. Many have been reported in Canadian shows such as 'Ghost Trackers' and 'Creepy Canada', with the team of ghost trackers themselves taking viewers on a haunted journey through Canada's spookiest locations. Burlington also offers a two-hour ghost tour and events hosted by Burlington Ghost Researchers such as 'A Night at the Haunted Mansion', presented by a well-known ghost expert. It includes dinner and a séance.
Credit: wikimedia.orgParis, FranceParis, France
Paris, France
Paris has a long and tragic history of murder and executions, as well as rampant disease among the lower classes, not to mention the many battles fought against a corrupt monarchy. Taking the 'Our Dark Heart of Paris Tour', you will embark on an adventure through the city's rarely seen undergrowth after dark, strolling through narrow alleyways and stopping at destinations such as Place de la Vert Gallant where the last of the Knights Templar was burnt at the stake as well as the Palais du Justice, where the culprits were routinely tortured and executed in front of a live audience.
Credit: wikimedia.orgEdinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is not only one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, it is said to be one of the most haunted. Considering that Mary King's Close in the old city, a street now closed underground, was a place where plague victims in the 17th century were quarantined and left to die, it's not all that surprising. You can explore the city's underground history by taking a tour of the City of the Dead, which includes the South Bridge Vaults, abandoned due to poor conditions, and famous today for its paranormal activity and multitude of ghost sightings.There are a number of shadowy figures of lost souls hiding in the depths of the magnificent Edinburgh Castle, which sits atop an extinct volcano overlooking the city, including a ghostly piper and a headless drummer who are counted among its resident ghosts.
Credit: wikimedia.org Sydney Australia Australia
Sydney, Australia
While Sydney is known today for its beautiful beaches, nightlife and other city attractions, it was once a prison colony, resulting from the overcrowding of British prisons in the 18th century. Visitors can take a two-hour, lantern-lit walk through The Rocks, an old prison, to discover more haunting and historical stories about its murky past as a convict settlement. Discover the documented truths behind the hauntings of the city's iconic structures and a series of murderous acts.
Credit: wikimedia.org Victoria, Australia Victoria, Australia
Victoria, Australia
In Victoria, there are several infamous asylums that are renowned for haunted sightings, including Aradale, a rural town in the south-west region. The largest abandoned asylum in the country, there were 13,000 people who died in this institution that operated for 130 years, with many of those deaths probably attributed to what were considered some of the most controversial psychiatric experiments in Australia. Public tours are available at night, when visitors are entertained by haunted sightings and brutal treatment of patients as they tour everything from the morgue to the asylum infirmaries. You can also visit the sister hospital while in Victoria. Beechworth Lunatic Asylum operated for 128 years before closing in 1995. It offers tours that include accounts of specific former patients and paranormal myths that were experienced while it was still in operation.
Credit: bigtock.comPrague, Czech RepublicPrague, Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic
The historical centre of Prague is not only extraordinarily magnificent, it is known as one of the most supernatural corners of Europe, where numerous dark events have taken place throughout history. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was a popular meeting place for astrologers and alchemists during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II, and the beautiful architecture of the area is full of esoteric symbols that can reveal secrets to those who know how to read them. The Ghosts, Torture and Underground Tour will take you on a walk to the Charles Bridge, where famous building mysteries and executions took place. In the underground part you will get an insight into the torture methods and punishment tactics that were used on prisoners. Numerous supernatural sightings have been recorded at the old cemetery in the Jewish quarter, which houses around 100,000 bodies.
Credit: udeyismailKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The capital of Malaysia is famous as a destination for shopping, nightlife and fabulous food, but it is also a great place for those interested in the paranormal. In fact, almost every local you encounter seems to have its own ghost story. One of the best ways to delve into its ghosts is through the two-hour Spookster Haunted House tour, which will take you to Kuala Lumpur's most haunted destinations. It starts with a delicious seafood dinner followed by excursions to five main spots, including a Chinese cemetery, a haunted train station and Pudu Prison, an old prison that housed more prisoners than any other during its time and was known for some of the most violent deaths ever recorded. Now abandoned, there are multiple accounts of an Indian man walking through the prison corridors and disappearing around the corner and screams that can be heard throughout the place.
Credit: Bryan PociusReykjavikReykjavik
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland is known for its out-of-this-world scenic beauty, but in the capital's Old Town, you'll also find plenty of fascinating ghost stories. The Haunted Walk offers not only the chance to learn about Icelandic history and folklore, but also some of the city's most famous ghosts. Given after dark, on the 90-minute tour your guide will discuss everything from what makes Icelandic ghosts so unique to the chances of elves stealing your baby. Some of the highlights along the way include Parliament Park, the city's oldest cemetery and an elf stone.
Credit: Hunter-DesportesLondon, EnglandLondon, England
London, England
When it comes to ghost stories, London is full of them, including everything from grisly Tower of London beheadings and grim underground dungeons to paranormal activity in tube stations. Take the ghost walk after dark to visit graveyards and famous murder sites. The Jack the Ripper walk, given by crime historian Donald Rumbelow, is one of the most exciting in the city. You will be guided to the murder sites of the mass serial killer who was never caught on a tour that reads like a murder investigation. Follow the chronological path Jack the Ripper took in London's East End during the late 19th century. Afterwards, be safe and stop for a pint at The Ten Bells pub, famous for its connection to two of The Ripper's victims. As many of these places are considered 'haunted hotspots', you may see some evidence of ghostly existence.