Top 10 US Towns For Taking a Ghost Tour

17, Aug, 2010 15 Comments

A spirited guest Top 10 with a difference today from Courtney Mroch aka @HauntJaunts Haunt Jaunts is a travel blog for restless spirits created by Courtney.  The blog features haunted places and paranormal tourism of interest to ghost enthusiasts.

I thought it was neat enough when Tony listed @HauntJaunts on one of his Top 10 Twitter People of the Day lists, but then he asked if I’d like to contribute a guest blog. Seriously? Sure!

I’d already had the idea in mind to feature top towns where to take a ghost tour, but to narrow it down to just 10 proved tough. Much tougher than I imagined it’d be. (Tony and gang sure makes picking Top 10′s look easy!)

However, I finally settled on the following Top 10 U.S. towns where to take a ghost tour. I wish I could say I based my picks on some complicated formula or impressive statistics. Nope. I based my criteria on something very simple: the number of ghost tour companies operating within the cities.

Again, there’s nothing telling in how the cities are listed. I simply placed them in alphabetical order, and voila. My guest blog! (Thanks again for having me, Tony!)

1. Bisbee and Tombstone

I cheated a smidge here and combined these two Southwestern towns because they’re only about thirty minutes apart, and between them they have three ghost tours to choose from. Plus, they’re also both well preserved examples of what life was like in the Wild Wild West and are must visits for anyone traveling to Arizona craving a taste of such history.

Bisbee and Tombstone Ghost Tours:

2. Charleston

Once upon a time, Charleston was one of America’s most influential port towns. It played key parts in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and was at one time considered a top cultural center. These days Charleston tops travelers’ lists thanks to its amazing restaurants, charming B&Bs, and historic sites –many of which are rumored to be haunted and are regular ghost tour stops.

Charleston Ghost Tours:

3. Dallas/Ft. Worth

They often say everything is bigger in Texas, but haunted places in Texas rarely register on most haunted places lists. I’m not sure why. Texas has plenty of history and there’s certainly no shortage of ghost stories emanating from its rough and tumble past. Dallas/Ft. Worth is one of the cities that’s a good place to learn about the state’s past. Not to mention it’s a great place to find ghost tours!

Dallas/Ft. Worth Ghost Tours:

4. Gettysburg

I personally still have not made it to Gettysburg, but I have yet to meet anyone who’s been who hasn’t felt the ghosts of all the soldiers who died at this Civil War battlefield. Most visitors attest one visit isn’t enough. Perhaps that’s why so many spirits are still said to linger there?

Gettysburg Ghost Tours:

5. New Orleans

Ah, good old New Orleans. It’d be really hard not to include a city like this on a top cities to take a ghost tour in list. New Orleans is the personification of romance, intrigue, charm, culture, and history. It has lived through fires, floods, hurricanes, yellow fever epidemics, political corruption, and social injustices. Its past has made for the perfect ghostly breeding grounds, and the ghost tours are a great way to learn about this port city’s haunted lore.

New Orleans Ghost Tours:

6. San Antonio

San Antonio is another place that it seems to me is often overlooked on haunted places lists, but one of my blog’s Facebook fans convinced me it should make this list for top ghost tour towns. Not only because it’s another great Texas city full of legend and lore. I mean, come on. It’s got the Alamo! Which of course makes for a popular stop on the city’s ghost tours, but not the only one. It seems Alamo City’s brimming with a plethora of spirits, many of which are, naturally, discussed during the ghost tours.

San Antonio Ghost Tours:

7. San Diego

As a kid growing up in Denver, Colorado, sunny San Diego was always tops on my list of summer vacation travel destinations. Back then Shamu and all his pals at Sea World was the big lure. But these day, “America’s Finest City” appeals to me because of all the haunts to jaunt to. And the perfect place to learn about them is on one of the city’s ghost tours.

San Diego Ghost Tours:

8. Savannah

Savannah likes to tout itself as “America’s Most Haunted City.” From its historic homes to its fine restaurants to its lavish B&Bs, Savannah certainly boasts an abundance of charm and atmosphere. Living people rarely want to leave. Why should ones who have passed over?

Savannah Ghost Tours:

9. Seattle

Seattle is sort of like Gettysburg for me, except I’ve been there –briefly. (We had a layover en route to Alaska.) However, it comes up as much as Gettysburg for places people recommend where I must go on a ghost tour. When I do make it there it certainly won’t be hard to find one with four to choose from!

Seattle Ghost Tours:

10. St. Augustine

When we moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1999 one of the first places we scoped out was St. Augustine. As we drove past the fort (a.k.a. the Castillo de San Marcos) I whispered, “Here there be ghosts.” I didn’t know anything about “America’s Oldest City” at that time, but I certainly could feel the presence of past residents. It was also the first place I ever saw ghost tours being offered. There was no way I was leaving this city off my list of Top 10 Towns for Taking a Ghost Tour!

St. Augustine Ghost Tours:

Many thanks go to Courtney for a chilling Top 10.  I hope you enjoy touring these sites and maybe visiting some of the haunted places.  If you believe in ghosts I am sure you will, if you don’t then maybe it’s time you took another look!

Have you got your own ghost story to tell?  Please share it with us if you have!

* Picture credits

Tombstone - Flickr Crunchy Footsteps

Gettysburg – Flickr Alaskan Dude

The Alamo – Flickr qthrul

Savannah – Flickr efleming

St Augustine – Flickr sfullenwider

Anything Else, Interesting Things
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  • http://hauntjaunts.net/blog Courtney Mroch

    OMG, TONY! This turned out AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for not only extending the invite, but for finding SUCH amazing pictures to include with my post! LOVE THEM!!!!!

    I GREATLY appreciate you having me. Thanks so much again!

    • Tony

      Thanks Courtney, it’s been a lot of fun working with you :-)

  • http://hauntjaunts.net/blog Courtney Mroch

    OMG, TONY! This turned out AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for not only extending the invite, but for finding SUCH amazing pictures to include with my post! LOVE THEM!!!!!

    I GREATLY appreciate you having me. Thanks so much again!

    • Tony

      Thanks Courtney, it’s been a lot of fun working with you :-)

  • http://theoccultsection.com Jason

    Great post, Court! A great list for people who need a quick reference of where to take some ghost tours. And Gettysburg is definitely a must-visit. I haven’t been there since high school, but the energy there is palpable!

  • http://theoccultsection.com Jason

    Great post, Court! A great list for people who need a quick reference of where to take some ghost tours. And Gettysburg is definitely a must-visit. I haven’t been there since high school, but the energy there is palpable!

  • http://muchomasismore.com Michael Sarles AKA @MASisMore

    Cool post! I had never considered a ghost tour before, but after reading this post, it is definitely something I want to do! I live in Dallas now, so I should start here. :) I remember seeing a haunted tour go by me once when I was living in Boston. I should think that that is a fairly haunted city as well. :) Thank you Courtney and Tony for sharing! :)

    • Tony

      Thanks Michael, glad you enjoyed it, Courtney certainly knows some interesting places to visit!

  • http://muchomasismore.com Michael Sarles AKA @MASisMore

    Cool post! I had never considered a ghost tour before, but after reading this post, it is definitely something I want to do! I live in Dallas now, so I should start here. :) I remember seeing a haunted tour go by me once when I was living in Boston. I should think that that is a fairly haunted city as well. :) Thank you Courtney and Tony for sharing! :)

    • Tony

      Thanks Michael, glad you enjoyed it, Courtney certainly knows some interesting places to visit!

  • http://ctkingston.com Christina Kingston

    Eerie good times. Nice list for those who like to get spooked. Fun. I’ve only been to one ghost town and it was on my way to Sedona. A tiny spot with more tourists than ghosts. These other spots look much better.

  • http://ctkingston.com Christina Kingston

    Eerie good times. Nice list for those who like to get spooked. Fun. I’ve only been to one ghost town and it was on my way to Sedona. A tiny spot with more tourists than ghosts. These other spots look much better.

  • http://hauntjaunts.net/blog Courtney Mroch

    Thanks for stopping by and checking it out, Jason! I really, really, REALLY want to get to Gettysburg. I’m hoping next summer. We’ll see…

    Michael, Boston was another one that was on my list of cities to consider when making this list, because you’re right: it DOES have a lot of haunts. But it didn’t have enough ghost tours to qualify it for my list. (I think it only had 2.) But you’re near some neat good ones in Dallas too!

    Christina, Did you happen to stop in Jerome on your way to Sedona? That’s a neat place too. (But, like Sedona, also very touristy.) You said something true tho…sometimes there are more tourists than ghosts in these towns! Hmmm…I think you might’ve sparked another idea for me. THX!

  • http://hauntjaunts.net/blog Courtney Mroch

    Thanks for stopping by and checking it out, Jason! I really, really, REALLY want to get to Gettysburg. I’m hoping next summer. We’ll see…

    Michael, Boston was another one that was on my list of cities to consider when making this list, because you’re right: it DOES have a lot of haunts. But it didn’t have enough ghost tours to qualify it for my list. (I think it only had 2.) But you’re near some neat good ones in Dallas too!

    Christina, Did you happen to stop in Jerome on your way to Sedona? That’s a neat place too. (But, like Sedona, also very touristy.) You said something true tho…sometimes there are more tourists than ghosts in these towns! Hmmm…I think you might’ve sparked another idea for me. THX!

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