Ghost Tour
Richmond Ghosts welcomes you to a tour of the haunted past of the capital city of Virginia, the Confederate capital during the Civil War and the second biggest slave market in the United States. Richmond has a fascinating past and some horrifying ghost stories.
Let our knowledgeable local guides take you on an adventure around Shockoe Bottom and Church Hill to 8 or 12 locations over an hour or 90 minutes of gentle, accessible walking. We encourage our guests to stay alert during the walking tour as you never know when there might be a ghost sighting!
Our historical ghost tour is created to be scary and creepy but is still family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Let us bring history to life, through death. Your kids will be talking about this exciting tour for years to come!
Our tour starts and ends at the 17th Street Farmers market, which is between Franklin and Main Streets at 17th. Your guide will be waiting by the Big Bell in a loop in the middle of the Market area.
The 17th Street Farmers market, between Franklin and Main Streets at 17th. Your guide will be waiting by the Big Bell in a loop in the middle of the Market area.
Where To Meet, Park, & Directions
Meet:
The 17th Street Farmers market, between Franklin and Main Streets at 17th. Your guide will be waiting by the Big Bell in a loop in the middle of the Market area.
Park: Parking near location or use parkme.com
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
FAQs
Please see your booking details for meeting location. There are neighboring parking garages and street parking that are available in the area.
Group size varies based on time of year and demand. We can keep everyone in your party in the same group. We've been doing this for years, and manage group size to ensure guests have a great experience. In the event you can't hear your tour guide, let them know, or move closer to them.
Pets are welcome as long as they do not disrupt ot distract from the tour.
The arrival time will be listed on your confirmation email and in the available tour times when you click the book button.
Tour Preview
Richmond has many layers of history, ghosts from every period clamor for attention. From its perch beside the mostly placid James River, Richmond has a calm and charming surface, but horrible stories are revealed with the barest scratch. Join our tour to hear about the history of this elegant town with a deep and dark past.
Walk alongside our guides as we visit the dark gaping mouth of the deadliest tunnel in Richmond. Stand on the site of the ghastly civil war jail in the old Confederate capital. Walk by the graves of some of the hundreds of thousands of enslaved Men, Women, and Children who met their end in Richmond.
Our walking tour offers insight, education, and entertainment. You will hear plenty of memorable stories and feel just a little bit of terror! Our tour will give you first-person insight into the many historical layers of this amazing city.
Below are just a few of the 8 or 12 locations we will visit on your tour. We researched some of the further afield locations for our tour that are too far to walk to made it onto our blog of Haunted Richmond locations. We share these fascinating stories to get you in the mood for a haunted tour like no other!
What's On My Ghost Tour
The Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Opened in 1922, the Poe Museum was built around one of Richmond’s oldest buildings. Known as The Old Stone House it has hosted numerous famous figures, including James Monroe and George Washington. The highly-rated museum has a staircase from Poe’s actual house in Richmond and lots of personal possessions that carry their own spiritual baggage. Poe’s ghost has been seen around the cases holding his walking stick, and a dark figure lurks around his collected letters. Today, it serves as a shrine to one of the most celebrated literary figures in American history. The site not only houses decades of history but several other phantoms and spirits.
Smith & Foundry
Richmond’s oldest commercial premise, the Smith & Foundry building has seen dozens upon dozens of ventures go up in smoke. For one period, it was home to the finest gunsmith in Richmond. For decades, enterprising businesspeople told tales that the building was cursed. A curse might be a handy excuse for some, but the building has added some horrible true stories to its rich history along the way. The blood-stained brick walls might prove them right about the curse. You will hear, in lurid detail, all about the haunting of one of Richmond’s most infamous structures.
Church Hill Tunnel
The tunnel was built to join two rail lines and get valuable coal some 75 miles down the Virginia Peninsular to Collis P. Huntington’s new coal pier in Newport News. The tunnel was cursed from the start. The limestone and soft clay under one of Richmond’s parks caused havoc for the construction crews, many of whom lost their lives—leaving a cavalcade of restless spirits in their wake.
From its inception until its closing, the Church Hill Tunnel has been a hungry creature, swallowing houses from above in tragic landslides and burying men under collapsing soil and rock. It is perhaps even home to the Richmond Vampire. Today, the dead can still be heard from the tunnels nearly sealed entrance.
