I love a good scare. But the things that scare me most aren’t just goblins and ghouls at haunted houses, they’re real ghost stories taken from history. If you’ve never been on a haunted walking tour, give one a try! Some tours are definitely adults only, but there are also fabulous tours designed for families with kids (albeit not exactly young kids). These three haunted walking tours in South Carolina and Georgia are just scary enough to be all sorts of fun. Offered throughout the year, these tours are a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit no matter when you visit.
South Carolina's Spanish Moss trees create a spooky ambiance (Photo Credit: ehrlif, Depositphotos.com)
Charleston Ghost Tour – Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina claims to be one of the ‘most haunted’ states in the US. My husband and I embarked on this tour years ago when we first moved down South from the Midwest. Kid-less at the time, we could do what we like when we liked, so we picked a midnight haunted walking tour on Halloween. I remember many of the places on the Charleston Ghost Tour—including the old slave port, and the oldest and creepiest graveyard I have ever seen. The haunted brothel where the woman who inspired Margaret Mitchell’s ‘Belle’ was said to live, is also featured in the tour. The three hour tour, if not scary, is an interesting twist on history lessons that aren’t taught in school textbooks.
Treat yourself to a good scare with haunted walking tours in Charleston, South Carolina (Photo Credit: Photocosma, Depositphoto.com)
Downtown Ghost Tour – Greenville, South Carolina
The Greenville Ghost Tour has tales of ghosts that range from the 1920s to as recently as 2011. I attended the downtown ghost tour with my friend on a chilly October night this year. Recently voted Upstate South Carolina's #1 unique date night idea by Upstate Parent Magazine, our tour was filled with historical anecdotes and enough creeps to last me through Halloween. Starting at 7 o'clock in the evening, the tour lasted until almost 9 p.m. Spanning the downtown area, the tour contained an interesting tale (or two, or three) at each stop. Encouraged to take photos whenever the mood should strike, those in our small group happily snapped away hoping to catch an ‘orb’ or something odd. Each tour is a little different and the ‘Late Night’ tour has completely different tales than the earlier tour.
Get your spook on with a haunted walking tour in downtown Greenville, South Carolina
Ghost City Tours – Savannah, Georgia
As one of the oldest and most historic cities in our country, Savannah offers a wide selection of Ghost City Tours. Old homes and graveyards have tales to tell that will curl your hair. Like Charleston, Savannah claims to be the most haunted city in America. I suggest scare-seekers visiting this region of the South try both the Charleston and Savannah tours and decide for themselves. City Ghost Tours also offer a kid-friendly tour complete with a Halloween treat for the kids.
Have you ever taken a haunted walking tour in your city? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!
About Farrah Ritter, The Nomadic Travel Mama
I’ve never been on a haunted walking tour and, as interesting as they sound, I don’t think that I would ever go on one. Far too real for me – I wouldn’t sleep for days and I’d jump every time my house creaked!
Ha ha Lisa! Well, they really aren’t for the faint of heart, but they sure are fun. It helps that you’re with a group of people too 🙂
According to legend, the Grey Man walks not far from the resorts in Myrtle Beach SC that I stay at. He drowned in the bog (according to most legends) whilst trying to get home to his girl in the late 1700’s, and has appeared periodically since then as the Gray Man! I have been to some of the haunted places in Charleston but have never actually taken a tour. That would be cool, but I would have to watch my normally very pessimistic tongue. I do love the history of South Carolina and ghost stories, especially the ones that date back more than a hundred years.