If you love watching shows about ghost hunting, "most haunted" places, or paranormal event, if you enjoy a good ghost story or are fascinated with 'haunted' history... then it's time to venture out and take a ghost tour.

While I tend to be a bit of a skeptic, I recently went on my first ghost tour with Spellbound Tours in Salem, MA and found myself drawn into the whole ghost hunting experience. I went with another photojournalist, who was considerably more skeptical than myself. For me, I wanted to see a ghost!

The tour took us through the dark streets of Salem at night. Salem, of course, was the location of the tragic Witchcraft Hysteria of 1692, when 19 people were unjustly executed for being witches. So, needless to say, Salem has its 'haunted' history. Many of the places we stopped were tied in some way or other to that horrible event.

As our 'Ghost Guide' explained the different points of interest, we all snapped and flashed our cameras in the eager hope of 'capturing' a ghost on film. I eagerly snapped along with the group!

I enjoyed my experience on this ghost tour. Did I actually manage to see a ghost? No. Did I capture anything with my camera? I'll let you be the judge. Take a look at my photos and tell; me what you think!

The Graveyard was on the tour. Nathaniel Hawthorne's birthplace is actually at the "House of Seven Gables" also in Salem. It, of course, was made famous by his book of the same name.

I will mention a particularly unnerving experience while on the tour. While trying to photograph one of the windows in the the Lyceum Restaurant - formerly the site where Bridget Bishop lives ( one of those executed for withcraft) my camera seized up. No flash, no power, nothing. As I pointed away from the building, it was fine. When I tried - once again - to photograph the window, it again seized up.

Looking for a Ghost Tour? Here Are a Few Suggestions

Alexandra's Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour-Alexandria, VA

Follow an 18th century costumed guide by lantern light through the
haunted streets of Old Town Alexandria hearing ghost stories, legends and
folklore. On this entertaining tour you'll hear about unsolved mysteries
and angry ghosts looking for revenge.
Each tour is a one-hour, six-block stroll and at tour's end your guide
will abandon you in a graveyard! Reservations suggested.

August & September
Wednesday - Sundays 7:30 pm
Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 and 9:00 pm
October 7:30 nightly
Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 and 9:00

Woodlawn's Haunted History-Alexandria, VA

Find out the truth about creepy happenings then and now at Woodlawn, Virginia's "most haunted" historic house. Join us for an on-your-toes and use-your-clues adventure as we take you on a journey through Woodlawn's secret history.
$15 per person. Not recommended for children under 8 or for the faint of heart.

October 30th & 31, 6 pm. to 8:30 pm. Tours every 30 minutes.
Reservations are required.

Ghosts and Murder Mystery Tour - Charlottesville, VA

In 1904 the Mayor of Charlottesville and his wife were involved in a sensational murder. Step back in time, become the mayor and his wife and go through their fateful night. Experience the weeks that followed. See the house where it happened. Follow the trial at the historic courthouse. Who do you think committed the “Murder of the Century?” Was someone hanged by a spider's web? Along the way, enjoy reports of ghost sightings, flying candles, haunted rocking chairs and other fascinating morsels of Charlottesville history. It's all true. It's Reality Show—1904 style. “It's so much more than a ghost tour.” “Storytelling at its finest.”

Mark Nesbitt's Ghosts of Fredericksburg Tours - Fredericksburg, VA

From a past that stretches back to pre-Colonial times, to the horror of being the focal point of four major Civil War battles, it is no wonder that Fredericksburg has been called the most haunted city, per capita, in the United States. Combining history with mysterious tales of the still lurking dead, costumed guides conduct candlelight walking tours through historic downtown Fredericksburg, filling the evenings with folklore and ghostly tales.

Tours depart Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm from the downtown Fredericksburg Visitors Center parking lot. For tour schedules and information, visit www.ghostsoffredericksburg.com or call 540-710-3002.

Haunted Harrisonburg - Harrisonburg, VA

“Haunted Harrisonburg" was developed by Lisa N. Ha, a marketing program coordinator for James Madison University and volunteer for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. A Washington, D.C. native of Vietnamese decent, Ha credits her rich cultural heritage for her interest in the supernatural.

While doing research for the first haunted walking tour in 2007, Ha found that people felt similarly passionate about their ghosts in Harrisonburg. Tales of spirits and ghouls came pouring out from the community, and the best were included on the tour. Visit with some of Harrisonburg's usually unseen residents, including an early German settler protecting his home from a greedy relative, a famous Civil War spirit, and even a work-a-holic still manning the counter of a favorite downtown shop. Already a seasonal favorite, "Haunted Harrisonburg" captures the spirit (literally!) of downtown through different periods of its history.

Nighttime tours will be offered at 7pm and 9pm on October 2, 23, 24, 30 and 31. Cost for the approximately 1 hour walking tour is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12. All proceeds go to benefit downtown revitalization. Call 540-432-8935 for reservations.

“Hauntings” Walking Tours - Leesburg, VA

What makes the Loudoun Museum's once a year, nationally known tours unique is that the tours are permitted to actually enter some of haunted premises. You’ll be lead through historic Leesburg, Virginia to homes & businesses where costumed storytellers will relate the history and the ghostly tales of each place. “Once a year through the generosity of the property owners, we're able take the tours inside several of the haunted places. We have people coming from all over the country for this," says Peter Kelpinski, “Hauntings” founder and long-time member of the Loudoun Museum's Board of Trustees. “We have some sights that the stories need to be updated each year because new occurrences happen with in the past year.” Hear about the widow who fought to keep her house and has never left- she even helps with the housework; the Civil War Colonel who watches over the office staff during the day and many more spirits that do more than “go bump in the night!”
 
“In this fast paced video games, Ipod world, these tours are generally not appropriate for children under 10 years old,” adds Kelpinski, “We scare you the good old fashion way with the fine art of well-told ghost stories.”

These spirited one and 1/2 hour Tours leave from the Leesburg Town Hall every 15 minutes between 6:00 and 10:00PM both Friday, Oct. 23 & Saturday, Oct. 24.

Tickets can be purchased by mail, phone, or walk-in. Tickets are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door. Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended (advance sales begin Tuesday, September 8th and end Thursday, October 22nd). For more information about ticket sales or the event please call the museum at 703-777-7427 or email hauntings@loudounmuseum.org.

Haunts of Richmond - Richmond, VA

Your Ghost Host will guide you on a fascinating nighttime exploration of the Shockoe Bottom, Shockoe Slip and Capitol Hill areas of Richmond, where over 400 years of history have produced an ample share of those caught between this world and the next. Hear ten tales of the mysterious, tragic and downright terrifying things that have led to numerous reports of paranormal activity along the tour route including:
The Great Theatre Fire
Church Hill tunnel collapse
Civil War Hospitals
And many more...

Eerie Nights Ghost Tour - Richmond, VA

Capital Creepers LLC presents the "Eerie Nights" ghost tour, which leads visitors through Richmond's oldest neighborhood in search of restless spirits. Your ghoul guide will tell you all about the tragedies and paranormal activities that happened and still happen at each stop along the way. See such sites as the Haunted Capital and the dark canals of Richmond. Eerie Nights Ghost tour is like no other. There are no cheery tour guides to greet you here. We instead offer you our ghoul guides, a group of the walking dead in disturbing make-up and costumes, doomed to haunt the streets of Richmond and tell you all about its tragic past. Our tours are for mature audiences, but famalies are welcome. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Purchase ticket online at www.eerienights.com

Hunt Club Farm - VA Beach, VA

Have you ever met the Ghost of London Bridge Road? Haunted Hunt Club Farm will scare you. Three haunted attractions: The Village of the Dead, Field of Screams and the ghostly Haunted Hayride. All new this year is Krendl's Karnival of the macabre!!! Come on out to the farm for an evening of Halloween tradition. Grand Re-Opening is Friday, October 3rd, 2009. Please visit our website for event dates, tickets and information. www.huntclubfarm.com

Ghostly Tales And A Graveyard Trail - Shirley Plantation - N. of Williamsburg, VA

On October 31, 2009, at 5 P.M., “Aunt Pratt” will escort visitors to the Shirley Graveyard for a sunset tour. Mourning customs, ghost stories, and more will be shared with visitors during the walk along the river to the cemetery. This is the only time of the year when the family graveyard is available for viewing and the only scheduled appearance of “Aunt Pratt” from the spellbound regions. Martha Hill, known to the family as “Aunt Pratt,” was the daughter of Edward Hill III, 17th century owner of Shirley.

Strange sounds in the attic and a traveling and temperamental portrait of “Aunt Pratt” have spawned eerie tales of what goes bump in the night at Virginia's first plantation. “Aunt Pratt” has made such a name for herself with her becharming behavior that she is featured in Ghosts of Virginia, Vol. 1., written by L. B. Taylor and she is also featured in Spooky America, Four Real Ghost Stories, written by Lori Haskins.

For information, visit our website at www.shirleyplantation.com or call 1-800-232-1613.

Colonial Tours - Williamsburg, VA

Colonial Tours offers private Spooky Lantern tours for families through the very haunted streets of Williamsburg. Visitors hear about our ghosts (sightings almost every night) and true stories of pirates in our historic city who continue to haunt it during the dark of the night. It's fun for adults and children of all ages. All tours are private tours reserved weeks or months in advance. Visit the webpage for pricing, mention of some recent sightings and comments from our visitors who survived and were kind enough to write of their experience.

http://www.williamsburgprivatetours.com/ghost.htm

Haunted Tours of our Nation's Capital - Washington, DC

Washington D.C. has a storied and glorious past. The Capital is rich in history and monumental democratic achievements, but behind its gates and within its corridors a darker past is hidden. Conspiracies, crimes of passion, duels, and assassinations are some of the reasons that Washington's Lafayette Park is known to some as "Tragedy Square." On the Washington D.C. Ghost Tours your professional tour guide will lead you by lantern light to discover the true hauntings of the six apparitions witnessed at St. John's Church, the poltergeist of the Hay-Adams Hotel, and the legendary accounts of Lincoln's ghost within the White House. See for yourself why Washington D.C. is regarded as the nation's most haunted city.
DC Ghost Tours
(888) 844-3999
www.dcghosttours.com

Haunted Walking Tours - Louisville, KY

downtown Louisville during this 90 minute walking tour. Dressed in historic period costume, your lantern bearing guide will lead you through the dark mysteries and supernatural experiences of some of Louisville's most haunted landmarks including the Brennen House, the Old City Jail, and the Seelbach Hotel. This tour is appropriate for all ages and includes stories of the tragic spirit of the Lady In Blue, the Legend of the Stick Witch, and the mysterious apparition at the Palace Theater. During the 1/2 mile stroll discover a city that is rich in history and rich in spirits. Bring your camera along and hunt for ghost and orbs in your pictures!
Louisville Ghost Tours
(502) 339-5445
www.louisvilleghosttours.com

The Original Fell's Point Ghost Walk - Baltimore, MD

Picture Baltimore, Maryland, as it was, a rowdy seaport town, the home of famous philanthropists and aristocrats, privateers, and the birthplace of the sleek and dangerous clipper ship. Its streets full of sailors from foreign lands spilling off ships, immigrants anxious to start a new life, ladies of the night looking to make ends meet, and all the characters looking to make a living off the maritime industry. Given this explosive combination, is it any wonder that many ghosts and spirits remained behind? Join us under the cover of night for a guided tour of many haunted pubs, shops, and residences. But don't stray too far from the group because you never know when you'll find yourself face to face with the unknown.

Award winning haunted walking tour of Fell's Point in Baltimore, MD.
Tours: 7pm Fridays and Saturdays, March – end of November
Tickets: $13 Adults, $8 Kids under 12. On-site tickets $15 Adults, $10 kids under12. Visit-www.baltimoreghost tours.com for tickets, or call 1-877-Baltimore, M-F.

Departs: Outside of Max's Sidebar on the sidewalk, 735 S. Broadwayy, Baltimore, MD 21231

Spellbound Tours - Salem, MA

oin licensed ghost hunter and supernatural expert, Mollie Stewart, or her professionally trained ghost hunting investigators, for a nightly tour in search of the ghosts in Salem! We offer Salem’s ONLY authentic supernatural and paranormal tours. Our tour guides are also members of “Paranormal Investigators of New England”, a private company that researches and documents haunted sites.

On our “Vampire & Ghost Hunt Tour” in Salem we visit documented haunted locations that we have personally investigated, successfully capturing ghost images on film. We visit a haunted graveyard, an old, extremely haunted jail and the jail keeper’s house. We will take you to the site of the original “witch dungeon” from 1692, where those accused of witchcraft were incarcerated. We’ll also go by the house where the mysterious “woman in black” has made appearances for decades. And if time allows, we’ll stop by a notorious murder site from the 1830’s. We cannot enter these buildings as most of them are closed at night or privately owned. You will however have plenty of ghost photo opportunities at each location.

Ghosts of Gettysburg Tours - Gettysburg, PA

Over the years since the battle, stories of scores of sightings, stranger than reality, have emerged from the quaint houses and gentle fields in and around the town of Gettysburg: Stories of sightings of soldiers, moving again in battle lines, across the fields where they once marched. . . and died; whispers of a look at men long dead held eternally captive by duty.

 These apparitions -and more- come back to remind us, in one way or another that they are not to be forgotten for what they did here. . .

Armed with tales from Mark Nesbitt's Ghosts of Gettysburg book series - and with a few that aren't in the books - guides dressed in period attire take you on your choice of several evening walking tours through sections of town that were bloody battlefields.

The Ghosts of Gettysburg stories have been seen, and/or heard, on The History Channel, A&E, The Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, Unsolved Mysteries, Coast to Coast AM, regional television and radio programs, and in local newspapers and publications.

Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour - Philadelphia, PA

One Part History, Two Parts Haunt!™ Visit more than 20 scary sites to hear Philadelphia's haunted facts and folklore. Experience Philadelphia's monuments by moonlight. Travel the cobblestone streets of Old City to hear chilling stories about the Spirits of '76, featuring:

   Haunted Facts - Hear stories about the Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, who used to reside in Philadelphia and learn about Leo Callahan, the only prisoner to escape from Eastern State Penitentiary and never be captured!
                   
   Haunted Folklore - Learn about the legendary ghosts that inhabit Independence Hall, the spirits of Carpenters' Hall from a first person encounter, the dancing statue of Benjamin Franklin at Library Hall and paranormal Pine Street happenings.

    Haunted Movie Sets - See famous film locations from big screen thrillers  such as The Sixth Sense, Shooter, National Treasure and more!

Nashville's Original Haunted Tour - Nashville, TN

Nashville Ghost Tours have been exploring Music City's most haunted, historic sites since 2003.  The tours, written by the authors of Haunted Nashville, visit a variety of well documented haunts.  The original Haunted Downtown Tour leads guests to locales like the tombs of the State Capitol and the country music legends of the Ryman.  The Haunted Tavern Tour  is a social tour in which the guide takes the group through century-old pubs telling the haunted tales of each while guests are invited to partake in “spirits” of a different sort and play “haunted trivia” throughout the night for prizes.  The Horse-drawn Ghost Tour and new Cemetery Tour also available to satisfy your curiosity about the paranormal.  Find out for yourself why Nashville is regarded as the most haunted city in Tennessee.

Nashville Ghost Tours
(615) 884-3999
www.nashvilleghosttours.com

Founded in 1999 by Ghost Tours Of Galveston Creator Dash Beardsley, Ghost Tours of Galveston IS Galveston Island's first, foremost, and original haunted historical walking tour. This unique two hour tour combines history, mystery, ghost stories and legends taking you on a journey into Galveston's richly unknown past. The Great Storm of 1900 hurricane and the American Civil War Battle Of Galveston have left their rich haunted mark stained upon the white beaches of the Gulf shores.

Come view the Island as you have never seen it before! Those of you who have not had the rare privilege of traveling back in time with us are highly encouraged to do so! We are certain that even if you don't believe in spirits now, you may very well change your mind after walking the brick lined Haunted Streets of The Strand District. Our private tours are conducted by reservation only.

For the next public tour time call our Ghost Line (requiring no reservations) for information and public tour times 409-949-2027. For Private Ghost Tours and other information call the office line at 832-892-7419.

The Former West Virginia Penitentiary - Moundsville, WV

For over one hundred twenty-five years, the West Virginia Penitentiary housed the most violent criminals in the state and was once known as the bloodiest institution in the nation. Today the retired facility lends itself to historical and educational tours by day, and ghost hunts and night tours on weekend nights.

Families, groups and schools come to West Virginia's second oldest public building to experience the chilling past of being locked up behind cold iron bars, hear the stories of former inmates and their deaths, and see the artifacts left behind, like "Old Sparky", the electric chair used to execute nine inmates, an invitation to a public hanging, and officers uniforms, weapons, and much more!

The former West Virginia Penitentiary is located in the heart of the Ohio Valley, just south of Pittsburgh, PA and ninety minutes from Columbus, OH. It is a unique facility with a rich history and distinctive character.

Only by visiting the gothic-style fortress located in the heart of historic Moundsville, WV, will you be able to appreciate the expansive structure that took over 91 years to complete. Ninety minute Day Tours are conducted April through November, Tuesday through Sunday from 11am - 4pm.

More info at -  www.wvpentours.com

The Ghost Tours of Harper's Ferry - Harper's Ferry, WV

The Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry by "O' Be JoyFull" tour is an approximate 1 hour walking tour that takes you around several blocks of the historic "Lower Town" of Harpers Ferry to view a number of sites and buildings that have had ghostly phenonmenon report in, or around them, over the years. You will be told about the phenomenon that has, or is still occurring, as well as stories of both legends and historical events which may account for at least some of the phenomenon.

Although the stories may be considered to be a bit "spooky," the tour is appropriate for all age groups and most children are and have been perfectly fine with tour and it stories. The tour is not especially strenuous, though Harpers Ferry is not built on flat land either. Therefore, while you will not have to climb any stairs, unless you want to, you will have to walk up some streets that do go uphill.

The tours start promptly at 8:00 PM so you should arrive by 7:45 at The "O' Be JoyFull" Center. During October, there are two tours nightly, at 6:00 & 8:00 PM, and reservations are required.