Who doesn’t love a good ghost tour? Especially in Central Texas, where the ghouls and goblins are as rampant as cowboy boots and Tex-Mex! (Seriously, though.)
Thanks to the Austin area’s deep well of history, there’s no shortage of tales of local hauntings, and spirits run amok. In fact, the historic downtown Driskill Hotel, Austin’s first hospital, and the Texas State Capitol routinely make “Most Haunted Places in America” lists. The surrounding area is rife with ghost sightings, as well. San Antonio, New Braunfels, and San Marcos are home to plenty of local hauntings.
Of course, for the paranormal obsessed, there’s only one way to experience this ghostly Texas fun for yourself — by taking a ghost tour, of course! And if you have young kids, consider finding a babysitter or nanny to take care of them while you’re out getting spooked.
Check out our picks for the top 10 ghost tours in Austin and Central Texas. (Just don’t blame us if you have trouble falling asleep afterward!)
Austin Ghost Tours
Address: Starting locations vary | View the Walking Tours schedule here.
Hours: Visit the Walking Tours page for more details.
Phone: 512-853-9826
Fees: Adults, $20 | Kids 7 and under, free
Austin Ghost Tours offers two hair-raising adventures that are sure to spook and pique your interest in local history! Choose either the Ghosts of the Capitol – Old Pecan Street or Ghosts of the Warehouse District. Both are 90 minutes long and contain thrilling (and rather scary) tales of Austin’s past. Austin Ghost Tours has been featured in several national publications and TV spots, so rest assured that you’ll be getting a quality experience here.
Silverghost Tours
Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205
Hours: Open daily, 9 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Phone: 210-215-2172
Fees: Adults, $18 | Kids 6 and under, free (Student & military discounts offered)
Just an hour’s drive from Austin, San Antonio is routinely thought to be one of the most haunted places in America. And Silverghost Tours is a great, super-personalized look at the most fascinating ghost stories in the area. For the last seven years, local Randy Felts has led thousands of ghost hunters on the famed Ghost & Legends of San Antonio Tour. Randy is a fabulous and energetic storyteller, and his guiding talents and insider knowledge alone are worth the price of the tour.
Ghost City: Ghosts of Old San Antonio Tour
Address: Contact Ghost City for more details on starting locations.
Hours: Check out the Contact page for more info.
Phone: 888-859-5375
Fees: Ages 12+, $19.95
Featuring two super-spooky tour options — the Ghosts of Old San Antonio Tour and the Demonic Doings Tour — Ghost City truly delivers the thrills. The former is an in-depth look into the most haunted locations in San Antonio (including the Alamo, of course), while the latter focuses on the demonic activity and hauntings that have occurred in the city over the years. Ghost City’s tours are decidedly not for the faint of heart!
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours
Address: 204 Alamo Plaza, Ste. T, San Antonio, TX 78205
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Phone: 210-638-1338
Fees: Prices vary, click here for more details
Not feeling up for a walk, but still want to partake in some ghoulish fun? Try the Ghost Bus Tour with Sisters Grimm! On the Ghost Bus, you’ll visit a historic cemetery and the Menger Hotel, in addition to all the other famed haunted sites in town. Of course, you could always opt for a regular walking tour with Sisters Grimm. Their Haunted History Walk is tons of fun and very family-friendly. Guides will escort you through old San Antonio while telling spooky tales by candlelight.
RJA Ghost Tours
Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205
Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. – midnight
Phone: 800-407-1704
Fees: Adults, $15 for adults | Kids ages 6-10, $10
Join in the spooky fun with RJA Ghost Tours! Take your pick from tours in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and San Patricio. Or, better yet, check out RJA’s Paranormal Investigation Experience. (That is, if you’re brave enough!) Seriously, if you’ve ever wanted to take part in a tried-and-true paranormal investigation, this is definitely an interactive and awesome experience worth having.
Haunted ATX
Address: 501 Interstate 35, Austin, TX 78702
Hours: Monday – Thursday & Sunday, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Phone: 737-210-1869
Fees: Regular tickets, $45 | VIP, $99
Haunted ATX is the only haunted mobile tour of Austin — because why hoof it around town when you can ride in style… in a hearse? Grab some friends and family members, climb into a classic Cadillac hearse, and prepare to see the historically spooky sights of Austin from a whole different vantage point. Haunted ATX will take you to the scariest spots in the city, where you’ll learn some super-fascinating facts. And you won’t even need to leave the vehicle. Talk about a spook-tacular good time!
Bad Wolf Ghost Tours
Address: Click here for a full list of starting locations.
Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Phone: 805-757-0512
Fees: Ticket prices vary | Click here for tours and pricing.
Is a ghost walk throughout San Antonio’s most haunted sights your thing? Does a haunted pub crawl sound like it’s more up your alley? Or do you want to tour the world-famous Victoria’s Black Swan Inn? (The inn is featured on several paranormal TV shows and is considered to be one of the most haunted places in Texas!) Whatever kind of ghost tour you’re after, you can bet that Bad Wolf Ghost Tours is the place to offer it.
New Braunfels Ghost Tours
Address: 129 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX
Hours: For hours and booking dates, click here.
Phone: 830-221-5221
Fees: $20
New Braunfels is rich in local history and spine-tingling tales! And New Braunfels Ghost Tours is the perfect way to experience this haunted, history-laden area. During the 90-minute tour, you’ll learn tons of fun facts, beginning with a brief intro of what New Braunfels was like thousands of years ago during the days of the region’s Native Americans. If you’re a history buff and a ghost fiend, this tour will definitely hit all of your sweet spots.
Alamo City Ghost Tours
Address: 307 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Phone: 210-336-7831
Fees: $25
Voted one of the best ghost tours in the country by Trip Advisor, Alamo City Ghost Tours is the real deal. Listen to bloodcurdling tales of San Antonio’s past as you scour the city for ghosts. And we do mean scour — the guides even bring along ghost-hunting equipment for each person on the tour! This informative and wholly entertaining tour is perfect for both parents and kids. Don’t forget your camera!
Austin Bat Segway Tour
Address: 1108 Lavaca St., Ste. 100, Austin, TX 78701
Hours: Check out this page for more info.
Phone: 512-663-9634
Fees: Contact Austin Bat Segway for more details
If you’re not getting a little weird and funky when you’re in Austin, when can you? And the Austin Bat Segway Tour is nothing if not weird — not to mention the perfect way to spend a night leading up to Halloween! This super-popular tour takes you downtown to the Congress Avenue Bridge to check out the infamous bat colony that takes flight every night, in addition to scoping out the apparitions at the Austin Club and the Moonlight Towers. If you want your ghosts with a side of weird, this Segway tour is in order!
Did we list all your favorite ghost tours in Austin? Let us know in the comments below!
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