ghost tours annapolis

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Annapolis Ghost Tours: Locally Owned & Operated for more than 22 years!

RESERVE GHOST TOURS!

Discover the Best of Ghosts of Annapolis with Our Sightseeing Tours

Welcome to the #1, ORIGINAL, and best-rated Ghost Tours in Annapolis!

Tours depart from the front porch of the Maryland Inn, 

top of Main St. at Church Circle.

We offer the ONLY tours created and authorized by 

"Haunted Annapolis" author, and local historian Mike Carter!

Annapolis Tours & Crawls has been thrilling guests for over 22 years and is consistently rated as the "Best Downtown Tour" and among the best ghost tours in the nation! Come and join us!

Advanced Reservations Required!

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Join us for an unforgettable evening at our Victorian Murder Mystery Dinner , held on select dates Also check out our brand new Oak Grove Cemetery Tour , held on select dates!

Annapolis Ghost Tour

Journey down Annapolis’s blood-stained path with Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours and walk in the ghostly footsteps of those whose gruesome ends play out in the historic streets of this tortured town.

Join our Annapolis ghost tour to explore the dark underbelly of the Athens of America, where the spirits of the city’s tortured past lie in wait, ready to reveal themselves to the living.

Why You Need to Take an Annapolis Ghost Tour

Pirates, bootleggers, and violent villains own the Annapolis nights, exposing the living to the devilish deeds that condemned them to spend eternity reliving their wicked pasts. Known as the “Sailing Capital of The U.S.,” the journey to becoming the city you see today was anything but smooth waters. Uncover the terrifying truths behind some of Annapolis’s most iconic landmarks, including the city’s most haunted house, The James Brice House. Prepare for a night of chills and thrills with an Annapolis ghost tour with Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours as you explore the dark underbelly of this monumental town and uncover the secrets that stalk the darkest corners, waiting to be revealed.

Ryan was awesome and super friendly! Ryan was very knowledgeable. We loved them as our your guide! Definitely would book with them again!

Great tour! Spirited Nan was the best! I loved the history and stories she shared.

Wonderful, fun and informative tour of ghostly residences in Annapolis!

GHOSTS OF ANNAPOLIS

Embark on an Annapolis ghost tour to come face to face with the hauntings of its colonial past

CRABTOWN GHOSTS BOOS AND BOOZE: HAUNTED PUB CRAWL

Enjoy some liquid courage while hearing ghostly tales of Annapolis' most historic haunts and drinking hotspots.

Why is Annapolis So Haunted?

Annapolis has old roots, dating back to 1694, when it became the Maryland capital. During the revolution, it was a city on par with Boston or Philadelphia — thriving, full of beautiful homes and important people. But behind those ornate doors was a dark world of violence and betrayal, a world that you’ll learn all about on our Annapolis ghost tour.

By the end of the Revolution, as our young country was getting settled, Annapolis began to lose some spark. The arrival of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1865 brought some success to the city, but it was mostly too late. Fast forward another century, and those gorgeous Georgian homes were boarded up and crumbling. Preservation committees stepped in to save the local architecture, but with the revivals came some haunted spirits that had been in hiding for hundreds of years.

During those dark decades in Annapolis’s history, the harbor was a source of light for some but a dark cloud for many others. Many enslaved people were brought to the United States through Annapolis’s port and were chained to places like the James Brice House. At the Brice House, one of our stops and the most haunted location in the city, a terrible history lies at the heart of darkness for Annapolis.

Because of its location on the water, those aren’t the only spirits haunting Annapolis; since the Revolution, colonial specters have mingled with the living. As they wait for a ship that will never come, these ghosts toil at spots throughout the city. From former Revolutionaries or British troops to Civil War soldiers and other unwilling participants in Annapolis’s history, there’s no shortage of stories. To learn more about the spooky past of Annapolis, reserve your spot on our Annapolis ghost tour today!

Why should you tour with us ?

As fascinating as it is to see popular destinations like the Waterfront Warehouse and the Crypt of John Paul Jones while visiting Annapolis, you’re only scratching a surface of the city’s past when you choose to ignore its haunted history. Every nook and cranny of this colonial-era town is oozing with chilling mysteries and dark truths that can only be uncovered during an authentic, historically-accurate ghost tour. On this tour, you’ll be able to encounter some of the area’s famous ghoulish inhabitants. You might be able to hear the haunting last breaths of an innocent murder victim, or even the sound of a ghost singing a quiet lullaby, plus other unbelievable stories you won’t find on your typical walking tour.

Let’s be honest: we’ve all been sucked into a gripping ghost or true crime podcast at some point in recent years. Why not take your expertise to the next level by traveling to some of these haunted locations in real life? Ditch your cell phone and join us as we experience firsthand the sites of some of the internet’s spookiest viral stories. Multiple stops on this tour have been visited by ghost hunters, travel show hosts, and yes, even podcasters…and for good reason. Even though you can certainly learn a lot from your favorite podcasts, there’s something truly thrilling about actually seeing the settings of these disturbing real-life events in-person — not from the screen of your iPhone.

Who says date nights can’t be daring? If you and your significant other are sick of your same old wine, roses, dinner and a movie routine, switch things up with one of Ghosts of Annapolis’s curated one-hour tours. It’s a great way to spend a night out for any couple looking to learn something new, or just bond over the adrenaline-rushing experience of seeing some of Annapolis’ most haunted sites firsthand. Plus, there’s plenty of perks to planning a ghost tour date for your next romantic outing even if you get scared, like the fact that there’s always someone — or something — closeby to hold your hand.

Annapolis offers plenty of activities to do during the day. But what should you do at night? If you’re looking to keep your busy day in the capital city going even after the sun sets, look no further than one of our expertly-researched ghost tours. Our tour offers a different kind of night scene, though it still visits some of the city’s liveliest pubs, some of which haven’t been able to get rid of their gholish residents for hundreds of years. Join us on a bar crawl not meant for the faint of heart, as a tour guide walks you to some of Annapolis’ most haunted taverns. Learn the stories of the spirits that haunt Reynolds Tavern, which is said to have been a favorite of founding father George Washington. Unravel the mystery of Galway Bay Irish Pub and Bar, and listen for the sound of a long-dead man’s footsteps running upstairs. There’s endless late night history to be learned — even after last call.

You’re a unique traveler looking to branch off from the typical tourist destinations Annapolis has to offer. So why miss out on some of Annapolis’ most legendary tales? Learn the terrifying history that locals have passed on for hundreds of years by going on an adrenaline-rushing adventure unlike anything else this historic city has to offer. Wow your friends and family back home with your impressive knowledge of the area’s haunted history, and even make some bone-chilling memories of your own as a souvenir. But don’t worry — if you’re also looking for magnets, tee shirts, and postcards, there’s plenty of gift shops along the way. Because even non-traditional tourists deserve a memento from their travels.

You can’t talk about the Chesapeake area without talking about pirates. Pirates ran rampant in the Chesapeake and eastern Atlantic for hundreds of years, with some of the most famous having frequented the city of Annapolis back in the day. Some of these swashbuckling pirates include Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, and Scottish Captain William Kidd. There’s even said to be secret pirate treasure buried on Gibson Island just north of the city — though it has yet to be found. On our tour, you might not find gold, but you will learn all about Hell Point, where for decades sailors have reported seeing the ghastly apparitions of pirates’ skeletons dangling in the cages they were placed in after they were caught.

Did you know scientists at Princeton University may have proven the existence of ghosts?

Researchers at Princeton University have been studying paranormal phenomena in a scientific context for almost 30 years, through a department called “PEAR”. It stands for “Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research”. PEAR is a scientific study of consciousness-related physical phenomena.

Have you ever had a terrible tour guide? Someone who wasn't very likable, wasn't very knowledgeable, didn't have a good command of the group, was boring and unengaging?

Not our tour Guides! They are the best. They will make a believer out of you. Not just in ghosts, but in how awesome a properly guided tour can be. Our guides take their role seriously - they are guiding you through 300 years of history, in places that have been evidently haunted, almost weekly, since they were discovered.

Have you ever heard of a “memory palace”? It's a technique used by memory athletes to remember fantastic amounts of information with perfect recall, in a short period of time. What you do is, you associate different imagery and stories with different features of locations you're familiar with (like different rooms in your house).

If you've only got a couple days in town, maybe you're with your significant other, or maybe you're with your friends, or even your whole family, and you're spending your precious paid time off here in Williamsburg, so that every move you make counts… then you simply must come visit us.

Did you know the hormones our bodies release when we're thrilled have an influence on attraction? It's why roller-coasters make such a great first date. This has been studied over and over, but it's worth repeating here. If you're taking someone on a date, and you're looking to have a lot of fun together, or to increase attraction for each other, it's a good idea to find something that gets the blood pumping. The best activities are even a little scary, like a roller coaster. Or a haunted old church.

What is it worth to take a trip with your family that actually brings everyone together, even if it's just for an hour or two? Family vacations can be stressful, and sometimes it can be a real pain to get everyone to get into the spirit doing the same thing, without whining or eyes rolling. And how many memories do we really get to have fun reminiscing over as the years pass?

US Ghost Adventure tours are the real deal. One of the first things you'll notice, that makes us different than the other ghost tours in town, is we don't walk the traditional paths. And we don't use silly costumes or lanterns. Why? Because we only walk the paths of the stories we have fact-checked and verified. We explore real haunted sites across the U.S.

US Ghost Adventure tours are easy to fit into most schedules, because we run late in the evening. We have different start times in the evening to choose from, including with ghost tours starting at 8pm and 9pm, and the Ultimate tour at 10pm. Finally, at 90-125 minutes long, you can almost always find a tour that fits your schedule.

This is our favorite. Not long ago, a pop-science article was published that claimed the Large Hadron Collider at CERN had debunked ghosts. In reality, a scientist named Brian Cox mused that if there were a medium that could preserve a person (something like a 'soul'), he believes he would have seen evidence of it in his particle physics work.

Most Haunted Places in Annapolis, MD

James Brice House

Known by many as the most haunted house in Annapolis, the James Brice House has some of the grisliest history you’ll find in any city.

Middleton Tavern

Famous revolutionary figures may have frequented the Middleton Tavern, but they aren’t the ghostly figures you’ll find walking its halls.

The Maryland Inn

Arguably the most haunted hotel in the state, eerie events throughout the years make the Maryland Inn home to ghosts from nearly every period.

View our Refund Policy on this page if you have any questions!

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

Please do not call us, the best way to reach us is by email using the contact form on this website

An extended tour takes you to a few additional locations when the regular tour ends. This adds about four new places and 30 minutes to your tour- highly recommended

Book a tour and check the +1 box for each person in your group where it says “Extended Tour” at checkout to add an extended Ghost tour.

Please contact us directly for pricing and availability. We do not do private tours under 30 persons. If you have a group under 30, please order directly from the website’s book now option.

Tours are held rain or shine. We will contact you if the tour is cancelled.

Please only attend the tour for the day and time you are booked, as another day or time may not be available. If you need to reschedule, please contact us by email first. There is a $10 per order (not person) rebooking fee for each schedule change.

As it is unfair to other guests, we do not wait for late or no show parties. Please remember to arrive to the correct location on time! We do not grant refunds to guests who fail to arrive to the appointed place on time and miss their tour.

No, but some of the locations you can visit during the day for free. We simply wouldn’t have the time to focus on as many stories as we do if we were to enter each one, and we wish to focus on the stories, and leave the exploring up to you!

15 minutes before the start of your tour

No, this is a walking tour.

Most of the tour is not stroller or wheelchair accessible.

Yes, you are welcome to take photos of the locations we visit!

No, videos are not allowed

No, there is no smoking allowed on the tour

We do not allow intoxicated guests or drinking on the tour- we will promptly ask those in violation to leave

Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours

America’s most infamously haunted house delivers the most terrifying scares from all across the nation. We’ve compiled an extensive list of notoriously haunted locations and packaged them into spooky, entertaining tours available throughout the nation. Discover the true, unfiltered stories that created these hair-raising scares in only the unique and engaging way our expert guides can bring them to you. From the ghosts of unsolved murders and tragic accidents to disturbed spirits unable to find peace, there’s no limit to what we expose on our authentic ghost tours. Join us as we take you on an unforgettable, chilling journey through your city’s dark past and uncover the sinister secrets that put these places on the otherworldly map. The Lizzie Borden House is home to the infamous murders that captivated the nation and made Lizzie Borden a macabre household name. Guests can explore the house via a variety of tours and, for those brave enough, stay in this notoriously haunted home. We aim to provide you with a memorable experience as well as deliver the best ghost tours, haunted pub crawls, and a variety of other experiences in over 100 cities.

Fake News in Fall River

The murders of Fall River's Andrew and Abby Borden were front-page news in the autumn of 1892. How could a young woman such as Lizzie have allegedly committed such heinous acts? The crime enveloped the town that year, drawing in speculation and myst ... Read More

Posted 11.15.2021

Methodists and Millgirls – Fall River’s First Unsolved Murder

The main stretch of Fall River. Source: Wikimedia Commons Fall River and Lizzie Borden go together hand-in-hand. Even if you’re not a Fall River native, just hearing the town’s name is enough to send chills down your spine. But the Lizzi ... Read More

Oak Grove Cemetery

All cemeteries have some haunting, and there's no exception for the Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River, Massachusetts.  This cemetery, however, has good reason to be haunted.  And haunted, it most certainly is. History of Oak Grove Cemete ... Read More

Posted 09.29.2021

Lizzie Borden’s Maplecroft Mansion

Lizzie Borden's Maplecroft Mansion was home to the alleged axe murderer for nearly 35 years after being acquitted for murdering her parents. It's believed that her spirit hangs on in her beloved home, as well as the home she lived across town whe ... Read More

Posted 09.21.2021

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Annapolis haunted pub crawl.

Join us for a Crabtown Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl to discover just what makes Annapolis so haunted, washed down with a glass of liquid courage at some of the most exciting pubs the city has to offer.

Order a Dark and Stormy and sip your way through an adults-only haunted pub crawl through the historic taverns and eerie locations of downtown Annapolis.

(based on 59,258 reviews) Read Reviews

Ryan was awesome and super friendly! Ryan was very knowledgeable. We loved them as our your guide! Definitely would book with them again!

Great tour! Spirited Nan was the best! I loved the history and stories she shared.

Wonderful, fun and informative tour of ghostly residences in Annapolis!

BOOK YOUR ANNAPOLIS HAUNTED PUB CRAWL TONIGHT!

Crabtown Ghosts Boos and Booze: Haunted Pub Crawl

On our Crabtown Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl tour, we’ll share the city’s most haunted tales as we make our way through our spine-tingling locations and beloved watering holes. What better way to prepare yourself for terrifying ghost stories than with liquid courage?

Crawl Meeting Location: Outside of Middleton Tavern at 2 Market Space, Annapolis, MD

Starting Time: 5:45PM

Adults-Only Pub Crawl: You must be 21 or over. ID required.

Pet Policy: Pets are not permitted on the pub crawl.

Alcohol Policy: You may carry drinks between bars.

Why Choose Crabtown Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl

]On the Crabtown Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl tour, you’ll uncover the city’s most haunted tales as we make our way through our spine-tingling locations and beloved watering holes. What better way to prepare yourself for terrifying ghost stories than with liquid courage?

Here are a few reasons to book your Annapolis haunted pub crawl tonight!

• You want to have a drink in Annapolis’s most haunted bar, the Middleton Tavern.
• You’ve experienced the historic side of Annapolis and are ready to explore the party side.
• You want a fun way to explore Annapolis.
• You want to explore the otherworldly side of Annapolis but need a little liquid courage to do it. 
• You have a night away from the kids!

You May Also Be Interested In

Phantoms of Annapolis Ghost Tour

Join us to reveal the obscured and grisly history of Annapolis’ Puritan roots. Encounter the ghosts of bloodthirsty pirates, who once raided the area’s lively ports in search of treasure, unaware that their pursuits would eventually lead to their grim demise.

Tour Meeting Location: Middleton Tavern at 2 Market Space, Annapolis, MD

Tour Times: Daily at 8PM

Tour Length: 1 hour across a 1-mile

Ghost tours are held nightly, rain or shine!

Crabtown Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl

Take a Boo's and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl for genuine stories, scares, and delicious drinks in the historic district, with up to 2 hours of ghostly fun with the city's spirits and Spirits.

Tour Meeting Location: Outside of Middleton Tavern at 2 Market Space, Annapolis, MD

Tour Times: 5:45PM

Tour Length: Approximately 2 hours

Where You'll Go

Middleton Tavern

A tidy colonial tavern that was once frequented by the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Annapolis’ Middleton Tavern is now visited by another type of guest...one that will never leave. The tavern’s employees tell of a meddlesome Revolutionary-era spirit who puffs clouds of cigar smoke and throws plates when agitated. As for other entities inhabiting the 266-year-old tavern, who can rightly say who they are? With so many years of history to parse through, the shadowy figures seen frequenting the bar could be anyone — and you could meet them yourselves on our tour.

Galway Bay Irish Restaurant and Pub

Galway Bay Irish Restaurant was formed by two separate buildings that were connected in the early 20th century. There are two ghosts that are said to haunt this building, one in the basement and the other in the second-floor storage rooms, each with their own tragic tale forever binding them to the pub. What both spirits have in common is that both are audible to employees, whether they hear a sweet greeting or mournful tune of the girl in the basement or the terrifying scuffle of two men locked in an eternal struggle that only ends in doom.

Reynolds Tavern

Reynolds Tavern has been a fixture of Annapolis since the 1700s when it was opened by William Reynolds and run by himself and his wife Mary. In life and in death, Mary ran a tight ship at the tavern, ensuring total cleanliness both in physical appearance and in patrons’ language. Today, her spirit lingers over the tavern, making sure that it is running up to her standards with dire consequences if she is disobeyed. Mary’s rule enforcing isn’t just for the staff — tavern goers must make sure to watch their language during their time at Reynolds Tavern or Mary will be sure to admonish her in her signature style.

Historic Ghost Tour

Dates available.

May - September Friday & Saturday 8pm

Upcoming Dates

Description.

Follow our spirited guide through the timeless narrow streets of this old and creaky town. Stopping at spooky spots, you'll hear stories told with dramatic zeal of those that have passed. You will visit sites that still to this day have unexplained phenomena. Your last destination will be the old St. Anne’s cemetery. Join Watermark’s period-attired guides for four centuries of suspenseful and intriguing documented occurrences on this Annapolis ghost tour. We spook you with stories, not screams!

Check out Special Historic Hauntings – our October ghost tour special!

Departure Location

188 Main Street Annapolis, MD 21401

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Home > Historic > Calendar of Events > Special Historic Hauntings with Watermark Tours

Special Historic Hauntings with Watermark Tours

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Location: Tours depart from 188 Main Street

Time: 7:30 pm (EDT) - 9:10 pm (EDT)

Watermark’s spirited guide will lead you through the dark alleys, spooky side streets, and lesser-known haunted sites of the old and creaky town of Annapolis. Hear from real diary entries and newspaper articles of what frightened early 18th-century folks. Also included is a stop inside historic Hogshead, where you will be immersed in the tales of those living in Annapolis during the Revolutionary War. Listen to stories of spirits that linger in the mist, and explore one of Annapolis’ best-known cemeteries. Special Historic Hauntings takes you back to a time of superstition and legend. And who knows, after a trip inside Hogshead, your own story may be added to the history of Annapolis!

Walk-up tickets are limited! We encourage you to reserve tickets online ahead of time. Additional tours may be offered at 8 pm; please check Watermark’s website for times .

Cost: $26 Adult; $15 Child

Add to Calendar 30/10/2024 35 Special Historic Hauntings with Watermark Tours Tours depart from 188 Main Street DD/MM/YYYY

HOME OF THE ORIGINAL "ANNAPOLIS GHOST TOURS"... OPEN YEAR ROUND! FUN FOR ALL AGES!

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pub crawls & tavern tours

Haunted pub crawls of historic annapolis: 2-hrs.

Ghost stories, haunted pubs and drinks! We are the only regional pub crawls taking guest inside to hear our tales! Visiting 3 bars, you'll spend 30 mins at each, then it's on the next bar...you may also make a few haunted stops along the way! Please see our Pub Crawl FAQ's for more info.

twisted history tavern tour: 2-hrs

Murder, mayhem, sex, scandal and local history! Come out drinking and touring to learn Annapolis' sordid past! Visit 3 bars and a few outdoor stops on a leisurely walk through historic Downtown Annapolis. You'll spend between 30 mins at each...then on to the next bar!  Please see our Pub Crawl FAQ's for more info.

Copyright © 2024 Annapolis Ghost Tours & Crawls - All Rights Reserved.

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Big Ghost is coming for Mom and Pop Ghost — and winning tour tickets

Longtime ghost tours in baltimore and annapolis says customers are confused by similarly named offerings from a national brand.

Baltimore Ghost Tours has received eerie calls and reviews since 2021.

“We are trying to find out where this ghost tour is. Nobody’s answering the goddamn phone to let us know after we spent almost $100 for this tour,” one angry caller said.

From another: “I haven’t received any information on whether or not I got the tickets, or if the purchase was accepted or anything.”

The voicemails, reviewed by The Baltimore Banner, were from people looking for a Baltimore ghost tour — but not the Baltimore Ghost Tours business that Amy Lynwander and Melissa Rowell have run since 2001. The angry messages were meant for the Baltimore ghost tour that’s owned and operated by the national brand, US Ghost Adventures. Both hit the ghostly highlights of Fells Point.

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Lynwander and Rowell aren’t the only locals being haunted by US Ghost Adventures. Mike Carter, who has owned Annapolis Tours and Crawls since 2002, says the national brand has also troubled his business in the capital city’s historic downtown. And the same thing may be happening in Frederick.

US Ghost Adventures operates ghost tours and pub crawls in more than 100 cities across the country and owns some high-profile spooky sites like the Lizzie Borden House, home of the infamous 1892 double killing in Fall River, Massachusetts.

But the way the company identifies and markets itself in some cities is so similar to that of longer-running local ghost tours that customers become confused and online reviews get blended and assigned incorrectly, owners say.

“We have to constantly put the message out there that we’re Baltimore Ghost Tours,” Rowell said. “Baltimoreghosttour.com is our URL, and we also have that as a trademark. But it doesn’t stop people from using it.”

US Ghost Adventures is owned by Lance Zaal, who describes himself on his website as a former Marine and an entrepreneur who enjoys “transforming ideas into reality.” He started his current tourism business in 2018 with Colonial Ghosts in Williamsburg, Virginia, and has expanded rapidly, reaching into Maryland roughly five years ago.

He has been met with pushback from existing tour companies over the years.

“There’s typically an operator that was already there and they get really upset that they have competition,” Zaal said. “They feel threatened and so they tend to lash out and attack the competition.”

Earlier this year, Carter noticed US Ghost Adventures’ presence in Annapolis and entered a standoff with the national brand. First it operated in Annapolis under the name Crabtown Ghosts, before changing it to Phantoms of Annapolis Ghost Tour and then Ghosts of Annapolis — all within months.

That’s too close for Carter’s comfort. His company previously used the name Annapolis Ghost Tours, which he started more than 20 years ago.

“They literally sneak in in the dead of night and do this,” Carter said.

Out of frustration, Carter said, he started posting complaints about Zaal and US Ghost Adventures on his company’s website in April. That website depicts tombstones of past competitors, including tour names that US Ghost Adventures has used.

Carter also created a website called USA Ghost Adventures to support local tour operations across the country.

A lawyer for US Ghost Adventures sent a letter to Carter claiming he was using “false and defamatory statements” and painting Zaal and the company as “a villain.”

The “market for guided tours is robust enough to handle multiple market participants,” according to the letter, reviewed by The Banner.

After the United Nations’ intellectual property agency ruled on Zaal’s complaint this fall, Carter’s USA Ghost Adventures website now redirects to Zaal’s US Ghost Adventures.

Local ghost tours, in Baltimore and other cities, want to stifle competition, Zaal said. Competition isn’t the problem, Rowell said, customer confusion is.

“I could care less if there’s competition; that’s the American way,” Rowell said. “They’re welcome to give ghost tours, give them all day, but don’t try to convince people that you’re us. That’s all I ask. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

Reviews for tours they didn’t do — they only have walking tours on Fridays and Saturdays — and for guides they didn’t hire, on top of the voicemails and emails they’ve received, prove to Rowell and Lynwander that something is amiss.

Under US Ghost Adventures’ control, the Google business page has Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point listed as the address for Baltimore Ghost Tours.

“We 100% never allowed them [US Ghost Adventures] to use our address,” said Gail Furman, co-owner of Max’s Taphouse.

Lynwander and Rowell’s tours also start near the entrance of the bar, but they’ve never used its address online.

The fight for control of the Google business pages triggered the mixing of reviews and other information between the national brand’s Baltimore offering and the longer-running local company’s.

Zaal said local companies have sought to remove US Ghost Adventures’ Google business listing altogether.

“They tried many times to take over and remove our Google business listing and it failed,” Zaal said.

Lynwander and Rowell have tried to get US Ghost Adventures to change the name of their Baltimore tour. The duo has owned the trademark for Baltimore Ghost Tours in Maryland and federally since 2007 and 2016, respectively.

Lynwander and Rowell, Furman of Max’s Taphouse and Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen have appealed to Google — for almost a year — to get the search engine to stop associating Max’s and Baltimore Ghost Tours with the national brand.

Google even gave control of Baltimore Ghost Tours’ business page to US Ghost Adventures — a situation that ended just last week.

Similar customer- and online-confusion disputes between US Ghost Adventures and local ghost tour operators have erupted in Orlando, Florida; Phoenix; Providence, Rhode Island; Newport, Rhode Island; San Diego; and Austin, Texas, according to a report by The Herald News in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Zaal said search engine optimization, the practice of using specific keywords to help businesses and content rank higher on search pages, goes into the naming of his tours.

US Ghost Adventures also lists a tour in Frederick on its website. Maryland Heritage Tours has led historic district ghost tours in Frederick for 25 years. Ron Angleberger, the local tour operator, said he is aware that the national brand is in town.

Zaal’s strategy has been to deny claims from local business owners that he is infringing on their trademarks. Yet — in an ironic twist — last year he sued a business owner in Massachusetts for opening a coffee shop with a name he said was too similar to his Lizzie Borden House.

He bought the property in 2021, restored it and now uses it as a museum and bed-and-breakfast for overnight stays in one of America’s “most haunted houses.”

But when Miss Lizzie’s Coffee opened up next door, Zaal and US Ghost Adventures claimed Joseph Pereira, the coffee shop owner, was infringing on its trademark. A judge denied US Ghost Adventures’ request for a preliminary injunction, saying the name Lizzie refers to the story and not the business run by Zaal.

Zaal has filed an appeal.

For the Marylanders, Zaal’s legal tactic in Massachusetts seems awfully familiar.

“They’re just buying time and hoping that you get bored or run out of money because they know these are small, little companies owned by locals,” Carter said, “and they’re not big moneymakers.”

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Bria Overs is a business reporter at The Baltimore Banner. She covers small business and consumer and economic trends, with a special interest in minority- and women-owned businesses, technology and labor. She previously worked at Business Insider, Word In Black and contributed to local publications in Los Angeles, her hometown.

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Halloween is almost here. Time to get spooked and bring history to life on a ghost tour

WASHINGTON – On a chilly October night, a few brave souls gathered under the light of the fall’s first full moon in the heart of the nation’s capital. 

The gaggle of Midwestern tourists was awaiting Anna Surratt, whose mother was hanged as an accomplice in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Though Surratt – much like her mother – is long dead, she emerged from the darkness wearing a long, hooded cloak and carrying a lantern to guide the group around Capitol Hill to the spots haunted by her fellow spirits.

Surratt, played by theater actress Victoria Sova, recounted gruesome tales of deaths that took place in and around the country's most vaunted and historic sites.

Taking a ghost tour in the nation's capital brings added resonance and renown to what has become an American pastime: getting spooked at Halloween. Among the ghosts still haunting Washington: Lincoln , who has been spotted wandering the corridors at the White House, as has his 11-year-old son, Willie , who died there in 1862 from typhoid fever. At the U.S. Capitol, where John Quincy Adams suffered a fatal stroke after voting against a resolution, his ghost can be heard late at night yelling "No!" and a feline apparition known as Demon Cat often appears to frighten people in the basement.

At midnight on Halloween, Sova herself said she saw the cat with piercing green eyes racing toward the Supreme Court, a site also reportedly haunted by the phantoms of Confederate prisoners of war.

The true believers like Sova who lead ghost tours here and across the country say the spooky strolls aren’t just a good way to send a chill down your spine at Halloween, they also teach real local history and boost tourism at sometimes overlooked historic sites. And while ghost tour guides can’t guarantee everyone will encounter a spirit – though they say many have – guides promise to provide an entertaining evening for believers and skeptics alike.

Death befells all, and Sova warned the tourists gathered in Washington one recent night they may not survive the night. They might suffer the same ghastly fate as those doomed to haunt stops on the tour.

“Whoever dies on the hill, stays on the hill,” she warned.

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How ghost tours became America's haunted hobby

Paranormal tourism has long been a manifestation of America's fascination with the macabre, according to Rachael Ironside , an associate professor at Robert Gordon University who studies dark tourism. She said the industry traces its roots back to the rise of spiritualism in the late 19th century when many Americans took an interest in seances and mediums, and the first paranormal research centers were founded.

By the early 2000s, Ironside said, supernatural television shows that featured ordinary people exploring haunted places like " Ghost Hunters " helped give rise to the modern ghost tour. Frankie Harris said it was around that time he and his wife Kim decided to launch their ghost tour company, Amerighost Tours , in Nashville.

At the time, Harris recalled, so few people knew what ghost tours were that he was once stopped by a police officer who wanted to know why he was telling ghost stories outside a church so late at night. Over the past two decades, they've expanded to Louisville, Kentucky, and Washington and participants have grown more devoted.

“People that do ghost tours, it becomes kind of a hobby for them. They often will take the ghost tour in any city that they visit,” he said.

Harris’ tourgoers follow actors in Victorian dress on foot to haunted sites around Nashville including the Ryman Auditorium – former home to the Grand Ole Opry and the ghost of music legend Hank Williams Sr., according to lore. In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel , once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.

“Ghost stories really are sort of sneaky history tours, in a way,” he said.

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Ghost tours go cut-throat for tourism dollars

Paranormal tourism is a multimillion industry in some cities and has allowed historic facilities like abandoned hospitals, schools and prisons to rebrand themselves, “to remain intact or to receive much-needed funding and renovations,” according to a 2020 study published in Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

When Mike Vitka first started working for Spellbound Tours in 2000, he said they had just one competitor in Salem, Massachusetts. Now, he estimates there are more than 80 tour operators in the city, which draws more than a million visitors each year.

“It's very, very busy now," Vitka said. "Salem, it's gone from being a day trip, an afterthought of a Boston trip, to something that people from around the globe plan for their whole vacation.”

Vitka said he leads tours detailing the history of the witch trials, where 200 women were accused of witchcraft , and 20 were executed , the city’s “thriving vampire community,” serial killers like the Boston Strangler, who visited Salem, and “terrifying true ghost stories," many of which he says come from personal experience.

Competition can be fierce. Several tour guides including Vitka and Harris told USA TODAY they have to compete with national chains moving into their market and even poaching stories from local tours.

“Our approach with that is just to ignore it and just do our thing and just focus on our customer,” said Harris. “But if you talk to people around the country, you'll learn of these various feuds and things and lawsuits and all of that.”

How ghost tours handle dark history

The guides that spoke with USA TODAY stressed that their tours are thoroughly researched, but Ironside said research has shown the accuracy of ghost tours can vary, and over time, the stories of real crimes or tragedies can get exaggerated for entertainment.

“It can be a compelling way to engage people in the history of a place that maybe ordinarily wouldn't engage with that topic,” she said. “But at the same time, there are ethical issues.” 

Across the South, for example, ghost tours held on plantations can turn the horrific realities of slavery into titillating tales, according to Tiya Miles, author of "Tales from the Haunted South: Dark Tourism and Memories of Slavery from the Civil War Era." But Miles said when stories are handled with care, they can illuminate the plight of people marginalized during their lifetimes, including people of color, women, and people with disabilities.

“That's something that ghost stories can do, that perhaps other kinds of cultural productions or creations can't do,” she said.

Vitka said some Salem locals can be hesitant to embrace the city’s history, either because they’re frustrated by the throngs of tourists or because they don’t want to promote its violent past. But he said, “The best way to deal with the witch trials is to embrace the history so we can learn from it, and something awful like that doesn't happen again.”

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Why do people go on ghost tours?

Unlike a haunted house or a horror movie , ghost tours aren’t necessarily designed to raise your blood pressure with jump scares. As a result, the tours don’t always attract thrill seekers, but people interested in the supernatural, history buffs, true crime fanatics , families and even skeptics, Ironside said.

For some, the tours can also be a spiritual experience. Lopaka Kapanui said he became fascinated with ghost tours when he took one in the late 1990s and saw many similarities to the lessons on Hawaiian culture and spirituality his mother had taught him growing up.

Kapanui now runs the Mysteries of Hawaii tour with his wife and shares stories of Hawaii’s journey from kingdom to state and its melting pot of spiritual practices. He said he ends each tour with a prayer asking spirits to make sure everyone gets home safely.

“It's my favorite part because at the end while I'm doing the prayer in Hawaiian, I get to see family members and friends huddle close together, hug each other, hold hands,” he said. “So that makes me feel good.”

So, will I see a ghost on a ghost tour?

Many ghost tour operators say they got into the business because they had a paranormal experience of their own, but how likely you are to see a ghost on tour depends who you ask. Kapanui said he’ll sometimes see a deceased relative – of his or of someone taking his tour.

“It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen ... in the past, what these spirits have done is basically hijack the whole thing until I say something,” he said.

A 2023 IPSOS poll found 39% of respondents said they believe in ghosts and about 25% said they’ve seen or been in the presence of a ghost. Ultimately, Ironside said, it may not really matter if a ghost appears on a tour or if they exist at all. What keeps people coming back over and over, she thinks, is the mere chance they might see something they can’t quite explain.

At the U.S. Capitol, a set of marble steps is inexplicably slippery, and Sova said the phenomenon has caused several reporters to fall and break bones – revenge so it goes, for the killing of William P. Taulbee , a lobbyist and former congressman whose long-running feud with journalist Charles Kincaid turned deadly in 1890. 

Tensions between the men escalated over Kincaid's scandalous story exposing the Kentucky congressman’s affair until the reporter fatally shot Taulbee on the steps. The blood stains can still be seen to this day.

"With so many bloody and gory deaths, duels, wars, and battles, it makes you think," Sova said, "how much of this marble city is just drenched in blood?"