The top ghost tours in New England make a great addition to Halloween activities and events, from Connecticut to Boston and beyond. It’s fun to explore the streets—and graveyards—of New England’s towns on a spooky family adventure. Most of these tours definitely require some parental guidance. But as one tour notes, there are a few kids who can handle the fright better than some grown-ups! A few of them are particularly family-friendly, operating in daylight, with one paying tribute to the Halloween classic Hocus Pocus.
For more ghoulish but kid-friendly fun explore our Halloween Guide for Kids in Boston and Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Connecticut Kids.
Best Ghost Tours in Boston
1. Ghosts and Gravestones Boston
Let the “Gravediggers” of Boston’s Ghosts and Gravestones Tours show you a dark side of Beantown. Ghosts and Gravestones recommends that parents use discretion in bringing children younger than 13 on the tour. Children under age 6 are not permitted.
2. Haunted Boston Ghost Tours
Haunted Boston does school tours, so you know these are some kid-friendly ghost tours. The 90-minute tours begin at the Central Burial Ground near Boston Common and explore some of the city’s most historic (and haunted) sites. These tours are recommended for kids age eight and up.
3. Boston Ghosts
Billing the experience as the “most haunted” tour in town, Boston Ghosts offers a variety of tours, from true crime tours in the daytime, to haunted spots at night. The tour traverses a mile through Boston’s spookiest landmarks. Kids under 13 receive a discount, and kids under 6 are free. Of course, it’s for those kids under six who are up for some creepy ghost stories!
4. Ghosts and Graves of Lexington – Lexington
Recommended for children age 5 and up, this Halloween-season tour of one of the area’s most historic towns lasts about 45 minutes. Listen to chilling tales of Lexington’s past told by candlelight on this outdoor adventure.
5. Dead of Night Ghost Tours – Plymouth
Explore one of America’s oldest towns by lantern-light with a two-hour tour of haunted Plymouth. From the graveyard of the very first Pilgrims to the olde town square (said to be cursed), the Dead of Night Ghost Tours show a spooky side of Plymouth Rock.
Salem graveyard photo courtesy of Mommy Poppins
Best Ghost Tours in Salem, MA
6. Gallows Hill Presents: After Hours Ghost Hunt
There are so many things to do in Salem, Massachusetts, including Lost Museum’s 90-minute ghost hunt, where participants can try and be a real Ghost-, er, catcher. These adventures are recommended for kids age 10 and up.
7. Salem Ghost Tours
With 3 different tours to choose from, families can explore the haunted sites of Witch City in a variety of ways. The Salem Ghost Tour, Secrets of Salem Dark History Tour, and Witches of Salem Tour all have chills in store.
8. Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour
The “original and oldest” Salem ghost tour, Haunted Footsteps is a great addition to a trip to Salem, Mass. The company’s General History and 1692 Witchcraft Walk are more approachable for the easily-spooked. Kids under 6 are free, but the ghost tour is probably best for kids a little older.
9. SpellBound Tours
SpellBound Tours promise the most “supernatural” of all the ghost and graveyard tours of Salem, Massachusetts. The “Voodoo, Vampires, and Ghosts Tour” hits all of Salem’s most historic and notorious haunts. While the tour is open to all ages, the guide will touch on some frightening tales, including stories of true crime.
10. Witch City Walking Tours
Witch City Walking Tours offers several guided explorations of Salem, including scenes from the film Hocus Pocus and an actual ghost-hunting expedition! Tours typically last between 90 minutes and two hours. Some tours are all ages, but the Mysteries & Murders tour is 13+.
Explore New England graveyards on these ghost tours! West Hartford Hauntings photo courtesy of the Noah Webster House.
Best Ghost Tours in Connecticut
11. Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours – Hartford
Hartford’s Mark Twain House offers the Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours. In addition to tales of the paranormal, the tours include insight into Mark Twain’s own views of the supernatural. These are recommended for kids 10 and up.
12. West Hartford Hauntings – West Hartford
Every October, the Noah Webster House hosts the West Hartford Hauntings ghost tours in Connecticut. Tour guides lead brave souls by lanterns on these graveyard tours. Visitors (10 and up) are regaled with eerie tales and theatrical stories of haunted Connecticut.
13. Ghosts of New Haven – New Haven
Ghosts of New Haven provides group and private tours. The 90-minute ghost tour throiugh the streets of New Haven include tales surrounding famous sites such as Yale University. It’s a great addition to a visit to New Haven with Kids.
14. Fairfield Museum Walking Tours – Fairfield
There are so many fun things to do in Fairfield, Connecticut with kids. Why not a little scary fun? The Fairfield Museum’s offers several walking tours, including Accused! Fairfield Witchcraft Tours and a variety of cemetery lantern tours. These spins around bring some hearty scares to families in Fairfield.
15. Seaside Shadows – Mystic & Westerly RI
Consider a spooky ghost tour next time your visiting Mystic, Connecticut with Kids. With locations in both Mystic and Westerly, Rhode Island, Seaside Shadows provides plenty of ghost tour options for families in eastern Connecticut. Seaside Shadows’ tours include a ghost tour of downtown Mystic, graveyard tours, and seasonal tours for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Tours are recommended for age 11 & up. Seaside Shadows also offers spooky pub crawls, if mom and dad are looking for a night out!
Explore haunted Portsmouth on one of the tours offered by New England Curiosities. Photo by Roxie Zwicker.
Best Ghost Tours Around New England
16. American Ghost Walks – Maine
Stephen King isn’t kidding about all the chilling stories coming out of Maine. With locations in Boothbay Harbor, Portland, Kennebunkport, Bar Harbor, and Wicasset, visitors have options galore with this ghost tour company. These tours explore everything from the haunted waterfronts to the colonial cemeteries of coastal Maine.
17. Stowe Lantern Tours – Stowe, VT
Better known for ski resorts than ghostly encounters, Stowe has one of the best ghost tours in New England. Explore the history of this Vermont village by lantern light, as a brave guide leads you through the town’s history. Kids 12 to 18 receive half-off admission.
18. New England Curiosities – Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth looks quaint by day, and downright eerie by moonliight on these tours. Historic Portsmouth Legends and Ghost Walk tour has been creeping out families for over 20 years. Promising all-ages (spooky) fun, this tour winds through the streets of Portsmouth. The Wicked Haunted Waterfront Tour is a little spookier and has a minimum age of 17.
19. Providence Ghost Tour – Providence, RI
Providence Ghost Tour has a number of excursions that venture into the shadows of Rhode Island’s capital. Benefit Street (in the oldest section of Providence) has its own dedicated tour. Running around 90 minutes, most tours offer all-ages scares, but the ghost investigation tour runs a bit longer and has a minimum age of 15.
20. Ghosts of Newport – Newport, RI
The Olde Town Ghost Walk through Newport shares secrets that you wont hear on the mansion tours! From ghost ships to haunted sites, all of Newport’s dark history is revealed on these 90-minute, all-age tours.
21. Block Island Ghost Tours – Block Island, RI
Visitors have been coming to Block Island for generations, and apparently some have never left. The “Ghost Hosts” at this Rhode Island Tour Company provide a number of excursions into the unknown. The Ghost Ride Island Tour is a unique trip around Block Island by car, visiting the haunted sites in search of specters.
