The 10 Best Ghost Tours Around Atlanta

Experience some of the Atlanta area’s spookiest ghost tours this Halloween season.

Fall means cooler evenings and the whispers of spirits blowing in the breeze. As Halloween draws near, our interest in the supernatural seems to grow. Grab your kids (or call up your babysitter or nanny if the kids are easily spooked) and head into the streets for a night of ghost stories!

The 10 Atlanta-area options listed below will satisfy your desire to be scared out of your wits. Pick the ghost tour of your choosing: an easy stroll through a cemetery, a booze-enriched evening, a film-inspired bus tour, or a traditional evening of ghost stories to send chills running up and down your arms.

Spirit of Oakland Cemetery Tours

Address: 248 Oakland Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Dates & Times: Tours run Oct. 20- 29, 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Phone: 404-688-2107
Fees: Adults, $27 | Kids ages 4-12, $15

Image via Facebook/Historic Oakland Cemetery

One of Atlanta’s best ghost tours begins ticket sales in June and sells out within days. Daytime tours are available year-round at the Oakland Cemetery, but a special nighttime tour is offered during the fall season. While the historical stories told by guides at Spirit of Oakland Cemetery Tours aren’t scary, walking around a cemetery at night for little ones can be.

Tours begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Bell Tower and last about an hour. If you’re hoping to beat the crowd, tour tickets are made available to Historic Oakland Foundation Members first. Tours are only sold in advanced ticket purchases. Sign up for the Oakland mailing list to secure your tickets early so you can be notified when tickets go on sale.

A Tour of Southern Ghosts

Address: 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083 (Stone Mountain Park)
Dates & Times: Oct. 13-29, Thursday & Sunday, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Phone: 800-401-2407
Fees: Adults, $17 | Kids ages 12 & under, $7

Boo Y'all! Tours of Southern Ghosts starts tonight. pic.twitter.com/vqWW6NtfIM

— Stone Mountain Park (@StoneMtnPark) October 13, 2017

Geared for children, the halloween ghost stories told at A Tour of Southern Ghosts are mostly funny, sprinkled with a touch of fear to keep the Halloween spirit alive and spooking. These tours are great for the whole family, as they are only 45 minutes (compared with 1.5 to 2.5 hours with some of the other companies) and begin at 7 p.m., tours departing every 10 minutes. You can save a few bucks by bringing your children on Sunday nights with a group of 10 for Children’s Night ($4 a piece) or by booking adult tickets through ART Station for $12.

The downside to these amazing tours that bring upward of 15,000 people each season to Stone Mountain is the $15 parking fee. “One-Day All-Attraction Passes” and “Mountain Memberships” are not valid for A Tour of Southern Ghosts.

Big Zombie Bus Tour

Address: 327 Nelson St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Dates & Times: Check the calendar for year-round availability.
Phone: 855-255-3456
Fees: Adults, $69 | Kids ages 15 & under, $55

Image via Facebook/Atlanta Movie Tours Inc.

Unlike most ghost tours, this bus tour takes you to Atlanta’s greatest zombie hangouts and downtown filming locations. Some of these locations are closed to the public and accessible only through the three-hour Big Zombie Tour. Atlanta is home to the site where popular television shows are filmed, including “The Walking Dead,” “Zombieland,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Teen Wolf.” TV and movie buffs will love this less cheesy twist on Halloween ghost tours.

Covington Ghost Tours

Address: 1105 Washington St., Covington, GA 30014
Dates & Times: Sept. 29 – Nov. 11, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. | Sunday & weekday tours available for private groups.
Phone: 404-455-1594
Fees: $25

Image via Facebook/Covington Ghost Tours

Covington Ghost Tours uses the art of storytelling to create a scary feel, but nothing is intentionally done to startle guests as you wander the south side of historic Covington. I am not easily scared, but the storytelling was done in a way that left chills running up and down my arms. These tours are long, and historic stories are told. The grounds are also uneven, so they are not recommended for guests under 12 years old, unless a private group is booked.

Decatur Ghost Tour

Address: 101 E. Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030
Dates & Times: Check the schedule for year-round tours, running at 7:30 p.m. daily.
Phone: 404-296-7771
Fees: Adult, $15 | Kids ages 10 & under, $12 (cash only)

Image via Facebook/Decatur Ghost Tour

Guide Boo Newell is a licensed psychic, so unlike the other options listed here, her two-hour tour of Decatur is highlighted by paranormal encounters, rather than a spooky history tour. You’ll walk through the square where Civil War battles took place. Most of the tour focuses heavily on storytelling through supernatural phenomena and Newell’s ability to speak to ghosts. Decatur Ghost Tours does not take credit or debit cards, so bring cash!

Ghosts of Marietta

Address: 131 Church St. NE, Marietta, GA 30060
Dates & Times: Tours run Friday – Sunday at 7 p.m.
Phone: 770-425-1006
Fees:

Walking Tour: Adults, $17 | Kids ages 6-12, $12
Scaryetta Trolley Tour: Adults, $27 | Kids ages 12 & under, $14

Image via Facebook/Ghosts of Marietta

Beginning at Marietta Square, this ghost tour is a great 90-minute walk through history, filled with rich facts to entertain and enlighten. If you’re seeking a ghost tour without all the walking, book one of Marietta’s Scaryetta Tours and enjoy a 90-minute trolley ride (a brief two-block walk is included) while traveling to the dark side. During our tour, the guides did a superb job staying in character to keep the kids entranced and were knowledgeable enough to leave all the adults with newly acquired facts about our favorite town. What started as a history lesson about historic Marietta Square — from battles on Kennesaw Mountain to underground tunnels — took a spookier turn as the evening turned dark.

Looking for a night away from the kids? Hire a babysitter and book one of Marietta’s Haunted Pub Crawls. Enjoy a spooky tour at Two Birds Taphouse with those who refused to leave at last call. Sorry, kids, this is only for patrons 21 and up! For all tours, be sure to wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking and feel free to bring a flashlight and camera. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and tours will go on rain or shine.

Lawrenceville Ghost Tour

Address: 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Dates & Times: Open every weekend May – September and every day in October. | Tours begin at 8:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
Phone: 678-226-6222
Fees: Buy tickets online for $18.87/person. | Limited discount tickets available through Goldstar.

It's #FridayThe13th in October. We have you covered with lots of spooky fun this weekend! https://t.co/KpYYr3U2iI pic.twitter.com/xoG40vJT91

— Aurora Theatre (@AuroraTheatre) October 13, 2017

Take advantage of free covered parking at the City of Lawrenceville Parking Deck (153 E. Crogan St., Lawrenceville, GA 30046) and start your tour at the Aurora Theatre. Professional storytellers guide the way through some of Lawrenceville’s most popular areas, including the old jail. Starring as a variety of characters — an undertaker, a Greek fortuneteller, or Madame Macabre — each tour guide creates a different experience, which means you can return to the Lawrenceville Ghost Tour time and time again with your kids.

For a spookier experience, hire a babysitter and book one of Lawrenceville’s 90-minute haunted cemetery tours or one of their special Brews & Boos (haunted pub crawls), available Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. and weekend nights at 9 p.m. You’ll love the thrill of walking through the oldest city in the Atlanta metro area.

Nightly Spirits Atlanta Ghost Tours

Address: 437-C Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Dates & Times: Friday & Saturday year-round tours begin at 8:30 p.m. | Additional dates & times available in October.
Phone: 1-8-Ghost-Tour (844-678-8687)
Fees: $25

Image via Facebook/Nightly Spirits

Mama needs a night out, so add a twist to drinks with your spouse and enjoy one of the 2.5-hour tours that run year-round at Nightly Spirits Atlanta Ghost Tours. They are especially creepy around Halloween, when all the ghosts and spirits come out! Over the course of less than a mile, you will make three or four stops at local pubs so you can sip some of your favorite spirits while enjoying a ghost tour and history lesson. Drinks are not included in the cost of the tour, and guests under 21 are not allowed, so make sure you hire a babysitter for the kids!

With multiple pub stops, let yourself enjoy the night by booking your tickets in advance and by calling Lyft so you can safely get home. First-time users can use the code “Nightly14” to receive $20 off your ride.

Roswell Ghost Tour

Address: 617 Atlanta St., Roswell, GA 30075 (Roswell Square)
Dates & Times: Click here for the year-round tour schedule.
Phone: 770-649-9922
Fees: Adults, $15 | Kids ages 12 & under, $10

Image via Facebook/Roswell Ghost Tour

This 2.5-hour ghost tour is offered year-round and covers 1 mile of the haunted hills of Roswell, Georgia. Tours begin and end at the bandstand in the Roswell town square, and I recommend arriving 15 minutes before the tour, as tour guides begin promptly.

Special tours are offered during the fall season to add a little extra spook. The Paint Class & Ghost Tour ($35) will be hosted Oct. 28 at 8:30 p.m. Invest in a tour that gives much more than a spooky story.

Fox Theatre Ghost Tours

Address: 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Dates & Times: Oct. 17-31, tours run every half-hour from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Phone: 404-881-2100
Fees: $35 (Ages 7 & up)

Image via Facebook/The Fox Theatre

This is not as spooky a tour as I had expected, given that it’s hosted by the Fox Theatre. But for those seeking an indoor tour and less of a walk, this is the place to go. The Fox Theatre’s rich history lends itself to be the perfect site for stories about ghostly sightings.

Theatre buffs will enjoy the extra thrill of walking down the eerily empty backstage and basement hallways that are usually bustling with cast members. Tours are about 90 minutes long and start every 30 minutes from now until Oct. 31 Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at FoxTheatre.org, the Fox Theatre ticket office, or by calling 855-285-8499. Fox Theatre does not recommend these tours for children 10 and under, and ages 6 and under are not allowed.