Data & research / US states / Halloween 2026

Ghost tours aren’t scary, and their customers don’t mind

Ghost tour reviewers are 4.1 times more likely to call a tour “not scary” than “scary”. We read 381 Google reviews that mention the word “scary” at 110 top-rated ghost tours in 50 US cities. 67% of the people who said their tour wasn’t scary still gave it four or five stars. In Gettysburg, all 12 verdicts were “not scary”.

By Georgi Todorov · Data collected 11 October 2026 · Google Maps reviews · Part of America’s Most Haunted States 2026

By city All verdicts

4.1 to 1“not scary” vs “scary” verdicts

67%of “not scary” reviewers still give 4–5 stars

4.7★average Google rating of the tours

12 of 12Gettysburg verdicts that say “not scary”

People book a scare and get a history lesson

Of the 117 reviews that give a clear verdict on scariness, 94 say the tour was not scary and 23 say it was. Most “not scary” reviews are not complaints: guests describe a history walk with good stories and rate it highly.

“Not scary”, and happy about it

“The tour was honestly more funny than scary but still full of history and interesting tidbits.”
Asheville Ghost Tours: Oldest & Original, Asheville, NC · Google review, May 2021

“We loved this tour and didn’t find it too scary for my 10 year old kiddo.”
Santa Fe Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls, Santa Fe, NM · Google review, Aug 2026

“Not scary so appropriate for children.”
Mark Nesbitt's Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours, Gettysburg, PA · Google review, Jun 2022

“Not scary but very interesting which was great.”
Columbus Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls, Columbus, OH · Google review, Jul 2025

The rare tours that did scare people

“So scary a whole family had to leave early”
Asheville Ghost Tours: Oldest & Original, Asheville, NC · Google review, Jun 2018

“It was pretty scary; I couldn't sleep afterwards…”
St. Louis Paranormal Research Society, St. Louis, MO · Google review, Sep 2020

Which cities have the least scary ghost tours?

Cities with at least five verdicts, by share of reviews that say “not scary”.

Share of verdicts that say “not scary”

Gettysburg, PA100% · 12 of 12

Eureka Springs, AR100% · 8 of 8

St. Augustine, FL88% · 7 of 8

Williamsburg, VA80% · 4 of 5

San Diego, CA80% · 4 of 5

Salem, MA67% · 4 of 6

Nashville, TN62% · 5 of 8

Charleston, SC60% · 3 of 5

Chicago, IL60% · 3 of 5

AK–

ME–

WI–

VT–

NH–

WA75%

ID–

MT–

ND–

MN75%

IL60%

MI–

NY–

MA67%

OR–

NV–

WY–

SD–

IA–

IN–

OH–

PA100%

NJ–

CT–

RI–

CA80%

UT–

CO–

NE–

MO33%

KY–

WV67%

VA80%

MD100%

DE–

AZ–

NM–

KS–

AR100%

TN62%

NC75%

SC60%

OK–

LA100%

MS100%

AL–

GA–

HI–

TX75%

FL88%

LowHighNot enough data

Share of “not scary” verdicts in reviews of each state’s top ghost tours (one city per state). Darker = less scary. Grey = fewer than 3 verdicts.

All verdicts

Every review we counted, quoted as written. Tour names link to Google Maps.

Tour (Google Maps)	City	Review date	Stars	Verdict	What the guest wrote
Asheville Ghost Tours: Oldest & Original	Asheville, NC	May 2021	5	Not scary	“The tour was honestly more funny than scary but still full of history and interesting tidbits.”
Asheville Ghost Tours: Oldest & Original	Asheville, NC	Sep 2021	2	Not scary	“Our tour guide Tad is a great story teller, it's too bad none of his stories were scary or involved ghosts – as advertised.”
Asheville Ghost Tours: Oldest & Original	Asheville, NC	Nov 2018	3	Not scary	“Just OK….Guide was great….Just not scary….More historical facts than scary fun”
Baltimore Ghost Tours: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Baltimore, MD	Jun 2025	5	Not scary	“Not scary.”
Baltimore Ghost Tours: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Baltimore, MD	Nov 2025	5	Not scary	“Historical and spooky, not scary.”
Baltimore Ghost Tours: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Baltimore, MD	Oct 2023	4	Not scary	“Not scary, perfect for families”
Cape May Ghosts: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Cape May, NJ	Sep 2026	4	Not scary	“The tour wasn’t “scary” because it’s still a nice time of year and the people around us didn’t help the vibe, but that’s not the tours fault.”
Ghost City Tours	Charleston, SC	Jun 2025	5	Not scary	“Not scary!”
Ghost City Tours	Charleston, SC	Apr 2025	4	Not scary	“The only reason for 4 stars is that it wasn’t a “spooky or scary” tour, it was more about showing areas that are assumed to be “haunted” but mostly a…”
Ghost City Tours	Charleston, SC	Jun 2021	5	Not scary	“We went to the 7 pm, so it wasn't dark and it wasn't exactly scary but it was so interesting.”
Cheyenne Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Cheyenne, WY	Jul 2025	3	Not scary	“We had a good time but if you're looking for a scary ghost tour, this is not it.”
Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours	Chicago, IL	May 2026	5	Not scary	“Now, I would say it felt a little more gangster than ghostly so if your someone who’s hesitant about it, I’d say you’d be ok, it wasn’t scary at all.”
Chicago Hauntings Ghost Tours	Chicago, IL	Oct 2025	4	Not scary	“Was not a scary tour at all, so surprised there were not more kids.”
Chicago Hauntings Ghost Tours	Chicago, IL	Dec 2024	5	Not scary	“It wasn't scary, but it was interesting, informative, and the guide was knowledgeable and friendly.”
Columbus Ghost Tours	Columbus, OH	Aug 2025	5	Not scary	“more spine-tingling than truly scary”
Columbus Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Columbus, OH	Jul 2025	5	Not scary	“Not scary but very interesting which was great.”
Des Moines Drop Dead Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Des Moines, IA	Mar 2026	2	Not scary	“Felt very cheesy, not scary.”
Motor City Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Detroit, MI	Mar 2025	5	Not scary	“While it wasn’t scary, he shared a lot of history and my friends and I really enjoyed it.”
Crescent Hotel Ghost Tours	Eureka Springs, AR	Nov 2020	4	Not scary	“Definitely wasn’t scary, but we learned a lot about the history of the place and the city.”
Crescent Hotel Ghost Tours	Eureka Springs, AR	Nov 2016	1	Not scary	“It wasn't scary and I felt like many of stories were embellished just to make it more entertaining.”
Crescent Hotel Ghost Tours	Eureka Springs, AR	Jan 2020	3	Not scary	“Then the guide takes you to the morgue which was just pretty gross and not scary.”
Crescent Hotel Ghost Tours	Eureka Springs, AR	Jun 2019	4	Not scary	“really not scary vibes”
Haunted Eureka Springs	Eureka Springs, AR	Jul 2023	4	Not scary	“This is more of a walking history tour and not scary.”
Haunted Eureka Springs	Eureka Springs, AR	May 2019	1	Not scary	“It was not entertaining, it was barey informative, and it certainly wasn't scary.”
Haunted Eureka Springs	Eureka Springs, AR	Aug 2020	5	Not scary	“Not a scary ghost tour by any means but it was a lot of fun and we would definitely recommend!”
Haunted Eureka Springs	Eureka Springs, AR	Nov 2020	4	Not scary	“I wouldn't say it was super scary but the catacombs are pretty unique.”
Gettysburg Ghost Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Dec 2022	5	Not scary	“The stories were not scary and my kids enjoyed the history lessons.”
Gettysburg Ghost Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Nov 2022	5	Not scary	“Informative, not “scary” per say but that’s what we were aiming for with our kids for this walk.”
Gettysburg Ghost Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Mar 2021	5	Not scary	“It was not scary and absolutely would recommend it to people that would like to get to know more personal stories of history.”
Gettysburg Ghost Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Jul 2020	2	Not scary	“Not scary at all and we didn't see anything interesting .The tour guide asked for tips at the end .”
Gettysburg Ghost Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Jun 2021	5	Not scary	“Not to scary In the picture to the left of the window you tell me.”
Gettysburg Ghost Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Oct 2015	2	Not scary	“But, the tour wasn't thrilling or scary or spooky in the least.”
Gettysburg Ghosts Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Gettysburg, PA	Jul 2026	5	Not scary	“This is not a ghost hunting tour, you do not see ghosts, and its not scary.”
Gettysburg Ghosts Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Gettysburg, PA	May 2025	5	Not scary	“This tour was perfect for our girls (age 9 & 11) as it’s only an hour and not scary.”
Gettysburg Ghosts Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Gettysburg, PA	Oct 2023	4	Not scary	“Not particularly scary, but I appreciated learning the real history of the places known for paranormal activity in Gettysburg.”
Gettysburg Ghosts Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Gettysburg, PA	Nov 2021	5	Not scary	“Jim was great very enthusiastic but the ghost tour should be better not just stories more scary walks maybe a bit in the cemetery and maybe going inside some of…”
Mark Nesbitt's Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Aug 2019	1	Not scary	“I was really looking forward to this tour but it’s just like all the others, plain, drawn out and not interesting or remotely scary.”
Mark Nesbitt's Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours	Gettysburg, PA	Jun 2022	4	Not scary	“Not scary so appropriate for children.”
Ghost Tour of Harpers Ferry	Harpers Ferry, WV	Aug 2023	1	Not scary	“this tour was mostly all history and not scary at all.”
Harpers Ferry Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Harpers Ferry, WV	Oct 2025	3	Not scary	“Stories were interesting not scary.”
Indianapolis Ghosts: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Indianapolis, IN	Mar 2025	2	Not scary	“There wasn't anything scary about it so much as we were just talking about historical deaths.”
Louisville Historic Tours	Louisville, KY	Nov 2024	5	Not scary	“The tour itself is not necessarily scary like a paranormal investigation would be but it’s a fun historical tour of the area.”
Hangman Tours	Milwaukee, WI	Apr 2025	1	Not scary	“Not at all scary or the least bit interesting.”
Minneapolis Trolley Tours	Minneapolis, MN	Jul 2025	5	Not scary	“Spooky stories, but not scary, so you could definitely bring (older) kids and they’d enjoy it too.”
Minneapolis Trolley Tours	Minneapolis, MN	Nov 2025	4	Not scary	“Perfectly pitched in being only ever so slightly unnerving (just enough to feel wacky and not scary) rampaging through downtown Minneapolis, at the mercy of what appeared to be a…”
Real Ghost Tours	Minneapolis, MN	Oct 2018	1	Not scary	“Not even fake scary.”
Ghosts of Nashville Haunted History Tours	Nashville, TN	Sep 2020	5	Not scary	“It wasn’t very spooky or scary.”
Ghosts of Nashville Haunted History Tours	Nashville, TN	Aug 2018	3	Not scary	“It was fun but not scary.”
Ghosts of Nashville Haunted History Tours	Nashville, TN	Sep 2022	2	Not scary	“Also the last story about the Hermitage was not scary at all.”
Ghosts of Nashville Haunted History Tours	Nashville, TN	Sep 2015	1	Not scary	“Was not scary, more comical.”
Nashville Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Nashville, TN	Oct 2022	5	Not scary	“Interesting, not necessarily scary.”
French Quarter Phantoms Ghost Tours New Orleans	New Orleans, LA	Nov 2024	2	Not scary	“Really didn’t enjoy this tour considering there wasn’t anything spooky or scary.”
Ghost City Tours in New Orleans	New Orleans, LA	Aug 2025	5	Not scary	“She kept it entertaining without being too scary for our 7 year old daughter”
New Orleans Ghost and Vampire Tour	New Orleans, LA	Jun 2022	1	Not scary	“Our last night in the big easy me and my friend wanted to go on a scary history tour around the city, we choose this tour.”
The House Of Death	New York, NY	Jun 2023	3	Not scary	“To be honest it's not that scary”
Ghost Tours of Newport,Ri.	Newport, RI	Oct 2017	3	Not scary	“They weren't scary ghost stories or tales of haunting, just some stories that people has possibly heard or seen something in one of the old buildings.”
Ghost Tours of Newport,Ri.	Newport, RI	Oct 2020	5	Not scary	“Overall this was great I highly recommend, even for families with children not scary at all.”
Phoenix Ghosts : Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Phoenix, AZ	Oct 2023	5	Not scary	“Not scary at all.”
Phoenix Ghosts : Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Phoenix, AZ	May 2025	5	Not scary	“I would recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for a spooky (not scary) time in downtown Phoenix.”
Wicked Walking Tours	Portland, ME	Oct 2018	5	Not scary	“I don't really like to do anything too scary so this tour was the perfect mix of humor and spooky history.”
Wicked Walking Tours	Portland, ME	Jul 2019	4	Not scary	“Overall, this ranks pretty low on ghost tours we've been on for a couple of reasons: we didn't walk very far so we didn't get to see much of the…”
Salem Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Salem, MA	Oct 2024	5	Not scary	“I am not a fan of scary things so I was nervous but this wasn't scary…”
Salem Historical Witch & Ghost Tours	Salem, MA	Sep 2022	5	Not scary	“It’s not scary but it’s very entertaining.”
Salem Historical Witch & Ghost Tours	Salem, MA	Oct 2022	4	Not scary	“It was ok….got my steps in ….stories were entertaining ….but not scary”
Spellbound Tours	Salem, MA	Aug 2016	4	Not scary	“There wasn't any scary experiences on our tour but I would still say it was worth the money to learn about salems history.”
Grimm Ghost Tours	Salt Lake City, UT	Jul 2019	5	Not scary	“It’s not a scary tour it’s more of a lazy drive around SLC with a good guide and some historical information.”
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours	San Antonio, TX	Jun 2024	4	Not scary	“Lots of history about San Antonio that we have never know about, I will recommend anyone to try it, not scary but fun.”
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours	San Antonio, TX	Jul 2022	5	Not scary	“The tour is not scary at all.”
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours	San Antonio, TX	Aug 2022	5	Not scary	“The tour was not scary at all.”
Ghosts & Gravestones Tour San Diego	San Diego, CA	Jun 2024	2	Not scary	“Employees were nice enough but paying someone money to drive me to Pioneer Park and stand and talk about 3 people wasn’t interesting nor scary.”
Ghosts & Gravestones Tour San Diego	San Diego, CA	Mar 2023	5	Not scary	“Not terribly scary but spooky for sure.”
Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours	San Diego, CA	Oct 2024	1	Not scary	“NOT SCARY AT ALL.”
Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours	San Diego, CA	Oct 2023	5	Not scary	“Some places were creepy but not scary which was a great intro into ghost tours lol Also, can’t forget our nice bus driver.”
Santa Fe Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Santa Fe, NM	Aug 2026	5	Not scary	“We loved this tour and didn’t find it too scary for my 10 year old kiddo.”
Santa Fe Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Santa Fe, NM	Mar 2025	5	Not scary	“We were in a group of 7 including 3 kiddos (ages 7-10) and Tetra, our tour guide, did an awesome job of keeping both this kids and adults entertained without…”
Savannah Ghost Tours®️	Savannah, GA	Jan 2025	3	Not scary	“The tour was not scary or factual.”
Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours	Seattle, WA	May 2016	2	Not scary	“90 minute walking tour although informative was not the least bit scary.”
Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours	Seattle, WA	Jul 2016	5	Not scary	“Seattle underground tour is a must at least once but not sure why they call it scary”
Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours	Seattle, WA	Dec 2019	5	Not scary	“Not scary, but informative.”
Ghost City Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Jul 2023	5	Not scary	“Not too heavy or scary!”
Ghost City Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Feb 2024	4	Not scary	“It wasn't scary at all, but the history was really fun and cool to learn.”
Ghost City Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	May 2022	5	Not scary	“We didn’t want anything too scary, we were more interested in history and local lore and this tour was PREFECT for that!”
Ghost City Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Feb 2022	5	Not scary	“We enjoyed the Haunted Pub Crawl that took us to three locations – Scarlett Oharas, Stogies, and No Name Bar.”
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Feb 2019	4	Not scary	“The tour itself isn't ghostly or scary., it should be called "Historic St.”
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Jun 2017	4	Not scary	“Yes it is not scary yes it seems like it gets boring but the staff is good at their job they make it hilarious, they go to the cemetery wax…”
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Jun 2016	1	Not scary	“It was not scary in the least.”
St. Louis Paranormal Research Society	St. Louis, MO	Oct 2018	3	Not scary	“NOT SCARY – Don't believe any of the comments who say the tours are scary- they are lying!”
McRaven Tour Home	Vicksburg, MS	Oct 2022	1	Not scary	“We visited the McRaven house and was very disappointed because it was not scary or haunted.”
McRaven Tour Home	Vicksburg, MS	Aug 2021	3	Not scary	“Not scary!”
McRaven Tour Home	Vicksburg, MS	Nov 2024	5	Not scary	“It wasn't as scary as people said.”
US Ghost Adventures	Williamsburg, VA	Jul 2022	5	Not scary	“I enjoyed the stories as they weren’t to scary and our guide answered all of the questions (even the very off topic kid ones!).”
US Ghost Adventures	Williamsburg, VA	Oct 2021	5	Not scary	“Walking at night, the atmosphere is spooky but not scary.”
Williamsburg Ghost Tour & Haunted Pub Crawls	Williamsburg, VA	Apr 2024	5	Not scary	“It’s not a “scary” tour so little kids most likely won’t be too scared.”
Williamsburg Ghost Tour & Haunted Pub Crawls	Williamsburg, VA	Oct 2019	2	Not scary	“Not the least bit scary.”
Asheville Ghost Tours: Oldest & Original	Asheville, NC	Jun 2018	5	Scary	“So scary a whole family had to leave early”
Bulldog Tours – Old Charleston Jail	Charleston, SC	Feb 2026	5	Scary	“Sarah does an excellent job of throwing some humor into the tour so you’re not scared out of your wits!!!”
Ghost City Tours	Charleston, SC	Sep 2022	5	Scary	“The stories told we’re well told and definitely scary.”
Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours	Chicago, IL	Mar 2019	5	Scary	“The tour was spooky and scary but I felt safe every step of the way.”
Chicago Hauntings Ghost Tours	Chicago, IL	Mar 2025	5	Scary	“Very knowledgeable and had some really scary stories to share with us while we explored the stops.”
Dark Side of Denver Ghost Tours	Denver, CO	Sep 2017	5	Scary	“THAT was pretty scary.”
Harpers Ferry Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Harpers Ferry, WV	Oct 2025	4	Scary	“I learned a lot about the history and spirits in the town, and I even had a EMF detector which made the experience very scary and real!”
Indianapolis Ghosts: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Indianapolis, IN	Jul 2025	4	Scary	“May have just been the time of day but that was truly scary.”
Minneapolis Trolley Tours	Minneapolis, MN	Jul 2026	5	Scary	“Even went on the Attic tour, pretty scary!”
Nashville Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Nashville, TN	Mar 2020	5	Scary	“The stories the guide told us were super scary and really kept us on our toes during the whole walk!”
Nashville Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Nashville, TN	Dec 2023	5	Scary	“Rico's stories were so scary.”
Nashville Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Nashville, TN	Oct 2022	5	Scary	“Great experience and very scary!!”
Salem Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Salem, MA	Oct 2022	5	Scary	“Not only did we hear some scary stories, we also got to learn a little history.”
Salem Ghosts: Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls	Salem, MA	Mar 2025	5	Scary	“She kept us very interested and had some very scary stories.”
Grimm Ghost Tours	Salt Lake City, UT	Aug 2024	5	Scary	“I learned a lot and they took us to some really scary places.”
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours	San Antonio, TX	Jan 2023	4	Scary	“Usually they're just fun, but Erin brought these stories to life with personal experiences and photographs (that I couldn't look at in the end!) It was so scary I wasn't…”
Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours	San Diego, CA	Nov 2025	5	Scary	“He had loads of scary stories and local history that he delivered like a pro!”
Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours	Seattle, WA	Dec 2018	5	Scary	“great storys about all the history an really scary stuff if u like that stuff if u dont like scary stuff i dont recommend it”
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine	St. Augustine, FL	Aug 2022	3	Scary	“it was fun, very scary sometimes.”
St. Louis Paranormal Research Society	St. Louis, MO	Mar 2025	5	Scary	“We loved the combination of historical neighborhood tour and truly scary true crime, underbelly tales from across the decades.”
St. Louis Paranormal Research Society	St. Louis, MO	Sep 2020	5	Scary	“It was pretty scary; I couldn't sleep afterwards…”
Witchita Ghosts: Ghost Tours and Haunted Pub Crawls	Wichita, KS	Oct 2025	5	Scary	“And it was really scary!”
Williamsburg Ghost Tour & Haunted Pub Crawls	Williamsburg, VA	Apr 2025	5	Scary	“I really liked that Vince was able to add really scary details to the stories!”

How we did it

Picked one ghost-tour city per state. Usually the state’s best-known ghost-tour destination or largest city, for example Gettysburg, Salem, Savannah and New Orleans.
Found the tours. We searched Google Maps for “ghost tour in [city]” and took the top three results: 110 tours.
Collected the reviews. Up to 12 of Google’s most relevant reviews per tour that contain the word “scary”: 381 reviews.
Read every verdict. A keyword filter flagged reviews that call the tour scary or not scary. We read all 136 flagged reviews and corrected 19 labels by hand, for example “not too scary for my 10-year-old” (not scary) or a guest describing someone else’s experience (no verdict).

Limits of this data

Reviews that use the word “scary” are not a random sample of all guests.
Some cities have only a handful of verdicts. Savannah’s top results had very few reviews that mention “scary”, so it is not ranked.
Star ratings are the reviewer’s overall rating of the tour, not of its scariness.

Use this data

Free to use with attribution and a link to this page. Journalists: we can send a cut for your state or a quote.

Create & Grow (2026). Ghost tours aren’t scary, and their customers don’t mind. https://createandgrow.com/research/us-states/ghost-tour-reviews/

Talk to Georgi

About the author

Georgi Todorov is the founder of Create & Grow, a digital PR and SEO agency. He runs data studies on search behaviour and AI. More about Georgi