This post is about ghost tours in Washington, DC, including our award-winning ghost and scandals tours, as well as adult-only walking tours to expand your trip to DC into dark nights to see the city's most haunted spots.
- Why take a Ghost Tour?
- What to Know Before Taking a Ghost Tour?
- DC's Most Haunted Locations
- Ghost & True Crime Walking Tours
Why You Should Take a Ghost or Dark Side Tour
Exploring the haunted side of a new city (or even your own) should be a MUST on everyone's travel bucket list.
These tours are available all year round but are especially fun and maybe an extra bit spooky in the fall.
But if the mere mention of a ghost tour isn't enough to excite you, check out these reasons why you should take a ghost tour with us this fall and a few things you should know before joining.
1. See a different side of a familiar sight.
Ghost Tours are a great way to see some of the city's famous landmarks in a different light.
You may have toured the US Capitol to learn about Congress during day, but let us tell you about the bloodstained steps from a murder in 1890.
2. They really aren't THAT scary.
We are historians, not ghost hunters. We don't have anyone waiting in the bushes to jump out at you.
We aim to share with you the true stories (or as true as the tellers believed them to be) and more often the tours are historic and humorous.
3. It is a fun night out after museums and attractions are closed.
If you are enjoying a trip too much to go back to the hotel, join us - we even have Adults Only versions of some of our true crime tours.
4. You may see a ghost... and won't that be a story for your travel journal?
We make no promises, of course, but it has happened.
In fact, we have a whole collection of photographs from past guests to share with you.
We love coming home after a tour to find a message from a guest who finally went through her photos and ... "OMG, what is THIS?!"
5. You'll learn a lot more than you expected about American history.
We don't make up stories to spook you.
We're sharing with you true stories from the past of curses, murder, affairs, and eerie coincidences.
They say truth is stranger than fiction after all.
Our tours teach you a different side of historic figures and local culture.
What you NEED to know before taking a Ghost Tour!
We have a few tips from our ghost and scandals guides to make sure you have an enjoyable night out.
- Make sure you know what kind of tour you booked. There is a difference between a ghost hunt and a ghost tour (and a true crime tour)
- Come with an open mind. You never what you might see ... or hear... or feel. But mostly, what you might learn.
- Share your experiences with your guide or the group. We lead these tours because we love the eerie and macabre!
- Take a LOT of photos. But don't look at them until daylight.
DC's Most Haunted Locations
As the political center of the United States, Washington, DC offers not only a rich history, but also a wealth of paranormal activity that has fascinated both locals and tourists alike.
From strange noises to ghostly apparitions, DC is home to some of the most haunted buildings in the country.
1. The Octagon House
One of the most famous haunted buildings in DC is The Octagon House.
Built in 1800 by Colonel John Tayloe III, it has served as the temporary White House and as the American Institute of Architects headquarters.
The Tayloe family lost their daughter, Anna, due to illness and have reportedly seen her ghostly apparition wandering the halls along with a servant girl who supposedly committed suicide.
Visitors have reported chilly drafts, strange noises and bumps, and an eerie feeling as they explore this historic home.
While we don't enter this building on our White House Ghost tour, we see its infamous stairs through the windows.
2. The Hay-Adams Hotel
The luxury hotel has hosted famous politicians and celebrities throughout its history.
The hotel is known for its luxurious rooms and prestigious location by the White House.
Yet, guests have reported sightings of Alice Hay, the former owner's mother, and spirits of Civil War soldiers, who died during the conflict.
Unfortunately, ghosts not only stay in this magnificent hotel but sometimes, they might even walk through the walls of the bedrooms.
We see this ghostly hotel on our White House Ghost tour.
3. The National Building Museum
The National Building Museum is home to the famous Inaugural Ball. Its stunning architecture hosts some of the most unique exhibits in the country.
Nevertheless, it might not be perfect in terms of ghosts who are said to wander through the basement floor.
The building was used as a quarantine center for soldiers after the Civil War.
Visitors have claimed seeing shadow figures and hearing an unnerving sound of footsteps.
4. The Old Stone House
The Old Stone House stands as the oldest unchanged building in DC.
Built in 1765, it has remained relatively unchanged and now operates as a museum.
The staff has reported seeing a woman and a child dressed in 18th-century fashion wandering around the house.
Additionally, visitors often feel an unwelcoming energy, a feeling of being watched, and footsteps echoing through the house.
Our Ghosts of Georgetown starts in the side yard with guests reporting a face in the window.
5. The U.S. Capitol
The haunted tales of the US Capitol Building go back decades, with some of the most popular ones involving the House and Senate chambers.
John Quincy Adams, who passed away in the building during a heatstroke in 1848, and the ghost of Kentucky's senator, Henry Clay, who died the same year as Adams, are said to haunt the House and Senate chambers, both trying to complete unfinished business.
Numerous other supernatural occurrences pervade the US Capitol, with some of the most well-known ones being the "phantom footsteps" on the Senate stairs.
Another ghost known to haunt the building is the "Demon Cat," a feline ghost known to appear before significant events and national tragedies.
Legend has it that it attacked people who crossed its path, and its appearance was an ominous sign of disaster.
The Crypt is also a popular spot for apparitions, with several eyewitnesses reporting sightings of ghosts wearing 19th-century formal attire.
Visitors report eerie noises, footsteps, and whisperings while navigating the tunnels.
More on these stories are included in our Capitol Hill Ghosts and Scandals tours.
6. Halcyon House
A "legit haunted house" if you ask Canden, this is a stop on our Ghosts of Georgetown tour.
This historic home has an electrifying story and the street lamps often flicker as we walk by.
The Best Ghost Tours in Washington, DC
The best ghost tours in Washington, DC are the ones based on facts.
All of our tours have a bit of truth, a couple of boos, some scares, and always a good time.
These aren't ghost tours, but they are great for a night out (adults only) for scandals, affairs, and murders!
For such a small city, the capital city has a lot of ghost stories.
In any of the historic neighborhoods, visitors are bound to find an old house that has unexplained bumps in the night or otherworldly sightings of lost souls who suffered tragic ends.
Join us on a journey to the darker side of the historic, humorous, and haunted on one of our Washington DC Ghost Tours.
Don't believe us? Ask about why one of our guides refuses to lead tours past Halcyon House anymore!
Our tours take you based on some of the city's most haunted locations and landmarks to learn about mysteries, conspiracies, heroes, phantoms, and haunted souls in the DC area.
Check out our Tour Schedule for the most up-to-date calendar.
Washington DC Ghost Tours
We also offer a Lincoln Assassination Tour on several evenings each week.
While this tour is not a ghost tour, it is a gripping and spooky experience about this tragic event and the conspirators.
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GHOST OF GEORGETOWN WALKING TOUR
Among the historic streets, manicured gardens and Victorian row houses of DC's finest neighborhood lie deep, dark secrets about a forgotten past.
Come along to hear about the ghosts and spirits that still haunt these streets...if you dare.
Stories of eerie coincidences, curses, and scenes from the scariest movies.
We'll share the darker side of the history of this pre-revolutionary town on our Ghosts of Georgetown Tour.
Check our Guide to Visiting Georgetown for directions, restaurant recommendations, and self-guided tour options.
Want a taste of the tour? Listen to our podcast (Tour Guide Tell All) episode all about it:
Is the Ghosts of Georgetown Tour family-friendly?
Yes! We share with you stories of curses, eerie coincidences, and of course a few haunted houses.
We are not ghost hunters, we're historians - so we'll be taking you through the darker side of Georgetown, but we do not have anyone jump out at you!
More humor than screams, this is fun for all ages!
Our own tour guide Canden has published a book on the wicked side of Georgetown's history! Wicked Georgetown: Scoundrels, Sinners and Spies and a pictorial history using vintage photographs, Images of Georgetown.
Recommended as a Once in a Lifetime Tour by the BLT!
Tour Information
Where: Tour begins outside the spooky Old Stone House at 3051 M Street NW (near 30th and M St). The tour ends at the Exorcist Steps (36th and Prospect St NW).
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes. Total walking is about 1.5 miles (2,4km).
When: View our Calendar - this tour operates daily!
Start: Old Stone House at 3051 M St NW (map)
Closest Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Blue and Orange)
End: 36th and Prospect Street NW (map)
Closest Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU or Rosslyn (Blue and Orange)
Cost: This is a ticketed tour ($20-35 per person)
White House Ghost Tour
The best place for Washington DC Ghost Tours is the park around the White House, Lafayette Square.
Known also as Tragedy Square, there has been more than one violent death in the vicinity.
Our historian guides take you through this small park for the true stories of some of the city's most haunted houses, including the White House.
On the White House Ghost Tours, you'll hear stories of:
- Murder of Philip Barton Key
- Admiral Decatur's Duel
- Dolley Madison's Haunted House
- DC's most haunted building
- Haunted Hay Adams Hotel
- Ghosts of Presidents
- and so much more...
Please note that we do not enter into any buildings on this tour.
Is the White House Ghost Tour family-friendly?
Yes! We share with you stories of ghosts and hauntings.
We are not ghosthunters, we're historians - so we'll be taking you through the darker side of the White House area, but we do not have anyone jump out at you!
More humor than screams, this is fun for all ages!
Tour information
Where: Meet at the portico of St. John's Church Lafayette Square at 16th and H St NW (map). Look for your guide with the DC by Foot logo.
Duration: Approximately 1.75 hours. Total distance 1m (1.6k)
When: View our Calendar
Cost: This tour is name your own price.
Capitol Hill Ghost & Scandals Tour (Adults Only)
Our newest addition to the dark side walking tours, explore Capitol Hill with your guide to talk about the scandals that have rocked the nation's capital.
This tour is PART GHOST - PART SCANDALS. Not every story is a ghost story!
From assassinations to affairs, from impeachment to impropriety, the buildings on Capitol Hill have stories to tell!
Our Capitol Hill Scandals Tour is a walking tour intended to provide guests with the sordid history of politicians, public figures, and more.
The guides will discuss the deaths, misdeeds & often violent figures and events of Capitol Hill.
You’ll hear about ghosts and scandals associated with:
- The United States Capitol Building
- The House of Representatives
- United States Senate
- Library of Congress
- Old Capitol Prison (Supreme Court)
- And more!
Please note that we do not enter any buildings on this tour.
Tour information for Capitol Hill Scandals Tour
Where: Meet your guide at the benches at the NW corner of 1st and C St SE, across the street from the Capitol South Metro Station. Look for your guide in the orange!
Purchase a guaranteed parking spot in advance near the tour’s starting point with SpotHero.
End: West side of Capitol complex Closest Metro: Federal Center SW or L'Enfant Plaza
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours. Total walking is about 1.5 miles (2,4km).
When: View our Calendar - select dates. Contact us to suggest a date if you're interested in the tour.
Cost: This is a ticketed tour ($20-35 per person)
White House at Night: Secrets & Scandals (Adults Only)
While this isn't technically a ghost tour, it is the perfect accompaniment to the darker side of history.
A scandalous side of the White House? Who would've thought it?
Join Free Tours by Foot for a walk through the neighborhood around the White House at night to talk about presidential affairs, nearby duels, murders, and scandalous first ladies.
Our historian guides take you through this small park, known as Tragedy Square, for the true stories of some of the city’s darkest secrets and most haunted houses, including the White House.
Disclaimer:
We consider this tour for adults only.
We'll let you decide what adult means but be forewarned we will go into gory details and not gloss over topics of what happened around the White House at night.
If you think your teen can handle it, they are more than welcome but you've been given a heads up.
Tour Information
Reservations: REQUIRED. Click here to reserve.
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours. Total distance 1m (1.6k)
Where: Meet at the portico of St. John's Church Lafayette Square at 16th and H St NW (map). Look for your guide with the DC by Foot logo.
When: View our Calendar - select dates. Contact us to suggest a date if you're interested in the tour.
Cost: This is a ticketed tour ($20-35 per person)
True Crimes of Wicked Georgetown (Adults Only)
This is a tour of scandals, true crime, and tragedy. It is NOT a ghost tour and does not visit the Exorcist Steps. Check out the Ghosts of Georgetown tour!
Focusing on the tragedy of Georgetown's darker side, we'll explore the oldest neighborhoods in DC with local legends and true crime events from its past.
We'll see old cemeteries, supernatural tales, and the sites of unsolved murders, leaving you at night in an abandoned cemetery.
Disclaimer:
We consider this tour for adults only.
We'll let you decide what adult means but be forewarned we will go into gory details and not gloss over topics of what happened around the White House at night.
If you think your teen can handle it, they are more than welcome but you've been given a heads-up.
Want a taste of the tour? Listen to our podcast (Tour Guide Tell All) episode about one of the stops:
This tour is an Adults Only due to mature content. We recommend this tour for ages 14 and above but you choose.
Tour information
Our own tour guide Canden has published a book on the wicked side of Georgetown's history!
Wicked Georgetown: Scoundrels, Sinners and Spies and a pictorial history using vintage photographs, Images of Georgetown.
This is a private tour only. Contact us to book
Tour beginning and ending locations are customizable.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours. Total walking is about 1.5 miles (2,4km). This tour is not wheelchair/stroller friendly.
