Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours of Mystic
Seaside Shadows offers two 90-minute tours throughout the year in Mystic: The Mystic Downtown Tour, which focuses on the haunted history and legends of Mystic, and the Mystic Moonlit Graveyard Tour, which takes place in the Whitehall Burial Grounds.
Both tours focus on local histories and legends, such as the Giggling Ghost and colonial burial techniques. The hosts will answer any questions you have, including how best to capture spirits on your camera. Because the tours focus on dark material and off-color history, they do not advise that children younger than 13 years attend. And did we mention that this was voted the 2016 Best Ghost Tour in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine?
Advance tickets are $18 dollars throughout the year and $20 in October and can be bought here; Walk-up tickets are $20 throughout the year and $22 in October.
Graveyard Shift Ghost Tour at the Mark Twain House
The Mark Twain House in Hartford was the Connecticut home of the author Samuel Clemens. When his daughter Susy died in the home in 1896, Clemens and his wife could no longer bear to live there. Today the home houses a museum and, some believe, an array of spirits.
One of these apparitions, called the Lady in White, is believed to be the spirit of Susy Clemens, and some say that Twain himself sometimes visits the billiards room, as evidenced by the smell of cigar smoke. On the Graveyard Shift Ghost Tour, visitors will learn about these stories, dark history, and some of the Victorian Era’s traditions of séances and spiritualism. A great tour for ghost buffs and history buffs alike.
Tickets are $15 for kids and $22 for adults. Check here for upcoming tour dates.
Ghosts of New Haven
Ghosts of New Haven offers two 90-minute ghost tours in what many believe to be Connecticut’s most haunted city. The New Haven Ghost Walk ($25 per person) brings visitors through downtown New Haven, where they will visit many haunted locations and learn about history and the spirits said to still walk the streets: Noah Webster, Geronimo, and Roger Sherman among them.
The Phantom Pub Crawl ($35 per person) similarly brings visitors through downtown New Haven, focusing on 5 of the area’s haunted pubs, where you can stop for refreshment and learn about Geronimo, whose skull is believed to reside at one of Yale University’s secret societies. Because the Phantom Pub Crawl includes stops at bars, children are not allowed to participate.
They also offer a Hartford Ghost Tour in case you love closer to the center of the state,
Tickets for both tours can be bought here.
Witches and Tombstones Tour at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
This 90-minute tour in Wethersfield begins at the Buttolph-Williams House, where visitors will learn about the Wethersfield Witch Trials, which occurred before the famous Salem Witch Trials, and continues to the Wethersfield Ancient Burying Ground, where visitors will learn about the symbolism found on tombstones, in addition to Connecticut’s first mass murder.
The tour ends at the Isaac Stevens House, with a room fully-decked for a traditional wake—coffin and all.
The tour is only available on October 22nd and 23rd, and tickets can be purchased here for $15.
Cedar Hill Hallowed History Lantern Tour
This tour in Hartford is led by lantern light on the only night of the year that Cedar Hill Cemetery, which houses many Civil War veterans, is open to the public—October 27th. Visitors will learn about some of the cemetery’s notable and lesser-known residents, and character actors will engage with the audience to tell their dark tales.
The tour’s organizers say that the tour may not be suitable for children younger than 13 years.
Reservations are required and can be placed by calling 860-956-3311; tickets are $15. More information is available here.
