Cleveland Ghost Tours

Cleveland has more than two centuries of history: epidemics, a school fire, industrial disasters, and grand old theaters and cemeteries that have seen generations come and go. That history has produced its share of ghost stories, especially at Playhouse Square, which many consider the most haunted place in the city. Some stories are tied to documented events; others are local legends and accounts told by people who experienced them. Whether the city is haunted is something you can decide for yourself.

The Ghosts of Cleveland Tour is our family-friendly tour for all ages, focused on Cleveland's people, growth, architecture, and folklore, with age-appropriate ghost stories. The Dead Know These Streets is our adults-only tour (16+), exploring the darker chapters of Cleveland's past and its reported hauntings, with mature themes. Adults-only means mature historical content, not a drinking tour, gore, or a deliberately terrifying experience.

We'll tell you the real history of Franklin Castle, the house built in Ohio City between 1881 and 1883 for Hannes Tiedemann, and the ghost stories people tell about it. We won't repeat its famous murder legends as fact: historian William G. Krejci found no evidence that the niece and servant girl Tiedemann supposedly killed ever existed, and traced the story to a medium who lived in the house in 1980. Cleveland Magazine called the legend busted. The house is privately owned, and our tours don't go inside.

No. Both are walking ghost tours on the city's streets. They don't include admission to any theater, hotel, house, bar, or other building, and there are no cemetery visits or paranormal investigations involved.

Our research begins with the actual history of a place. We don't invent murders, deaths, or hauntings, and we'll always tell you which parts of a story come from the historical record and which come from legend or reported encounters.

Yes. All Ghost City Tours are walking tours led by a professional Ambassador, so you experience historic places as they were meant to be experienced.

Comfortable walking shoes and clothing for the weather. Cleveland winters are cold, with snow blowing in off Lake Erie, and even summer evenings near the lake can feel cooler than you expect, so dress in layers.

If you complete your tour and don't love it, let us know within 24 hours and we'll give you your money back. The guarantee applies to tours completed in full; it doesn't cover no-shows, early departures, or a tour being scarier (or less scary) than expected. We also offer a Best Price Guarantee when you book directly with us.

Our tours meet in downtown Cleveland. You'll receive exact meeting point details in your confirmation email.