The Mourning Bell Tour

Walk through Portsmouth after dark, and it's easy to forget just how old this city really is. The narrow streets, historic homes, and stately brick buildings tell the story of a prosperous New England seaport.

But prosperity was only part of Portsmouth's history.

There were public executions, deadly epidemics, devastating fires, and ordinary people whose lives ended in ways that would horrify us today.

And then there are the ghost stories.

Welcome to The Mourning Bell, Ghost City Tours' adults-only walking ghost tour through the darkest chapters of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Founded in 1623, Portsmouth has witnessed more than four centuries of American history. It was a place where wealthy merchants lived alongside struggling laborers, sailors risked their lives at sea, and justice could be swift, brutal, and unforgiving.

In 1768, a young schoolteacher named Ruth Blay was executed in Portsmouth after being convicted of concealing the death of her newborn child. Her story would become one of the city's most disturbing historical tragedies, surrounded by controversy and legends that have survived for generations.

And hers is far from the only troubling story in Portsmouth's past.

On The Mourning Bell, you'll explore the darker history of this old New England city through accounts of tragedy, death, mysterious happenings, and the supernatural legends that have become part of its identity.

Your guide will take you beyond the charming storefronts and carefully preserved architecture to discover the people and events that history hasn't always treated kindly.

You'll hear about a time when death was a much more visible part of everyday life, when burial grounds were never far from homes and churches, and when the line between religious belief, superstition, and fear of the supernatural was often difficult to separate.

Some of these stories are supported by historical documents. Others come from local folklore and accounts of strange experiences that people have struggled to explain.

Portsmouth may be beautiful. Its history isn't always pretty.

The Mourning Bell is designed for adults who want a darker, more unsettling ghost tour. We explore mature historical subjects, disturbing events, and eerie legends without relying on cheap jump scares or theatrical gimmicks.

This isn't a sanitized walk through colonial history. It's an opportunity to discover the lives, deaths, and lingering mysteries behind one of New England's oldest cities.

You don't have to believe that ghosts still wander Portsmouth's streets.

But after hearing what happened here, you might find yourself wondering whether everyone buried in the city's past has truly found peace.

For generations, the bells have rung to mark the passing of another hour.

And for the dead of Portsmouth, perhaps the final hour never came.