Spooky Lancaster: 5 Haunted Tours to Take On Your Trip

a blurry image of a person standing in the dark

With autumn comes crunchy leaves, soft sweaters, and Halloween. Many people enjoy this season for its mystery, and Lancaster City is central to a wide variety of thrills and chills! Ghost tours are an especially popular attraction, and luckily there are several tours nearby for you to enjoy during your visit.

Stay at one of the top-rated hotels in Lancaster, PA, to fully embrace the spooky season and get excited to explore all that this area has to offer! When you book a room with us here at the Lancaster Arts Hotel, we will take the fear out of figuring out where you’re going to sleep after your adventure. Not sure where to find haunted tours while you’re staying with us? Here are some of our favorite haunts.

1.      Ghost Tour of Lancaster City

This walking ghost tour of Lancaster City promises mystery and fresh facts about the legends of the area. Told by candlelight, the stories of the past come to life through knowledgeable tour guides who are equipped with more than 300 years’ worth of tales. There’s even a “star-crossed lovers” story for the romantics in the group.

This tour meets at the Soldiers and Sailors monument at Penn Square. The walk to the monument is less than 20 minutes from the Lancaster Arts Hotel.

Website: https://www.ghosttour.com/lancaster.html

2.      Strasburg Ghost Tour

If you loved the Ghost Tour of Lancaster City or just want to double up on your ghost tour adventures, going for a ghost tour in nearby Strasburg is the logical next step. Peppered with Pennsylvania Dutch folklore, this walking tour is led by a costumed guide who will tell you tales of hauntings and show you around some truly eerie graveyards. This tour is only a short drive from the Lancaster Arts Hotel and takes about an hour to complete.

Website: https://www.ghosttour.com/strasburg.html

3.      Bube’s Brewery

Want something a little more relaxed yet just as haunting? Bube’s Brewery is a functioning brewery with some patrons from a past life hanging out long after closing time. Temporarily shut down during the prohibition, Bube’s Brewery has been a staple in the area since the late 1800s. Ghost tours are currently only available once a month.

However, you can visit the brewery and experience the history and spookiness year-round. Did we mention they have catacombs? Bube’s Brewery and restaurants are family-friendly, but they do recommend children under the age of 12 stay home if you are planning a ghost tour. The tour can be a little too scary for younger boys and ghouls.

Bube’s Brewery is a short drive from our centrally located Lancaster Arts Hotel.

Website: https://bubesbrewery.com

4.      Pennhurst Asylum Tours

The Pennhurst Asylum has events for everyone. There are tours for history buffs and also scares if you want to be rattled! Daytime tours around the grounds are a great option if you want to learn more about what happened there. The guides are highly knowledgeable and can answer your questions as they walk you through this leisurely tour.

As the night progresses, you may want to stick around to do some investigating. Paranormal investigations start at various times throughout the year as the sun goes down and run into the later evening. There have been several documented encounters here. It is ideal for amateur ghost hunters.

Located about an hour from Lancaster, Pennhurst Asylum would make a great day trip if you’re traveling from out of state and want to spend some time in Philadelphia without worrying about staying in the city.

Website: https://pennhurstasylum.com/tours-events/

5.      Civil War Ghosts

For history buffs, the Civil War Ghosts walking tour is an attraction that shouldn’t be missed! This hour-long tour is in Gettysburg’s historic downtown. It will take you back in time as you learn where soldiers and civilians alike took their last breaths. Some of the tour stories you may hear include:

  • The Story of The Farnsworth House
  • The Jennie Wade House Story
  • Tillie Pierce’s Story

Each of these stories offers a glimpse into the lives of people who lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in US history. Who knows if they are still lingering? Are you brave enough to find out?

Just like Pennhurst Asylum, the Civil War Ghost stories would make a great day trip to add to your stay at the Lancaster Arts Hotel in downtown Lancaster.

Website: https://civilwarghosts.com

Ready to Book Your Frighteningly Fun Adventure?

Ghost tours can be scary, but booking a room with the Lancaster Arts Hotel in Lancaster, PA, is not! We offer luxurious rooms where you can rest your bones after a full day (and evening) of enjoying this area’s spookiest tours. You can also check out all the fun things to do during the day in Lancaster in between ghost tours. While you are staying with us, be sure to ask the staff here at the Lancaster Arts Hotel where they like to visit this time of the year!