Asheville Ghost Tour: Riverside Cemetery & Montford Neighborhood

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/21

Duration2h

GroupUp to 20

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two hours through graves, a murder hotel, and the spirits people swear still walk Asheville

This is a guided ghost tour of Asheville that walks through Riverside Cemetery and the Montford neighborhood, stopping at sites tied to local hauntings and historical crimes. The tour is the only one in the city that enters a cemetery, giving you access to the receiving vault and stories about the authors buried there, the mass murderer Will Harris, and spirits said to remain. The walk takes two hours and covers moderate ground; you'll also get recommendations for restaurants and bars that fit the ghostly theme.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ghost tour at Riverside Cemetery

Start at Riverside Cemetery
Learn about famous authors buried
Hear stories of Will Harris
Enter the receiving vault
Photograph with spirits of German POWs

The Experience

You start at Riverside Cemetery, where the guide walks you through graves of famous authors and explains the stories of spirits who haven't moved on. The receiving vault is part of the route—a real structure you can enter—and the guide shares details about Will Harris, a mass murderer whose drunken rampage left marks on the city's history. There's also the chance to be photographed with what locals claim are the spirits of German POWs, if you're willing. The cemetery itself is the anchor of this tour; no other ghost walk in Asheville takes you inside one.

From there the route moves into the Montford neighborhood and beyond, hitting the sites tied to Asheville's stranger stories. You'll hear about Zelda Fitzgerald at Highland Hospital, the Pink Lady haunting the Grove Park Inn, and the pauper graves at Riverside and Erwin. The guide also covers the murder hotel and the Brown Lights—a phenomenon that has puzzled the city for centuries—plus stories connected to the Basilica of St. Lawrence. Each stop is a real place with a documented history, and the guide connects them as a thread through the afternoon.

The walk covers moderate distance over two hours, so you'll want comfortable shoes and a reasonable pace. The guide wraps up with recommendations for where to eat and drink nearby, keeping with the ghost theme—a practical touch that turns the tour into a starting point for the rest of your evening in Asheville.

What’s included

Guided tour through Riverside Cemetery and the Montford neighborhood.
access to the receiving vault.
stories about famous authors, Will Harris, Zelda Fitzgerald, and local hauntings.
recommendations for themed restaurants and bars in Asheville.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Asheville Free Walking Tours

Is this one for you?The guide delivers stories and history as you walk, so you'll follow comfortably at a conversational pace—this works well if you want ghost stories and local history without a rushed schedule or heavy physical demands beyond steady walking for two hours.