Mobsters, Mayhem & Murder: Memphis Ghost Tour

Hunt for spirits on haunted ground across a mile of Memphis's oldest streets

A one-hour walking ghost tour through Memphis's historic district led by a local guide who shares stories of hauntings tied to the city's darkest moments. You'll visit seven haunted sites including the Lorraine Motel, Arcade Restaurant and John Alexander Austin House, carrying an EMF detector to sense paranormal activity. The tour covers a mile on foot through streets where visitors have reported ghostly encounters, unexplained cold drafts and apparitions in windows.

Step-by-step itinerary

Memphis haunted walking tour

• Visit Lorraine Motel site
• See ghostly Arcade Restaurant
• Explore Earnestine & Hazel’s
• Stop at the Green Beetle tavern
• View Pontotoc Hotel
• Pass by John Alexander Austin House
• Visit Orpheum Theatre

The experience

The tour starts in Memphis's historic district and moves through a mile of streets where the city's violent past still echoes. You'll stand outside the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968: visitors often report feeling overwhelming sadness and claim to hear faint echoes of his final words. From there, the guide takes you past the Arcade Restaurant, Memphis's oldest café, operating since 1919, where patrons have seen ghostly figures in the windows and felt unexplained cold drafts. The walk continues to Earnestine & Hazel's, once a brothel and speakeasy where the jukebox allegedly plays on its own, and the Green Beetle, the city's oldest tavern, where late-night patrons have reported strange noises and moving shadows.

You'll carry an EMF detector throughout the tour. A device that picks up electromagnetic fluctuations some believe indicate spirit presence. The guide points out the Pontotoc Hotel, a former gambling and bootlegging hub now abandoned, where people claim to see ghostly apparitions in the windows. At the John Alexander Austin House, built in 1876, passersby often feel sudden cold breezes or hear mysterious footsteps. The tour ends at the Orpheum Theatre, one of Memphis's most haunted buildings, where the spirit of a young girl named Mary is said to linger in the balcony. Attendees have reported seeing her ghost during performances and hearing her laughter echo through the halls. The guide brings each location's history to life with stories grounded in reported encounters and the building's past.

What’s included

• One-hour guided walking tour with a local expert.
• EMF detector rental to sense paranormal activity.
• access to seven haunted sites including the Lorraine Motel, Arcade Restaurant, Earnestine & Hazel's, the Green Beetle, Pontotoc Hotel, John Alexander Austin House and Orpheum Theatre.
• chilling stories tied to each location's history and reported hauntings.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 20:00

Book up to3h before

GroupUp to 35 · max 5 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “All tours meet at the Lorraine Motel, 450 Mulberry St, Memphis, TN 38103, located next to the Memphis Fire Station #2. Your guide will be wearing a US Ghost Adventures t-shirt and carrying a lantern.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Memphis Ghosts

Is this one for you?The tour is a one-mile walk on foot through the historic district, so it suits anyone comfortable with steady walking at a moderate pace. You'll stand outside each building rather than enter, which keeps the focus on the guide's stories and the EMF detector readings you gather as you move between sites.

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Top questions

What is the Lorraine Motel and why is it on this tour?

The Lorraine Motel is the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Visitors often report feeling overwhelming sadness there and claim to hear faint echoes of his final words, making it one of the tour's most significant haunted locations.

Do we go inside any of the buildings on the tour?

No, you'll stand on haunted ground outside each location, but you won't enter privately owned buildings. The tour focuses on the exterior of sites like the Arcade Restaurant, Earnestine & Hazel's and the John Alexander Austin House, where reported hauntings occur.

What is an EMF detector and how do I use it on the tour?

An EMF detector senses electromagnetic fluctuations that some believe indicate paranormal activity. You'll carry one throughout the mile-long walk, and the guide will explain how to use it as you visit each haunted site.

How long is the walk and what kind of ground will I cover?

The tour covers one mile on foot through Memphis's historic district, moving between seven haunted sites. The pace is walking-based, and the guide stops at each location to share its history and reported hauntings.

What makes the Orpheum Theatre special on this tour?

The Orpheum Theatre is considered one of Memphis's most haunted buildings, with reports of a young girl named Mary lingering in the balcony. Attendees have claimed to see her ghost during performances and hear her laughter echoing through the halls.