Santa Barbara Ghost Tour: Haunted Courthouse & Historic Sites

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Free cancellation

1/21

Duration1h

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Hear the stories locals know about the ghosts still walking Santa Barbara

A guided ghost tour of Santa Barbara led by a live, experienced guide covers the County Courthouse, historic theatres, and downtown landmarks tied to documented hauntings and unexplained encounters. The tour lasts about an hour and visits sites where spirits are said to remain active—from a former safe house owner at the courthouse to dancers still visible outside City Hall.

Step-by-step itinerary

Santa Barbara haunted sites tour

Visit Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Explore El Presidio de Santa Barbara Park
See Lobero Theatre dressing room
Visit orena adobe
Encounter spirit at Santa Barbara Post Office
Tour El Paseo Restaurant and Casa de la Guerra
Watch for ghosts outside Santa Barbara City Hall

The Experience

The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is the first stop, where psychic readings have indicated a former women's safe house owner is still present. From there, the guide takes you through El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, where a murdered couple is said to appear dancing together. The Lobero Theatre holds the spirit of Harry Piodela, who died in one of the dressing rooms and has never left. Each location carries a documented history tied to the hauntings people report.

The tour moves through downtown Santa Barbara, passing the Santa Barbara Post Office where the spirit of a Chinese man is said to trip visitors with his cane—particularly those who were rude or didn't walk on the right side of the street. El Paseo Restaurant and Casa de la Guerra both harbor multiple spirits, including accounts of a woman in black and even Judy Garland. Outside Santa Barbara City Hall, visitors hear about Stefano and Maria Verisco, a couple whose ghosts are claimed to dance together as if reunited in death.

Your guide is a trained local who shares firsthand accounts from people who have witnessed unexplained activity, sometimes including their own encounters. The tour is based on real-world documented history and well-researched hauntings rather than invented stories. It runs about an hour and is wheelchair accessible, so visitors of all physical fitness levels can participate.

What’s included

A live, trained guide who shares firsthand accounts and documented histories of hauntings throughout the tour.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Santa Barbara Ghosts

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to hear local stories about Santa Barbara's most active haunted sites from someone who knows the history and the reported encounters firsthand. The guide's experience and access to firsthand accounts—sometimes from witnesses or the guide's own experiences—sets this apart from a self-guided walk through the same streets.