Santa Barbara Ghost Tour: 12-15 Haunted Stories & History

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/13

Duration2h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk the most haunted building in California and hear the spirits that stayed behind

A 2-hour guided ghost tour through Santa Barbara's most haunted sites, led by an experienced guide who shares 12–15 stories of local hauntings researched by Professor Julie Ann Brown. The tour covers El Cuartel, the Chapel, the historical museum, and El Paseo, with photos and videos of ghost sightings captured by past guests. Children are welcome from age 1, and the tour is free for kids under a certain age.

Step-by-step itinerary

Santa Barbara ghost history and mystery tour

Hear haunted building history tales
Visit El Cuartel and the Chapel
Explore historical museum with spirits
Walk around El Paseo haunted area

The Experience

The tour starts with the most haunted building in California, where the guide walks you through its history and the spirits known to linger there. From there, you move to El Cuartel and the Chapel—both sites with documented hauntings tied to Spanish colonial and Chumash history. The historical museum is where Chumash visiting spirits and a Spanish-era lady have been reported, and the guide shares the research and eyewitness accounts that connect these stories to the places you're standing in.

You'll spend time walking through El Paseo, the historical visiting area of Santa Barbara known for paranormal activity. The guide brings photos and videos recorded by guests on previous tours—actual documentation of sightings rather than speculation. The 2-hour route is walkable at a steady pace, and the guide is experienced in delivering the stories in a way that holds the history and the mystery together without turning it into theater.

Children are welcome from age 1, and kids under a certain age go free, so families can join without the full ticket cost. The tour operates in English and moves through public areas of Santa Barbara, so you don't need a car to get there—public transportation options are available nearby. The guide keeps the group at a comfortable distance and the pace allows you to absorb both the stories and the locations where they took place.

What’s included

Experienced guide leading the tour.
12–15 ghost stories and historical accounts researched by Professor Julie Ann Brown.
photos and videos of guest-captured hauntings.
access to all four haunted sites (the most haunted building in California, El Cuartel, the Chapel, and El Paseo).

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Santa Barbara Ghost Tours

Is this one for you?The tour starts in central Santa Barbara with public transit nearby, so you don't need a car to join—it's built for visitors staying downtown or arriving without their own transport. Children go free, which makes it an affordable way for families to explore the city's haunted history together.