Solvang Ghost Hunting Tour: EMF Meters & Spirit Box

Hunt for Ghosts in Solvang with Real Equipment & Local Folklore

You'll hold real ghost hunting equipment (EMF meters, Spirit Box, dowsing rods), and use them to search for paranormal activity at Solvang's most haunted locations. A guide shares the village's dark history: founder's ghosts, haunted bakeries, restaurants with unexplained figures, and true crime stories. The tour ends with a closing ritual. Suitable for ages 12+, fully wheelchair accessible, and includes all gear and local folklore.

Step-by-step itinerary

Solvang ghost hunting and history tour

• Meet next to Visitor Center
• Hear ghost of Solvang founder
• View old Spanish Mission
• Explore main streets of Solvang
• Pass by various haunted sites
• Use ghost hunting tools
• Hear haunted bakery and restaurant stories
• Perform closing ritual

The experience

What draws people to a place where the past won't quite let go? In Solvang, a Danish village tucked into California's wine country, the answer sits somewhere between the charming storefronts and the stories locals still tell about who used to walk these streets. This ghost hunting tour hands you the actual tools paranormal investigators use (EMF meters that detect electromagnetic shifts, dowsing rods, a Spirit Box that picks up radio frequencies), and walks you through the village's most active locations while a guide shares the real, unsettling history behind each stop.

You'll meet near the Visitor Center and move through Solvang's main streets, passing the old Spanish Mission (thought to be haunted) and exploring the Danish-style buildings where the strange stories cluster. The founder's ghost is said to linger here. There's the bakery with its unexplained cold spots, the restaurant where diners report seeing figures that aren't there, and the darker chapters: brothels, serial killer connections, true crime that shaped the village's shadow side. You're not just hearing folklore. You're standing in the places where it happened, holding equipment that's meant to pick up what shouldn't be there.

The Spirit Box session uses the Estes Method, a technique that lets spirits communicate through radio static and fragmented words. It sounds stranger than it is once you're holding the device and listening for patterns. The dowsing rods respond to energy shifts as you move through locations. The EMF meter clicks and spikes when electromagnetic activity spikes. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the experience is tactile and strange in a way that pure storytelling isn't. The tour wraps with a closing ritual meant to honor whatever energies you've encountered and ensure a peaceful parting. A small gesture that takes the spookiness seriously instead of treating it as a joke.

The tour is recommended for ages 12 and up because the history includes mature themes: serial killers, brothels, and true crime details that aren't sanitized. Younger kids can come if they're comfortable with that material. The whole thing is wheelchair accessible, and the pace is manageable for all fitness levels. You're walking Solvang's streets, not hiking into the wilderness.

What’s included

• Your tour includes dowsing rods at a haunted location, a Spirit Box session using the Estes Method, EMF meters for hands-on ghost hunting throughout the tour, and a guide who shares Solvang's paranormal stories and dark history.
• The experience wraps with a closing ritual to honor the energies encountered.
• All ghost hunting equipment is provided.

Information

Lasts 1h 45m, runs every day at 19:00, from US$ 55 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 19:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Under 7: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by The Haunt Ghost Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're curious about paranormal investigation and want to try real ghost hunting equipment in a place with actual haunted history: the hands-on gear and local folklore make it feel less like a spooky story and more like a real search.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What ghost hunting equipment do I actually use?

EMF meters (detect electromagnetic fields), dowsing rods, and a Spirit Box that picks up radio frequencies using the Estes Method. You hold and operate them yourself during the tour.

Is this tour only for people who believe in ghosts?

No. The tour blends paranormal investigation with Solvang's real history: serial killers, brothels, and local folklore. The equipment and stories work whether you're skeptical or a believer.

Can children go on this tour?

It's recommended for ages 12+ because it covers mature themes including serial killers, brothels, and true crime. Children under 9 are not recommended. Younger kids can attend if parents feel they're ready for the content.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are wheelchair accessible. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller.

Where do we meet?

The tour meets next to the Visitor Center in Solvang.

Do we visit the Spanish Mission?

You'll get a view of the old Spanish Mission (thought to be haunted), but the tour doesn't enter it directly. Most of the experience takes place on Solvang's main streets and historic Danish-style buildings.

What's included in the tour price?

Dowsing rods, EMF meters, Spirit Box session with the Estes Method, and access to all haunted locations. A paid ticket is required for all participants.