Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington: 90-minute haunted tour

Five haunted stops, one eerie night, stories that change nightly

The Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington is a 90-minute guided tour through the city's most actively haunted sites, led by professional storytellers in full costume. You visit five distinct locations chosen from 28 haunted homes and burial grounds, so the route varies each night. Guides average seven years with the company and share recent ghost encounters alongside the history of each site. The tour covers 8–12 city blocks on foot from the riverfront.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore haunted Wilmington sites

• Meet guide in costume
• Walk riverfront at Market and Water Streets
• Visit 5 haunted locations
• Hear ghost stories at each site
• Complete 90-minute guided tour

The Experience

The walk starts at Market and Water Streets and moves through downtown Wilmington at a pace that lets you absorb the stories without rushing. Your guide, dressed in period costume, is a professional storyteller trained to deliver the chilling details—recent ghostly appearances, unexplained sounds, documented encounters—with the kind of specificity that makes the hair stand up. Because the company rotates through 28 actively haunted locations, no two nights follow the same path, so locals who return find new ground and new tales.

The 90 minutes unfolds as a walking narrative rather than a checklist. You'll stand in front of genuinely historic homes and burial grounds while your guide fills in the backstory—who died there, how, what guests and staff have reported seeing. The stories aren't invented for effect; many come from recent tours and documented accounts. The costumed guides aren't actors playing a part; they're storytellers who've spent years learning the history and the craft of pacing a reveal. All five stops stay within a reasonable walking distance, so you're not trudging across the city between locations.

This is the original and only locally owned ghost walk in Wilmington, operating since 1999. The half-million-plus guests who've taken it aren't just tourists; locals book it regularly because the rotation of 28 sites means the tour genuinely changes. If you're looking for a polished, theatrical ghost tour, this delivers that. If you're looking for something that leans more toward local history with a haunted angle, that's here too—the guide's job is to tell the story, and the story is what Wilmington's past actually was.

What’s included

• 90-minute guided tour.
• five distinct haunted locations chosen from 28 active sites.
• professional storyteller guide in full costume.
• stories based on documented ghost encounters and recent tour reports.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington

Is this one for you?Book this if you're joining a small group and want a tour that rotates through different haunted sites each night—locals return because the 28-location rotation means you're not repeating the same five stops. The costumed guides are professional storytellers, not actors, so the focus stays on Wilmington's actual history and documented encounters rather than theatrical staging.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

How many haunted locations does the Ghost Walk visit each night?

The Ghost Walk visits five distinct haunted locations per tour, chosen from 28 actively haunted homes and burial grounds throughout Wilmington. Because the company rotates through all 28 sites, the specific five stops vary nightly, so the route is different each time you go.

What should I expect to see and hear on this ghost walk?

You'll stand at five historic homes and burial grounds while your costumed guide shares documented ghost encounters, recent appearances reported by guests and staff, and the history of who died at each location and why. The stories come from the site's actual past and recent tour reports, not invented folklore.

How long is the Ghost Walk and how much walking is involved?

The tour runs 90 minutes and covers 8–12 city blocks on foot, all within a reasonable walking distance from the riverfront starting point at Market and Water Streets. The pace allows you to absorb the stories at each stop without rushing between locations.

Who leads the Ghost Walk tours?

Professional storytellers in full costume lead the tours; guides average seven years with the company and are trained in both the history of Wilmington and the craft of delivering the stories effectively. All guides speak English.

Is the Ghost Walk accessible for people with mobility concerns?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible, and all areas and surfaces along the route are wheelchair accessible. Strollers and prams are welcome for infants and small children, and service animals are allowed.

What makes this ghost walk different from other haunted tours?

This is the original and only locally owned ghost walk in Wilmington, operating since 1999 and having guided over half a million guests. The rotation through 28 haunted locations means each night's route is different, and guides share recent encounters and documented accounts rather than scripted folklore.