Winston-Salem: Historical Ghost Tour & Candlelit West End

Walk Winston-Salem's Oldest Streets After Dark & Hear What Locals Say Still Lingers

You walk the West End Historic District of Winston-Salem by candlelight for 90 minutes with a professional guide who knows the colonial-era tragedies, legends and ghost stories that shaped the neighborhood. The tour is wheelchair accessible, operates in groups of at least four, and runs weather permitting. If conditions cancel the tour, you can book an alternative date.

Step-by-step itinerary

Historical ghost walking tour

• Meet in West End Historic District
• Walk through historical haunts
• Learn spooky history and legends
• Hear ghost stories by candlelight
• Tour lasts approximately 90 minutes

The experience

The West End Historic District of Winston-Salem is already there when you arrive: brick facades catching the last light, streets narrower than you expected, the kind of quiet that makes you notice the sound of your own footsteps. Your guide meets you with candles already lit, and the tour begins immediately, no preamble. Ninety minutes, one neighborhood, stories that go back to the mid-1700s. The candlelight is not decoration. It changes how the buildings look, how the shadows fall, how the history feels less like something you read and more like something that happened in the room you're standing in.

The ghost tour moves through the West End on foot, stopping at various historical haunts where tragedies, superstitions and legends have taken root over centuries. Your guide is trained to separate the documented history from the folklore: what happened in colonial times, what people believed happened, what people still believe is happening. You'll hear about real events that shaped the city, the kind of stories locals know but don't always tell visitors. The pace is steady but not rushed. You're walking maybe two miles total, and the guide stops long enough at each location for the story to settle.

Weather matters here: the tour runs if conditions allow, and if they don't, you can reschedule for another date. Groups need at least four people to operate, so you might be walking with strangers, which usually works out. People on ghost tours tend to be the kind who ask good questions. The whole thing is wheelchair accessible, and if you're bringing children, they need an adult with them, which is obvious but worth saying because the stories are genuinely spooky, not sanitized. Infants and small children can stay in a stroller or pram if that works better for your group.

What’s included

Your tour includes a professional guide, candlelight throughout the 90-minute walk, and access to the historical stories, ghost tales and legends of Winston-Salem's West End Historic District dating back to the mid-1700s.

Options for this experience

2 options

Candlelit ghost tour at 7:00 PMGuide in English · 19:00Ghost tour of Winston-Salem at 7 pm

Candlelit ghost tour at 9 pmGuide in English · Only on 31 Oct · 21:00Ghost tour of Winston-Salem at 9 pm

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SundayDepartures at 19:00 and 21:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Youth (7 to 12 years) · Child (under 7): free

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Carolina History & Haunts, Inc.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the real history and folklore of Winston-Salem's oldest neighborhood without researching it yourself. The guide handles the stories and the timing, so you just show up and listen.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (7 to 12 years); Child (under 7): free.

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.

How long is the Winston-Salem ghost tour?

90 minutes, covering various historical haunts throughout the West End Historic District on foot.

Is the ghost tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible.

What's the minimum group size for the tour?

The tour requires at least 4 people to operate.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour is subject to favorable weather. If canceled due to poor conditions, you'll be offered an alternative date.

Do I need to be fit to do the ghost tour?

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness, as the tour involves walking about two miles.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed on the tour.

Is there parking or public transportation near the tour?

Public transportation options are available nearby.