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It's ghost season in Monterey! In the fall, this coastal dreamland takes on a darkly beautiful, ethereal energy that sets the mood for ghost tours. Let your mind wander to the mysteries of the past during professional tours offered by local experts specializing in the murders and mayhem that haunt Monterey's past. Here's a look at the best ghost tours in Monterey that will put you in a spooky mood.
US Ghost Adventures
US Ghost Adventures offers top-rated ghost tours to some of Monterey's most notorious spots. Tour highlights include the eerie Colton Hall Museum and Jail, the Monterey Hotel, built in 1904 during the era of petticoats and top hats, and a tavern called Stokes Abode, once home to a merchant sailor named James Stokes who masqueraded as a doctor to carry out unspeakable crimes. No tour experience in Monterey offers such an academic look at Monterey's dark and untold history.
The Haunt Ghost Tour
Come experience the haunted past of historic Old Monterey under the guidance of a storyteller-ghost hunter during a sensational and supernatural nighttime adventure. After meeting your guide in Old Monterey at 8 p.m. sharp, you'll cover three blocks over roughly 90 minutes. During the tour, your guide will point out haunted architecture, use ghost-hunting tools to seek out paranormal encounters, and share stories of actual crimes and documented hauntings as night settles over Monterey.
Cannery Row's Haunted Walking Tour
The haunted history of Cannery Row unfolds all around you during this exceptional walking tour that brings the past to life. This spooky tour is designed for family fun and features a scavenger hunt leading guests through iconic haunted landmarks and obscure passageways throughout Monterey. You'll learn about the many souls who have made their way to Monterey seeking fortune, walk the cobblestone streets that inspired John Steinbeck's words, and watch for notorious ghostly figures commonly spotted around Cannery Row.
Lizzie Borden Ghost Tour
This tour company offers compelling ghost tours that bring you beyond the gorgeous coastal scenery to learn about some of California's most mortifying hauntings. Head to Fisherman’s Wharf and back with moonlight cloaking your every step as you know about a dark local history that dates back to an Argentinian privateer named Captain Hipolto Bouchard raiding and burning the settlement that would become modern-day Monterey. At each step, your knowledgeable tour guide will recount the dark and sinister events that make each historical site notable.
Mist, Mayhem, & Murder: Monterey Ghost Tours
While spooky enough to induce some spine-tingling chills, this company offers a family-friendly option for ghost tours in Monterey. Follow a local guide through the streets of Monterey to explore notorious spots like Lark House, General Sherman Quarters, the Robert Louis Stevenson House, the Colton Hall Museum and Jail, and more. A highlight of the itinerary is a stop at Monterey Public Library. One of the state's oldest public libraries, Monterey Public Library is said to be haunted by a former librarian.
Thrills and Chills Are Waiting in Monterey
While there's nothing better than a ghost tour in the weeks leading up to Halloween, companies offer year-round ghost tours in Monterey. There's no question that spots like Cannery Row and Old Fisherman’s Wharf are lively and charming during the day. However, you simply must return after dark to understand why Monterey is considered one of the eeriest cities in the country.
