5 Spooky Louisville Ghost Tours

The city of Louisville, Kentucky dates all the way back to 1778 – and it’s seen a lot of death in that time. From tragic fires, to devastating floods that wiped out entire swaths of the city, to a dark day known only as “Bloody Monday,” to visitors that never checked out of the most opulent hotels in town – there are a lot of ghosts.

While the best time of year to seek out scary thrills is during Halloween season, you can venture out after dark on these spooky tours in search of Louisville’s least living residents all year long. Here’s a roundup of the best Louisville ghost tours!

Whispers on Whiskey Row: Haunted History Tour of Derby City

Step into the past on a haunting journey through the heart of downtown Louisville. As the sun sets and the city’s vibrant façade fades, you’ll uncover the sinister secrets and chilling tales that lurk behind the historic architecture & storied streets.

One part ghosts, one part grisly history that is, sadly, entirely true, this guided 1.5 hour through downtown Louisville unveils the deepest, darkest corners of Louisville’s gruesome past.

Led by expert storytellers, this immersive guided walking tour delves into the darker chapters of Louisville’s history – warts, ghosts, and all. Wander down Whiskey Row and along the shores of the murky Ohio River, where the echoes of bygone eras resound with spine-chilling tales of unsolved murders, sweeping plagues, devastating fires, ruinous floods, ruthless bootleggers, red-light lovers, and cruel oppression.

From a ghost that still haunts a glamorous hotel to the tragic riots of Bloody Monday, you’ll trace the cursed footsteps of criminals, mobsters, bootleggers, enslavers, and murderers in the city streets they once roamed.

Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a thrill-seeker, or someone with a curiosity for the macabre, the Whispers on Whiskey Row Haunted History Evening Tour is an unforgettable journey into the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of Louisville’s charming exterior.

• Tour Details: $35, 1.5 hours, 1.5 miles of walking, 1 stop for bathrooms, drinks and snacks

Phantoms of the Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails & Bites Tour

What would make a ghost tour even better? If you answered food and drinks, then this unique Whiskey Row ghost tour is for you!

Venture out to explore the hidden stories of Louisville’s haunted past. As you eat and drink your way down Whiskey Row, you’ll meet the resident ghosts of Louisville’s historic downtown, trace the footsteps of bourbon magnates and mobsters, discover hidden speakeasies, and learn the shocking true story of Prohibition.

You’ll meet grisly ghouls like as the Blue Lady, who haunts one of Louisville’s most famous historic hotels (you know, the one made famous by the Great Gatsby…) and was brutally murdered by a celebrated Kentucky war hero.

And you’ll hear the ghastly tale of the infamous DuPont family, made fabulously wealthy by selling gunpowder. Karma caught up with him and he was murdered at one of Louisville’s most opulent hotels by his pregnant mistress.

The stories on this tour are as fascinating as the ghosts, and the Prohibition-era cocktails and spirits (paired with delicious small bites) make the perfect accompaniment to Louisville’s spooky history.

You can book your Phantoms of Prohibition tour with us, Louisville Food Tours.

• Tour Details: $149-$179, 3 hours, 1.5 miles of walking, 4 stops for cocktails and food

Conrad-Caldwell House: Haunting Lamplit Tour

Once a looming presence showcasing the Victorian grandeur of Louisville’s Gilded Age, the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum is one of the most unique mansions in historic Old Louisville. Dating back to 1895, it was built to house two of Louisville’s most prominent businessmen and entrepreneurs. But somewhere along the way, things went horribly wrong…

For just 3 nights in October, you can tour the home after nightfall to seek the long lost residents who still haunt these walls.

Lit only by lamplight flickering off of stained glass, you’ll peer beyond the veil and learn about mourning traditions practiced during the Victorian era, and meet the lingering spirits who refuse to leave the opulence of this once-grand castle.

Old Louisville Ghost Tours

Old Louisville is Louisville’s most beautiful neighborhood – and, some claim, its most haunted. In the midst of the largest collection of Victorian homes in the country, ghosts are said to still wander through the lush courtyards and streets of Old Louisville… and so can you on an Old Louisville Ghost Tour.

On your haunted walking tour of Old Louisville, you’ll listen to stories of the wealthy titans who lived and died in the grand Victorians of Old Louisville as you pass by the gnarled Witches Tree and explore St. James Court, Ormsby Avenue, Floral Terrace, and Millionaires Row by flickering gaslamp.

But it’s not just ghost stories that swirl through local lore when it comes to Old Louisville Historic Tours. You see, this company, creators of the original Old Louisvile ghost tours, is run by David Dominé, a local author who literally wrote the book on America’s Most Haunted Neighborhood – along with several other fantastic and fascinating books about Louisville.

Now, some big companies owned by national conglomerate ghost tour operators – yes, y’all, Big Ghost Tour is a thing – got wind of the “most haunted neighborhood in America” claim and decided they needed a piece of the pie. So they used his books to create copycat tours … and were promptly sued.

Big Ghost Tour et al lost the case and were pushed out of town when the author revealed that he had, in fact, made up many of the stories in his books and on his tours. You see, fictional ghost stories are not protected by copyright law like historic facts! Yes, y’all, the tour industry is dramatic. I’m sure any day now we’ll have our very own Project Runway equivalent.

So, make sure you book the original Old Louisville ghost tour – even if the stories aren’t factual, they’re certainly entertaining!

Waverly Hills Sanatorium Tour

Waverly Hills, a former tuberculosis sanatorium, is Louisville’s most haunted attraction – and one of the most haunted buildings in the entire country. The enormous Tudor Gothic hospital lays sprawling in the Kentucky hills, the site of countless grisly horrors.

The most famous of these spine-tingling medical facts is the body chute. So many patients died at Waverly Hills that in order to dispose of the mountain of dead, they built a slide to send them all straight to the crematorium.

The many floors of this once-full hospital still house a few resident spooks. One was a child who tragically died at a young age. To this day, if you roll ball down the hallway of their room, it will roll right back to you. They say it’s the never-ending game of the forlorn child, sometimes heard faintly laughing in the corridors.

If you dare, there are several tours offered at Waverly Hills. The historical tour focuses more on the dark history of the sanatorium, while the paranormal tours and public investigations focus more on ghost hunting. If you’re really feeling brave, you can even book a private investigation, beginning at 10 PM and lasting until dawn… or until you flee in terror.

Psst: In October, Waverly Hills transforms into a haunted house and is unavailable for ghost tours. Head over to our sister site, Let’s Go Louisville, for a guide to the scariest haunted houses in Louisville! Ahhh!

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We hope our list of the best spooky ghost tours in Louisville got your heart racing.

About Louisville Food Tours: We are a locally-owned small business running award-winning walking food tours of Louisville, Kentucky. Come with us to experience the story of Bourbon City one bite at a time!

Hope to see you on a tour soon,

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