Beer tour, history tour...ghost tour? 👻 With October right around the corner, the AVLtoday team wanted to get a jump-start on Halloween festivities. So, last week, we ditched our normal ride and hopped in a hearse for a ghost tour with Dark Ride Tours. We visited haunted spots in a vintage 1972 haunted Cadillac hearse (named Lenore), as host Virgil Nightshade shared stories of Asheville’s spirits, including the ghost of a student found murdered on the UNC Asheville campus, a mysterious Lady in White that haunts the steps of a local church, and the restless ghosts of the creepy, abandoned Craggy Prison on Riverside Dr.

So with Halloween only a little over a month away, it’s time to book one of the nine local ghost tours that will get you into the spirit of the season. 🎃 We’ve rounded up all the ways to meet Asheville’s dark side, from checking out tribal activity in Pritchard Park and insane asylums in Biltmore Village to measuring spirit activity downtown and laughing at LaZoom’s humorous take on the Pink Lady. Follow us as we lead you into the supernatural.

⚰Walk right into the thick of terror

Downtown Walking Tour | Haunted Asheville | (828) 318-8579 | Thursday-Sunday at 8 p.m., call for other availability | $20 for adults, $15 for kids ages 9-14, free for kids under 8

Learn about the Pink Lady, the haunting at Helen’s Bridge + more. Tour ends with a trip to the Asheville Mystery Museum.

Supernatural Tour | Haunted Asheville | (828) 318-8579 | Fridays at 8 p.m. | $22.95 for adults, $15 for kids ages 9-14, under 8 free

This 2-hour walking tour highlights vampire activity, tribal rites in Pritchard Park, Native American mysticism, and more local lore. Bonus: The tour ends with a trip to the Asheville Mystery Museum.

Learn about strange happenings in Biltmore Village, including ghosts, Nazi occultists, insane asylums + serial killers. Tour only runs with at least 10 adults.

Downtown Spirits Tour | Ghost Hunters of Asheville | (828) 424-1089 | By appointment, call to book | $20 for adults, $13 for kids 6-15, under 6 free

This interactive tour lets you use dowsing rods, ambient temperature thermometers + EMF meters to measure spirit activity. Bring your own digital + 35mm cameras to snap paranormal pictures.

Haunted Montford Stroll | Ghost Hunters of Asheville | (828) 424-1089 | By appointment, call to book | $20 for adults, $13 for kids 6-15, under 6 free

Discover the sordid history behind Asheville’s historic home district – murders, duels + more, and of course Zelda Fitzgerald.

⚰Take a bus – to the other side

Haunted History + Murder Mystery Tour | Gray Line Tours | (828) 251-8687 | Multiple dates available | $25 for adults, $11 for children 5-11

Hop on an old-fashioned trolley for a fully-narrated tour of Asheville area hauntings. Walk-ups without reservations will be accommodated as space permits.

A frightfully funny tour of Asheville’s dark side. Adults 18+ only. Canned beer + wine welcome on bus with valid I.D.

⚰Take a ride in a vintage hearse

Spirits on the River Ghost Tour | Dark Ride Tours | (828) 747-9280 | Multiple dates available | $28.50 for all ages

Dark Ride’s vintage hearse (complete with purple velvet) takes you to meet the ghosts of UNC Asheville’s campus, a historic church, and the very creepy Craggy Prison, among others.

Haunted Graveyard Tour | Dark Ride Tours | (828) 747-9280 | Multiple dates available | $28.50 for all ages

Tour the historic graveyard right before sunset and listen to your host spin creepy tales by the crypts. Just don’t get trapped in the graveyard…

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I’m always ready to start celebrating early.

Dark Ride’s river tour not only introduced me to a lot of new history, it also got me just a little bit freaked out – so it was pretty much the perfect night.

What’s your favorite Asheville ghost story? Let us know by hitting reply, or leave us a comment over on Facebook or Instagram.

We can’t wait to get spooky with you.

– Ali + Stephanie (AVLtoday Intern)