Welcome To Staunton's #1 Rated Ghost Tour

Injustice, bloody battles, devilish deals, and sinister scandals fuel the fires that burn in the dark underbelly of Staunton’s debaucherous side. The surrounding serene and peaceful Shenandoah Valley can’t hide the scars of Staunton’s past. Lift the ghostly veil and see what’s beyond the quaint and cozy facade on a bone-chilling ghost tour with Staunton Ghosts.

All Otherworldly Hotel

In Staunton, the past is never far behind, and even the most luxurious buildings can be the perfect place for spooky events and restless ghosts looking to scare unsuspecting visitors with their otherworldly charm. For a building that once stood as one of the most luxurious hotels in the entire country, the American Hotel’s grandeur didn’t last long. 

Venture with Staunton Ghosts to a building that once served as a Civil War hospital where soldiers on both sides endured unimaginable pain and met gruesome fates, laying the groundwork for ghostly hauntings that would linger long after the war ended. Soon after, the building became a revolving door of misfortune, with each iteration adding its own layer of darkness to the hotel’s already troubled history.

Prepare to hear the intriguing and terrifying tales that have plagued one of Staunton’s historical landmarks, where dejected souls from the city’s dark past have left echoes that even the finest renovations can’t silence. From mysterious voices in the basement to visions of long-departed spirits, the American Hotel continues to harbor secrets that defy explanation. Find out who else checked in but never checked out on a heart-racing ghost tour with Staunton Ghosts.

What Will I See?

Visit Staunton’s Most Haunted Locations, Including:

• Mary Baldwin University – When we say there’s enough spooky around every corner in Staunton, there truly is, and even educational institutions are not left out. Renamed after a pioneer woman educator, Mary Baldwin University boasts a prestigious reputation and restless spirits, with some of the scariest tales in the city originating from its infamous McClung residence hall, where a grumpy spirit still roams the halls, leaving a trail of shattered mirrors in her wake. 

• The American Hotel – Once a luxurious hotel, the American Hotel Banquet Room in Staunton saw its grandeur turn to excruciating pain and agony during the Civil War, serving as a hospital for sick and wounded soldiers from both sides. Today, it remains a hotspot for spooky events and ghostly encounters, including the ghostly voice of a child from its haunted past.  

• Staunton Train Station – For well over a century of its existence, the historic Staunton Train Station has been a hotbed of turmoil and dark happenings, with tales of war, fiery disasters, and even derailed trains all contributing to its haunted reputation. Local lore reports that lost souls from the disastrous train wreck that claimed innocent lives in 1890 still roam the place where they met their tragic end, including the ghost of Myrtle Ruth Knox, an aspiring singer forever ruing her missed chance at stardom. 

Train to Nowhere

An innovation designed to enhance the lives of Staunton’s residents became a magnet for misfortune. The Staunton Train Station has been a fixture of the city’s historical side since the 1800s, and the tragedies that it became known for began almost immediately. Staunton Ghosts invites you to the railroad depot that doubles as a ghostly graveyard of train tracks and twisted metal.

Step back in time as you explore the station’s unsettling history and hear the tragic story of an aspiring actress, Myrtle Ruth Knox, whose dreams of stardom were derailed by a deadly train wreck at the Staunton Train Depot in 1890. It’s said that her spirit still wanders the tracks, and it’s believed she isn’t alone. 

Discover why the station’s haunted legacy continues to cling like a plague, refusing to let go despite several attempts to rebuild and rebrand it. As you walk by, you can’t help but wonder if these restless spirits are still searching for closure or simply waiting for the next train to the afterlife. Could the station be a waypoint for heartbroken souls like Myrtle Ruth Knox?  

A Place of Unearthly Learning

Founded in 1842 and renamed in honor of one of its longest-serving principals, Mary Baldwin University gained prominence during the Civil War as one of the few educational institutions to stay open amid the chaos. But there’s only so much scholarly education and defiance in times of conflict can do to cover up its unsettling past. 

Join Staunton Ghosts to visit one of the Queen City of the Valley’s most haunted buildings and reveal how an institution renowned for academic excellence became a hotbed for ghostly activity. Hear the tales of the infamous Room 14, where the ghost of Mary Julia Baldwin herself still lingers, smashing any mirrors in sight. Learn more about the unsettling encounters experienced by students and what sends shivers down their spines in the King Building.

What else could be lurking in the shadows of Staunton’s most prestigious educational institution, waiting to frighten you? Could it be the ghost of a legendary actress unable to resist the limelight even in death? There’s only one way to find out—book your next Staunton ghost tour with Staunton Ghosts tonight. 

Why is Staunton so Haunted?

Permanent Patients

Since the early 1800s, more than a century’s history has unfolded here, from Civil War skirmishes to devastating train wrecks, fire accidents, and enough heartbreak to fill a Victorian novel. Several of the troubled souls and victims of these grisly events were unable to break free from the place where tragedy struck. 

One such place is the Blackburn Inn – a building that has seen its fair share of the macabre, having once served as part of the notorious Western State Hospital. In its heyday, the hospital was lauded for its innovative psychiatric care and groundbreaking treatment. But behind its bastion of supposed medical breakthrough lay a darker reality of mistreatment and agony that continues to linger within its walls. 

Staunton Ghosts introduces you to the horrors that occurred within the walls of this infamously haunted building. Is there truly no rest for the weary…..or tortured souls? We will let you decide after you listen to the story of patients subjected to inhumane conditions and experiential treatment in the old Western State Hospital and hear the mournful echoes of tortured souls still seeking respite from the horrors of the past. 

Sweet Treats and Spooky Sights in the Heart of the City

One of the most symbolic yet spooky landmarks in Staunton’s downtown historic district is the town clocktower building, a stately structure originally designed to house the local YMCA. Today, the clocktower stands tall after several renovations and redesigns, not just as a marker of time but as the location of the most haunted restaurant in the Shenandoah Valley: Clocktower Eats & Sweets. 

Journey with Staunton Ghosts to this eatery of the unexplained and hear the ghostly tales of failed clock repairs, spectral diners, and a series of inexplicable events. Even the basement isn’t spared from the spooky action, with eyewitnesses reporting terrifying and mischievous apparitions and the mayhem they cause.

What could possibly be so terrifying that a quiet night at the Clocktower Eats & Sweets is seemingly impossible? Book a Staunton ghost tour with Staunton Ghosts tonight to find out whose untimely end made them a forever patron of this haunted restaurant.

What’s so Special About the Staunton Ghosts Tour?

See A Different Side of a Landmark Sacred Site 

Even sacred houses of worship aren’t safe from darkness in the Queen City of the Valley, and some now harbor secrets darker than the confession booth itself. Staunton Ghosts takes you on a moonlit stroll to the historic site of the oldest church in the city, where you will hear eerie tales of how a place of worship became a haven for restless spirits and souls. 

Learn about the churchyard, the only public burial ground in town until the haunted Thornrose Cemetery was created when the yard could no longer house the dead. Conditions at the bigger Thornrose Cemetery weren’t any better, as soldiers from both sides during the Civil War were hardly able to give their fallen compatriots a proper burial, resorting to mass graves and leaving them to rot to ground most times. 

But the cemetery isn’t the only place where ghosts lurk. Hear the account of a couple’s hair-raising encounter with a spectral figure in an old Georgian-style brick home just a stone’s throw away from the cemetery. Could it be the spirits of the soldiers seeking solace for their unmarked graves or something more sinister at play? 

A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity to Uncover Where the Dead Dine

Experience the grim side of the historic city of Staunton and hear dark tales of calamitous events and hauntings that have left a permanent stain on its history. Join us on a spooky adventure to the Ubon Thai Restaurant Inn, where the ghosts of past diners have developed a taste for more than just Pad Thai.

A motley crew of ghostly apparitions, each with their own tragic tale, lurk in the shadowy corners of this historic Victorian getaway, waiting to spice up your evening with their spectral acts. Would you dare to explore the haunted story of the Ubon Thai Restaurant Inn, where the food isn’t the only thing to die for? Book a nighttime walking ghost tour of the most haunted places in Staunton tonight for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure through the city’s unimaginable past. 

Be a Part of a Growing Ghostly Community

In Staunton, history isn’t confined to dusty museums alone—it walks the streets, haunts the alleys, and occasionally unearths the sinister secrets hidden in the deepest, darkest corners of the city’s haunted heart. 

Book a ghost tour with Staunton Ghosts tonight and join fellow thrill seekers like you who share your love for the morbid and mysterious. Venture on a haunted jaunt around the city and hear the dreadful history behind Staunton’s most haunted landmarks you will never forget.

* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *