traveler of charleston logo

Charleston After Dark: Explore the Spooky Side

Table of Contents

Photo/Bulldog Tours
Photo/Bulldog Tours

Any city with a deep history is sure to have some secrets, and Charleston is no exception. Local tour companies offer a variety of opportunities for visitors to explore Charleston’s spookier side – the old jail, graveyards and historic homes said to be haunted by centuries-old ghosts.

Harbor & Ghost Tours

Charleston Harbor Tours offers a 90-minute water tour on the Carolina Belle plus your choice of either a graveyard tour or a haunted jail tour provided by Bulldog Tours. The Ghost and Graveyard Tour takes visitors into Charleston’s oldest graveyards. Peek into dark corners, inspect the historic headstones and learn about some of the famous individuals who found their final resting place in the Holy City.

The Haunted Jail Tour takes brave visitors to the Old City Jail, for a behind-thescenes look into one of city’s spookiest places. The Old City Jail housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals, including 19th-century pirates and Civil War prisoners. The Old City Jail was in operation from 1802 until 1939 and most of the building’s original structures remain intact including the cells and warden’s quarters.

For the combo harbor & ghost tour: charlestonharbortours.com or take the Ghost and Graveyard Tour/Haunted Jail Tour separately through Bulldog Tours.

Sandlapper Tours also offers a Charleston Ghost Tour aboard a 45-foot catamaran. Enjoy the cool water breezes mixed with ghostly history and tales of lost fortunes and pirates in the haunted Charleston harbor. Take a 45-minute Haunted History Tour with Palmetto Carriage Works, the oldest carriage tour company in Charleston. Tour guides blend knowledge, wit, humor and folklore with Charleston’s haunting history for a truly entertaining carriage tour. See graveyards, churches and other historic (and maybe haunted) buildings downtown while learning about Charleston’s local legends, folklore and Gullah superstitions.

Spooky Walking Tours

The Dark Side of Charleston Walking Tour: Take an uncensored look at Charleston’s history – full of brothels, prostitutes, corruption, crime, scandal and sordid affairs – with Bulldog Tours. This is an uncensored tour of Charleston’s dark past so it is restricted to adults 18 and older.

Charleston Ghost & Dungeon Walking Tour: Join Bulldog Tours for a guided tour of the Holy City’s streets, cemeteries, back alleyways and churches on this 1-1/2-hour walking tour through the dark edges of Charleston. Hear fun and chilling stories of Charleston ghosts, haunted houses, voodoo and Lowcountry superstitions. Plus, gain access to the Provost Dungeon in The Old Exchange Building. (This tour is not available in December.)

Photo/Boone Hall
Photo/Boone Hall

Fright Nights

For visitors who love a heart-stopping fright, Boone Hall hosts its Fright Nights through Nov. 2. Spooky tours highlight zombies, creepy creatures in the woods and a 3D nightmare. Purchase tickets to four separate spooky attractions or go online to buy an All You Dare to Scare Pass for $27.

If you want fall fun without the fright, check out Boone Hall’s Pumpkin Patch. The Pumpkin Patch is open daily through Nov. 2. Activities include a corn maze, hayride, play areas, corn hole toss, a rock climbing wall and a pumpkin patch to select your own pumpkins for carving.

USS Yorktown Ghost Tours

Board the “Fighting Lady” for a guided ghost tour that explores the unexplained mysteries of this legendary WWII aircraft carrier docked in the Charleston harbor. Hear stories of sacrifice and devastation that faced many who served and learn of the strange activity on the ship that has been documented and reported over the years, including the results of the investigation by Syfy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters.” This tour is for ages 12 and older.

Charleston Tour Pass

Visiting Charleston Just Got Way Easier!

TourPass includes all the top tours and attractions & historic sites. Save up to 40% or more on admissions + skip the lines

Visit TourPass

Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

Additional Places to Explore

Traveler Mag Icon
Receive Charleston Updates

Get the First Timers Guide...it's free

We’ll email our online magazine, map, helpful articles. Unsubscribe at anytime.