The spookiest ghost tours in Melbourne

These days the site is home to apartments, a café and even a cinema, but Pentridge Prison has been part of the Coburg landscape since 1851. The prison was once home to some of Victoria’s most notorious criminals, from Ned Kelly himself to Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. Pentridge was also the site of the last execution in Australia, which was the subject of protests at the time.

With all that dark history, it’s no wonder the prison is haunted. Book the Pentridge Prison D Division Ghost Tour hosted by Lantern Ghost Tours to learn more about the prison’s hair-raising history, with no less than 44 bodies buried on site.

Want a spooky experience at your own pace? Ghosts of Melbourne: Haunting Stories & Legends is a vast self-guided ghost hunt game through the Melbourne CBD. It has all the bones of a classic ghost tour, but with a twist. Think riddles to solve and treasure to hunt. Melbourne has plenty of secrets and it’s safe to say you won’t look at your much-trodden streets the same way after this one.

All you need to do to get in on the spooky action is book your ticket online and download the Questo app, and you can play anytime you want. 

Put on your thinking cap with the Werribee Park Paranormal Investigation, a mind-bending three-hour experience exploring the original Chirnside homestead. Hidden behind the Werribee Park Mansion by the banks of the Werribee River, this homestead is known for being at the centre of high levels of paranormal activity. 

You’ll explore the stables, blacksmith, coach house and original bluestone homestead, all with guidance from professional paranormal investigators with top-notch equipment. Check out the Twisted History website to book, if you dare. 

For those that prefer their startling tours accompanied by a tipple or two, Drinking History has got you covered. Falling somewhere between a ghost tour and a bar crawl, the Hidden Bars and Creepy Tales Tour puts a chill down your spine and a drink in your hand.

You’ll head to Melbourne’s first graveyard and hear the terrifying tale of the man who may or may not be Jack The Ripper Himself. In true Drinking History Fashion, education is mixed with libation as you visit three hidden Melbourne bars, specially chosen by your guide.

We all know the trope of old Melbourne, a marvellous growing city with gardens galore. Yet, a closer examination reveals a second, much spookier side to the Melbourne of yesteryear. It’s this side of Melbourne’s history that the Old Melbourne Ghost Tour is all about.

Meet at Young & Jackson Hotel on Flinders Street, one of Melbourne’s most haunted locations, then you might meet the ghost of a murdered woman from the 19th century. You’ll then meander through the city, letting the spices of Chinatown transport you back to a time when the area was filled with the smoke of opium dens. If you’re lucky, you might make the acquaintance of Federici, the ghost of the Princess Theatre. Book through Lantern Ghost tours.

Even older than Pentridge Prison, Old Melbourne Gaol has long been one of the city’s most feared sites. The prisoners may be long gone, but those in the know say their spirits have never left. Ned Kelly was hanged here back in 1880, so you can only imagine the supernatural energy that event must have left behind.

Old Melbourne Gaol is holding chilling night tours where you’ll see the gaol like you’ve never seen it before. 

Did you know that Williamstown was actually Victoria’s original capital? A settlement that old is just bursting with eerie stories and scary spirits, especially when you’re on a lamplight tour.

This tour of Victoria’s most history-steeped seaport will take you through abandoned morgues and forgotten burial grounds, as well as streets once frequented by convicts and drunken sailors. These days though, these alleys are home to far more apparitions. Book via Lantern Ghost Tours.

The Altona Homestead was once home to the Langhorne family and the spirit of their colourful history is said to remain to this day. This building has seen no shortage of births and deaths, so it’s no surprise the homestead has ended up at the centre of countless paranormal investigations over the years.

This tour run by Lantern Ghost Tours explores the homestead itself and the grounds, and we advise you to steel your nerves before booking a spot.