The top 8 ghost tours in NYC

Once upon a time, the Tredwell family lived in a building now called the Merchant’s House Museum in Noho. And it's been speculated that after their deaths, their spirits may not have moved on. This 50-minute tour reveals the dark, haunted past of this old structure—as well as its spooky present. Try the Candlelight Ghost Tour where doors slam, floorboards creak, and voices call out into the dead of night. Has all that construction nearby awoken the ghosts from their slumber? During this tour, you may just find out. 

Time Out tip: If you want to get really invested in the story behind this haunted house, listen to the "In the Spirit of Science" podcast before you visit. 

During this almost two-hour stroll through New York’s busiest part of town, you’ll learn about Broadway and Vaudeville Stars from the great beyond, dance the Time Warp, sing songs from Phantom of the Opera and visit legendary haunted theaters.

Time Out tip: If you are a musical theater fan, Braodway Up Close also offers a tour titled Hamilton: The Tour Where It Happened, which highlights sites from the musical.

Learn the basics of ghost hunting with a resident paranormal investigator at Manhattan’s oldest house, located in Washington Heights. The two-hour investigation includes an overview of paranormal theory, a history of ghost hunting and a hands-on, house-wide investigation of period rooms made famous for their otherworldly inhabitants. Just don’t be alarmed if you wind up communicating with one of MJM’s notorious former residents.

Time Out tip: These sell out super quickly, so keep an eye on their website to book early.

These ghost tours aren’t the cheesy kind which only have cheap jump scares up their sleeves; instead, they explore the true, oft-hidden history and spirits lurking around New York City. 

"Boroughs of the Dead: Macabre New York City Walking Tours" offers a bevy of tours, including options in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Roosevelt Island. Plus, look for fan favorites "Edgar Allan Poe in Greenwich Village" and "Ghostly Women of Greenwich Village." The tours promise a "dose of dark history, women’s history, hauntings, ghosts, the occult" and more.

Time Out tip: Witches more your thing? There's a tour for that too – and it features tales of fortune tellers, clairvoyants and mystics. 

Join this after-dark tour and uncover Greenwich Village's most haunted historic places; you'll be taken to the Hanging Tree, the infamous Murder House – the most haunted house in Manhattan – and learn all about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire at the Brown Building. 

Time Out tip: Don't get too distracted by the potential for paranormal activity – your local guide will be telling spine-chilling stories along the way that you'll definitely want to hear. 

Although it’s not officially a ghost tour, Untapped Cities' abandoned Ellis Island Hospital expedition is sure to give you the creeps. Once the standard for the U.S. medical care, the hospital has sat abandoned since 1954. Don your hard hat and go behind-the-scenes for an unparalleled exploration of the institution’s contagious disease wards, autopsy rooms and other areas that are usually off limits. Each ticket includes your ferry ride to and from Ellis Island.

Time Out tip: You'll need to be at the ferry terminal at least two hours before the tour's start time. 

Team up with top-rated NYC Ghosts for an in-depth exploration of Greenwich Village's haunted past. Plus, you'll get to hear the true stories figures like Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Aaron Burr, and spirits of the city’s notorious ghosts. Stand on burial grounds with thousands of graves, see old speakeasies and learn about historic events like the The Triangle Factory Fire on this hourlong tour. If you're looking for even more creepy history, extend the fun with a 30-minute bonus trip after the tour ends. 

Time Out tip: NYC Ghosts also offers a Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl, during which you can enjoy some liquid courage while hearing about the city's historic haunts and drinking hotspots.

The trolley tour that's outfitted to look like a Victorian funeral parlor—think chandeliers and velvet curtains—and takes you on a trip through the shadows of historic Brooklyn is back. The tour visits the secret location where Murder, Inc. disposed of bodies, alien abduction sites along the Brooklyn Bridge, a brothel and more spooky sites spanning 400 years of Brooklyn history. 

Even if you're a supernatural skeptic, it's fascinating to see hidden cemeteries, mobster dumping grounds, and an EPA Superfund site. Plus, get the chance win prizes with spooky trivia.

Time Out tip: Though these are a staple of spooky season, Madame Morbid now offers tours from July through November.