Spooky Walks Across the South That'll Give You a Fright

It's spooky season and when you're not whipping up a batch of ghost cookies or a scary story or two, you may want to mark the occasion with a walk through one of the South's many ghostly destinations. Luckily, our corner of the country has plenty of ghost tours, hair-raising old houses, and candle-lit night walks for anyone who wants to stretch their legs while they get in the mood for Halloween.

Here are some of the South's spookiest walks:

Haunted Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Virginia

Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg is the perfect place to walk back in time to hear 18th-century colonial ghost stories, as well as creepy modern-day encounters. Costumed storytellers will spin their scary yarns on this one-hour candlelit tour that offers exclusive access to the site's historic outdoor spaces.

Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

If you're looking for a fright, head out at night for a walking tour of Gatlinburg's most "haunted" places. Brave guests can tour haunted hotels, infamous murder sites, cemeteries, and more on this one-hour walk led by a local storyteller dressed in period costume. Head this way for more spooky happenings in the Tennessee town.

Bonaventure After Hours

Savannah, Georgia

While Savannah's historic 100-acre cemetery is drop-dead gorgeous in the daytime, come night there may be no place creepier. Stout-hearted visitors can tour the cemetery after hours, hearing spine-chilling tales of the folks making their eternal rest there. Folks on the hunt for a slightly less sinister sojourn can always tour the grounds in the daytime.

Secrets of St. Augustine

St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is one of the country's oldest towns, dating back to 1565. In all that time, it has picked up more than a few specters, ghouls, and ghost stories. This 90-minute walk will take visitors on a tour of what is perhaps the South's most haunted town. Stroll to the Public Burial Grounds, Tolomato Cemetery, the Old Funeral Parlor, and more on this trip back through the historic and haunted streets of the so-called Ancient City. Want more? Head to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum to meet its rumored spectral inhabitants.

Haunted History Ghost Walk

San Antonio, Texas

Back in 1836, Texans fought for independence in the Battle of the Alamo. Rumor has it that some of the soldiers never left. Get to know their history on a 90-minute Haunted History Ghost Walk through San Antonio's eerier corners from the Spanish Governor's Mansion, to the Old Bexar County Jail, and the Menger Hotel, considered to be the most haunted hotel in Texas.

New Orleans' Haunted History

New Orleans, Louisiana

No list of haunted Southern sites would be complete without a mention of New Orleans. The city has over 300 years of history filled with voodoo, ghosts, and dark deeds done in the night. There are plenty of tour companies offering tours of the city's darker corners, including Gray Line's Ghosts & Spirits walking tour through the haunted sites in the French Quarter and Free Tours by Foot's voodoo and ghost tours.