Ghost Tours are popping up all over Sydney, and it’s no surprise they’re becoming so popular. They’re an entertaining way of learning the history of a place; the shared experience of fear can bond people together (which is why couples often opt for horror movies), and they connect the living with the dead. A good ghost tour is spine-tingling, thrilling and honours the lives lived before us.
Sydney has great ghost tours in a range of scare-levels: you can experience mild frights to horrid hauntings. Some have even caused people to pass out!
“Some of the people who come on the tour are quite sceptical,” says Juliet Scrine, a guide for Sydney Botanic Garden’s Ghost Tour. “But I think when they leave they have that feeling that, ‘aw, maybe there is something happening’.”
“I think we’ve all had that feeling when you walk into a room and you feel that little prickle on the back of your neck or you feel that cold shiver down your spine,” Scrine continues. “So all of those things are often unexplained. And we can’t actually say, ‘Yeah, that was definitely a ghost’ or ‘yeah, that was not a ghost’. It’s just a feeling that you have.”
‘Tis the season to be spooky, so we’ve put together a list of Sydney’s most haunted places to go on a tour (including a spine-chilling historical tour) for your pleasure. Go with an open mind, and you might even witness a spirit for yourself.
5. Ghostyard – A Paranormal Experience
What’s involved: Sydney harbour’s largest isle, Cockatoo Island, housed prisoners and was home to a reformatory school for “wayward” girls. Hosted by the Harbour Trust, this tour has been operating for nearly a year, recounting tales of the site’s ghastly history. You’ll get to use a K-II EMF reader – a device that measures changes in electromagnetic fields – and communicate with the dead through your guide. They also have the more child-friendly Haunted History Tour.
Why it made the list: It’s a great way to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll search for ghosts in buildings rarely open to the public.
This tour runs on Saturday nights and books out quickly.
Cost: $45
For more information and to get tickets, click here.
4. Garden Gates Ghost Tours
What’s involved: Under the watchful gaze of bats and creatures that dwell in the park, you’ll hear stories of ghost sightings. “It’s a mixture of history and fact. You’ll learn a lot about what the garden was when the first settlers arrived. And you’ll learn about the heritage of the place, which is also very interesting,” says tour guide Juliet Scrine. “You’ll learn about all these mysterious things that have happened in our past that you may not know about, even if you live in Sydney.”
Why it made the list: This is a rare chance to spend time in the beautiful gardens after hours. Hosted by Eaton Gorge Theatre Company, the Halloween special will feature the usually spooky stories and some extra tricks to freak you out!
This event runs on Friday, October 25th; Thursday, October 31st, and Friday, November 8th and 22nd. Meet at Woolloomooloo Gate.
Cost: $41-37
For more information and to get tickets, click here.
3. Gladesville Hospital: A Day At The Asylum Historical Tour
What’s involved: While not a ghost tour, this experience hosted by Sydney History Tours will surely send shivers down your spine. Located on Bedlam Point, Australia’s first mental asylum – like basically all mental asylums – has a dark history. Established in 1838, Gladesville Psychiatric Facility, (formerly known as the Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum) was designed to keep so-called ‘lunatics’ out of the public eye. It is said to be built on the corpses of over 1000 patients.
The asylum’s poor conditions saw patients diagnosed with ‘domestic trouble’, ‘love affairs and seduction’ and ‘sexual intemperance’ being treated with barbaric electric shock therapy. The hospital closed officially in 1993, with in-patient treatments ceasing in 1997.
Why it made the list: Being a history tour, it’s a little less kooky than some ghost tours tend to be. For people who have an interest in the history of mental health treatments in Australia, this tour is a must.
Tours run on Saturday afternoons.
Cost: $20.
For more information and to get tickets, click here.
2. Lantern Ghost Tours
What’s involved: This 90-minute street tour takes place in one of Australia’s oldest colonial settlements. Starting outside The Observer Hotel, this tour will take you through tales of public executions, mass burial pits, opium dens, and evil spirits. You’ll see parts of The Rocks you never knew existed, as well as hear a ghostly tale about the Ghost Train Ride at Luna Park.
Why it made the list: It’s an award-winning tour! You’ll get to see beautiful historic Sydney sights, including a haunted site that’s usually closed to the public.
Tours run on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Cost: $36.
For more information and to get tickets, click here.
1. Q Station Extreme Ghost Tour
What’s involved: Hosted by Q Station, this tour features one of the most famous ghostly hotels in Sydney. Ghost tours have operated here since the ’90s. Learn the history of Quarantine station, a place home to the freakiest ghost stories around.
Why it made the list: Reviews tend to point to this Manly tour as one of Sydney’s best. It features tales by psychics and mediums, and even includes experiments to encourage paranormal activity. Three hours long, this tour will test your wits.
Tours run for three hours every Friday at 10pm.
Cost: $75 / $66 concession
For more information and to get tickets, click here.
Disclaimer: New Idea did not receive a commission from any of these tours. These tours were selected via user review.
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