Whenever my husband and I are visiting a new city, we love going on ghost tours. It’s a great way to learn the history of a new place. We’ve been on ghost tours in London, England, Savannah, GA and Alexandria, VA but somehow we had never been on one in our hometown! Richmond, Virginia is an incredibly old city with a lot of unique history, including the location where Patrick Henry gave the famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech. It’s also home to the Edgar Allen Poe Museum! It was nice to enjoy our city from a different perspective and to feel like we were on vacation for an evening. :) We booked the Sinister Scares of Shockoe Bottom Tour with Richmond Ghosts and even filmed a little YouTube video about it that you can find here! But if you’d rather not spoil too much about the tour, I’ve included a few photos and favorite moments from our tour below! Oh, and P.S. - Use my code MYLES10 for 10% off your booking with RVA Ghosts!
The tour started outside of Havana ‘59, a local Cuban restaurant with a rooftop bar. I actually just photographed a wedding here in April and it was gorgeous! I’d recommend arriving early to the tour and popping in there for dinner or a quick drink. It’s an incredibly beautiful restaurant and lovely Richmond staple.
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Our tour guide, Bryce, was a great storyteller and also gave us a few tips about local restaurants and things to see around the area if you were a visitor. Our first stop was right outside the Richmond Randolph 19 which houses the oldest masonic lodge in America. He told us some spooky stories about the building and the ghosts that frequent it.
A few of our other stops included the Edgar Allen Poe Museum (which I highly recommend a separate visit inside the museum because it’s one of my favorite spots in Richmond - I’ve photographed at least 5 weddings there and it’s odd, unique, and perfectly spooky), the Church Hill Tunnel and JewFro restaurant (a building with a lot of spooky history). The tour was right at sunset so we watched the moon emerge as we wandered through the city which made the tour even more ghostly.
There were a few other stopping points along the way and our guide kept us interested and a little spooked out the whole time. He had an energy that was perfect for ghost tours - slightly theatrical and a little serious with a hint of sarcasm. Loved it! He even pulled out an EMF ghost-hunting device and let us witness it lighting up when spirits were near.
The main street we walked along was N 18th street, a lively part of town with lots of bars and restaurants. If you’re going on this tour with young children, I’d recommend booking the tour for a Monday-Thursday, as the area can get a bit wild on the weekends.
The tour was only an hour long so it would be a great option for kicking your night off if you’re planning on hanging out down there for an evening or grabbing dinner at Havana ‘59 before or after. If you want to continue your evening with spooky haunts, I’d recommend checking out Grandstaff & Stein, a speakeasy that requires a password to get in (check their instagram @booksellersrva!) and has delicious cocktails and food with a prohibition-themed bar. This is actually one of our favorite bars in Richmond!
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS TOUR?
RVA Ghosts also has a few other tour options like the Haunted Pub Crawl (also in Shockoe Bottom and a great option if you’d prefer to drink with friends along the way), the Hollywood Cemetery Tour (a beautiful cemetery in a quieter part of the city - and also the tour is earlier in the day) and the Drink Richmond Walking Tour in Scotts Addition. I think if I were to book this tour again, I probably would book the Haunted Pub Crawl instead, because it would have been nice to actually go into some of the buildings (and grab a drink, of course)! Though, most ghost tours I’ve been on in other cities don’t include building admission so we weren’t expecting it, but I think it would add an extra layer of fun.
While the Sinister Scares of Shockoe Bottom Tour with RVA Ghosts is somewhat short and sweet, I enjoyed the theatrics of our tour guide and have gained a little more insight into the history of our town. Though, now when I walk by these spots in Shockoe Bottom I’m definitely going to only think about these super creepy ghost stories! I’d recommend this tour if you just want a little something to kick off your night with friends, and I’d follow it up with a visit to Havana’ 59, Grandstaff & Stein and the Roosevelt or Patrick Henry’s Pub in the Churchhill district. And if you’re going all out with a full-spook day, I’d do the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in the morning, the Hollywood Cemetery Tour at 3 pm and finish your day with either the Haunted Pub Crawl in Shockoe Bottom or the Drink Richmond Walking Tour in Scotts Addition. If you want to truly experience the history of Richmond while you’re here, I highly recommend staying in The Jefferson Hotel. It’s known for its ghost sightings and has been around since 1895! My parents stay here every time they visit and absolutely love it. It’s a stunning hotel, especially during the Christmas season. Historical figures like F. Scott Fitzgerald, various US Presidents, and Elvis even stayed there! It’s probably one of the most gorgeous hotels I’ve ever seen, if we’re being honest!
I hope this blog post has helped you plan your visit to Richmond with RVA Ghosts! It’s a unique, diverse city with so much culture, history, and tasty food. Make sure to check out the Jasper Bar too (amazing cocktails) and Stella’s main location in the West End (incredible mediterranean food) if you want more recommendations. :)
If you’re interested in taking the exact tour from this blog post, you can find it here! Or check out more of the Richmond Tour options with RVA Ghosts here. And don’t forget to use my code MYLES10 for 10% off your booking!
Have a magical (and spooky) day!
<3 Myles Katherine
