Pet-Friendly Ghost Tours That Welcome Man's Best "Fiend"

Posted by Kaitlyn Coons

This article was updated in October 2021.

If you and your pup share a love of all things eerie and mysterious, a pet-friendly ghost tour in one of America’s most haunted cities might be right up your dark alley! Leave the scaredy cats at home and bring Fido on one of these ghoulish guided adventures for a howling good time.

Bonaventure Cemetery

Savannah, GA
“I think we made a grave mistake coming here!” Photo by Lori

Savannah is well known for its elaborate burial grounds, and Bonaventure Cemetery is the city’s most famous. Spanning over 100 acres and filled with live oaks towering over ornate tombs, the graveyard is a unique and interesting place to explore on foot with your canine companion. According to local legend, a pack of ghost dogs roam the grounds at night and will chase away any visitors foolish enough to cross their path. If your pup’s not afraid of the dark, sign up for a walking tour with Ghost City Tours, a featured attraction in the latest edition of our book, Ruff Guide to the United States. For another frightfully fun experience, enjoy a trip with Hearse Ghost Tours. Your mode of transportation is an authentic hearse once used to transport the dearly departed. Cruise around cemeteries and through the Historic and Victorian districts.

If you haven’t had your fill of frights after a cemetery tour, plan to stay at Olde Harbour Inn in downtown Savannah, which boasts its own resident ghost. The all-suite property has large rooms with separate sitting areas overlooking the Savannah River. Pups are greeted at check-in with a treat bag, toy, and waste bags.

A Ghostly Encounter

St. Augustine, FL
“Let me give you a hand.”

If you love haunted happenings rooted in history, you and your canine companion are in for a treat in Saint Augustine. The oldest city in the nation has a sordid past, and A Ghostly Encounter is only too happy to share the gory details with you. The tour has been operating for more than 20 years and incorporates visits to some of the most supernaturally active sites in the city, including two cemeteries.

Before you leave this historic city, step back in time with your pup at the old Spanish Military Hospital Museum, wander around the “Old Fort,” Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, and spend a night or two at the haunted Casablanca Inn on the Bay Bed and Breakfast.

Ghost City Tours

New Orleans, LA
"Did he just say voodoo?" Photo by @waffles_the_wonder_dog

After an evening with Ghost City Tours, you and your four-legged thrill-seeker will understand why New Orleans has earned its reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the world. Choose from three pet-friendly walking tours: Ghosts of New Orleans, Killers and Thrillers, and Bad Bitches. Each one takes you to some of the creepiest locations in NOLA while diving deep into the history of ghosts, voodoo and true crime that still haunts the French Quarter.

The tours cover 1.5 miles and last 90 minutes. Guides recommend bringing water for both furry and human guests during warm weather. If you’re still itching for a spectral sighting after your adventure, check in to the pet-friendly Omni Royal Orleans, which is rumored to harbor numerous spirits. Well-behaved pets and apparitions may be left unattended in the room.

The District is a treasure-trove of scary stories and creepy characters. Photo by Facebook.com/dcghosts

Take a tour with Colonial Ghost's DC Ghosts tour and get spooky insights into the history of the nation’s capital. If you like your ghost tales with a side serving of historical and political narrative, you’ll love hearing these accounts of fur-raising encounters with the spirits of presidents, first ladies, slaves and soldiers. The hour-long tour includes eight stops at locations of political and paranormal importance. Guests are welcome to bring Fido along on any of Colonial Ghost's 22 tours across the country.

Keep the ghostly history lesson going when you snuggle up with your pup at the renowned Omni Shoreham Hotel. Haunted sightings at this property have included blood-stained carpets and a little girl roaming the halls before vanishing into thin air. Fortunately, there's a grassy area for pet relief near the property.

Old Bisbee Ghost Tour

Bisbee, AZ
No need to beg. You’re guaranteed to have a fetching good time. Photo by The Old Bisbee Ghost Tour

The Wild West. Gold mining. Border skirmishes. This 130-year-old mining town has enough haunted history to give Fido a real fright. The Old Bisbee Ghost Tour has been voted best attraction in Bisbee and the best ghost tour in Arizona. Guests are encouraged to bring their pets along on the adults-only Old Bisbee Ghost Tour, a mile-long nighttime guided walk, or the family-friendly Haunted Ghost Walk, which takes place before the sun sets and only covers half a mile. Leashed or carried dogs, cats and even pet pigs have been known to join the tour group.

After your adventure, settle into the pet-friendly and reportedly haunted Copper Queen Hotel. Arizona's longest continuously operating hotel has hosted its share of celebrities and spirits since it opened in 1902.

Haunted Broadway Theatres Ghost Walking Tour

New York, NY
Memories! All alone in the moonlight …. Photo by @che2be

Musical fan and paranormal enthusiast? The Haunted Broadway Theatres Ghost Walking Tour might be the best of both worlds for you and Fido. This unique ghost tour blends the spooky history and true crime of Broadway’s theaters to the tune of some of the most famous musicals from the avenue. You and your pup will learn Micheal Jackson’s “Thriller” dance, do the “Time Warp,” and sing along to numbers from “Jekyll and Hyde,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Phantom Of The Opera” and more. Although you won’t be able to enter the theaters, you’ll hear about the mysteries still haunting your favorite playhouses and productions.

The theatrics don't have to end with your tour. Reserve a room at the spooky and pet-friendly Algonquin Hotel Times Square, located in the heart of the theater district. Reportedly, this place is quite literally the haunt of leading literary and theatrical figures from the 1920s, including poet Dorothy Parker and George S. Kaufman.

Old Charleston Ghost Tours

Charleston, SC
“Exorcise? I thought you meant we were going on a walk!” Photo by Kirsten

Even if you don’t see any ghosts, you’ll be glad you visited boo-tiful Charleston, South Carolina. Site of both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, this city has no shortage of supernatural occurrences. Once night falls, take a spooky stroll with Old Charleston Ghost Tours and bring your pup along to chase away the bad spirits. The tour lasts around 90 minutes and usually includes the tale of Poogan, a ghost dog who still roams the streets of Charleston.

Keep the scary fun going with dinner at Poogan's Porch, named after the long-dead hound who still makes appearances at the joint. Afterwards, check in at the pet-friendly and rumored-to-be-haunted Barksdale House Inn.

Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours

San Antonio, TX
Get ready to em-bark on a spooktacular adventure. Photo by Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours

Is your mutt willing to brave the spirits still defending the Alamo? Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours takes human and canine visitors to the three oldest parts of San Antonio--Alamo Plaza, Main Plaza and Military Plaza--on its Haunted History Walk. Obi, The Sisters Grimm’s Border Collie, used to join every tour but is now retired. In his place, your leashed pup is welcome to join the ghoul-hunting party.

The Haunted History Walk covers more than a mile and takes roughly two hours to complete. One of the stops is outside The Menger Hotel, one of our favorite dog-friendly haunted hotels.

Baltimore Ghost Tours

Baltimore, MD
"Do I smell a ghost? Nope, just a cat." Photo by Baltimore Ghost Tours

According to Baltimore Ghost Tours, industry, immigrants and ghosts have cultivated a rich haunted history for you to discover in Edgar Allan Poe's hometown. The company’s Original Fells Point Ghost Walk doesn't disappoint, with several locations that will delight human and canine students of the occult. The tour is entirely outdoors and covers about 3/4 of a mile, with frequent stops for eerie tales.

The tour’s starting point is one block from the pet-friendly Admiral Fell Inn, believed by some to be one of the most haunted hotels in America.

Chattanooga Ghost Tours, Inc.

Chattanooga, TN
Right this way, Fido. Photo by Facebook.com/ChattanoogaGhostTours

Ready to sniff out some other-worldly spirits? The award-winning storytellers at Chattanooga Ghost Tours will lead you and Fido through a journey into this town’s darkest history, which is steeped in Civil War battles and the tragedy of The Trail of Tears. The town’s past inhabitants must be active in the present, since this has been named one of the top 10 ghost tours in the country by TripAdvisor and USA Today. Well-behaved pets are welcome on the Original Chattanooga Ghost Tour and the Murder & Mayhem Tour.

With its paved Riverwalk, myriad outdoor activities and thriving arts scene, Chattanooga is worth a few days’ exploration. If you want more boo for your buck, check in at The Read House. Room 311 is particularly infamous for its resident ghost, Annalisa Netherly, who died here under grisly circumstances in 1927.

Spooks and Legends Haunted Tour

Williamsburg, VA
Who put a bone in her bonnet? Photo by Facebook.com/spooksandlegends

History is best learned firsthand from those who lived it and, in Williamsburg, some of the town’s original inhabitants never left. Two- and four-legged adventurers will have revolutionary fun trying to spot apparitions from America’s past at this living museum. Just reserve your spot with Spooks and Legends Haunted Tour, which focuses on the true stories and paranormal experiences that have taken place in town.

All the tours are pet-friendly and are conducted by a guide attired in colonial costume. For a truly unique experience, sign up for the Dead of Night Ghost Tour, the only one narrated in the first person by a guide playing the part of a long-dead spirit. If the almost-supernatural encounter is too much for Fido, choose the Witches & Pirates Tour or the Colonial Conspiracy Tour instead.

Stay in the colonial era with a few nights at the pet-friendly and ghost-friendly Fort Magruder Hotel & Conference Center. With rooms overlooking Civil War battlefields, it's perhaps no surprise that guests have reported seeing apparitions of confederate soldiers roaming the property.

Haunted Haight Walking Tour

San Francisco, CA
Getting frightened in Haight. Photo by flickr.com/Willis Lam

San Francisco's grim and ghoulish past promises a howling good time for you and Fido. During the day, scout out Golden Gate Park together and try to find the spectral “Lady in White,” who is said to haunt the park. When the sun sets, bring your pooch along on the spine-tingling Haunted Haight Walking Tour. Your tour is guided by the founder and president of the San Francisco Ghost Society, who knows his fair share about the most chilling hangouts in this city.

Not only is Haunted Haight Walking Tour one of the only pet-friendly ghost tours in San Francisco, it also has the rare advantage of avoiding any of the city’s famously steep hills during its entire two-hour, 16-block trek! After your paranormal power walk, reward Fido with a few nights’ stay at the Argonaut Hotel. Located in the Fisherman's Wharf District, the hotel is well known for its numerous sightings of guests who never checked out.

Salem Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tours

Salem, MA
What could possibly be lurking here? Photo by Facebook.com/salemhistoricaltours

Is your furry ghostbuster ready to tackle the witches, spirits and all-around macabre vibe of Salem? There’s no better place to start than the city’s original ghost tour. Salem Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tours by Salem Historical Tours gives you an authentic look at this quaint New England town, made infamous by its witch trials in 1692. Your lantern-lit walk takes you to many of the “Witch City’s” most popular haunts, including the cemetery. While leashed dogs are typically not allowed inside, you may hold your pooch during this portion of the tour.

If the spirits don’t make an appearance on your walk, try your bad luck with a stay at the pet-friendly Salem Inn or Hawthorne Hotel, two of the most supernaturally active sites in the city. Before you leave, be sure to stop by New England Dog Biscuit Company to grab a bag of Salem-themed dog cookies.

Ready for a Road Trip?

Photo by Linda Segerfeldt


The editors at BringFido have dedicated themselves to digging up the best dog-friendly things to do across the country. And we've assembled it all in our new book, Ruff Guide to the United States.

Now in its second edition, the book features over 365 of the best places to stay and play with your dog in all 50 states. Order your copy today and save 50% off the retail price when you use the discount code GHOST.

Would you bring Fido on a ghost tour? Leave a comment or tweet us @BringFido!