The best ghost tours of 2022, according to USA Travel

From coast to coast, this Halloween season is full of festivals and spooky stories

The History of Halloween.The origins of Halloween are believed to dateback to the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain. .Samhain marked the transition from the growingseason into winter and was widely celebrated withanimal costumes, bonfires and superstitious tales. .After the Romans conquered theCelts in 43 AD, Samhain evolved intothe Nov. 1 religious holiday of All Hallows.Because of this, Oct. 31 wasmarked as All Hallow’s Eve, whichis also known as Halloween.From there, Puritan immigrants arrivedin America and brought the varioustraditions of the holiday with them. .All Hallow’s Eve became a time to host “play parties” in celebration of the harvest, many of which included costumes and scary stories.In the 1800s, Irish immigrants arrivedin America and introduced the traditionof tricking people on the holiday. .The concept of treats was reinforced later onin the 1930s, in order to control the “tricks” andcreate a more family-oriented form of celebration. .Candy companies began to fully capitalizeon Halloween in the 1950s, inventing the candywe know and love even to this day.

There’s nothing like a good ghost story during this time of year, especially when the story has some truth behind it.

There’s an art to combining thrills, chills and a little dash of truth to create some of the scariest ghost stories around the country. USA Travel compiled a list of the top ghost tours around the country and the results are in.

Here are their top six ghost tours around the U.S.

Ghost City Tours in Savannah

Ghost City Tours takes you through the most “haunted city in America.” When taking this tour, guests will experience the haunted mansions, cemeteries, bars and hotels that make Savanna so exciting – and spooky.

Adult-only ghost tours start at ages 16+. For more information on times, locations and tickets visit ghostcitytours.com.

Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours in San Antonio, Texas

Voted the #1 ghost tour in the country, guests pile onto a tour bus and are thrust into the haunted history of San Antonio. One famed destination is the Menger Hotel, which just so happens to be the “most haunted hotel” in Texas.

Sisters Grimm offers a bus tour and a haunted history ghost walk. For tickets visit their website.

Mysteries of Hawaii in Oahu, HI

Offering four different types of walking tours, the Mysteries of Hawaii dives deep in to the ghostly happenings on the island.

Guests can book lectures, private tours, custom tours, and school and corporate events. For more information check out mysteries-of-hawaii.com

Bar Harbor Ghost Tours in Bar Harbor, Maine

Looking through the eyes of a Native American perspective, the Bar Harbor Ghost Tours includes exclusive nightly access to the 1932 Criterion Theater, where guests will learn about New England’s paranormal history.

For tickets visit barharborghosttours.com.

Ghost of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina

This is an 80 minute walking tour that takes you through the historic streets of Charleston. While learning about the haunting history of the city, the tour wraps up with exclusive access to the Unitarian Church Graveyard.

For more information on the when and where visit charlestonghostofthesouth.com.