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Austin Ghost Tours
Categories: Local Flavor Hotels & Travel Tours Local Flavor, Tours [Edit]
303 Red River StAustin, TX 78701
Neighborhood: Downtown
(512) 853-9826
- Hours:
Fri-Sat 8 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
15 reviews for Austin Ghost Tours
15 reviews in English
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Review from Charles S.
San Marcos, TX
Updated - 3/21/2012
Here is an update to my last review of Rusty's paranormal investigation. The Shack Hack was a better success than my photos. I didn't even get any EVP's. That's the nature of an investigation. Sometimes you get the mother lode, then you get nothing at all. What does matter is that the people new to the field had a great time. I hope that they come back for more.
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/26/2012
Rusty's, near 7th and Trinity, is reputed to be haunted. The investigation went pretty well. Some… Read more »
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Review from Hannah D.
Buda, TX
11/1/2010
Really disappointing. After spending $30 a ticket...you'd think we would actually be able to go into the places and walk through the areas they talk about ghosts being. Instead, they point to areas or buildings where ghosts have been reported and tell stories. They do this on the street where you can't hear the guides anyway.
Super disappointing...and as an Austinite I've got to say that I am kind of ashamed that this tour hasn't raised the bar on entertainment and storytelling. SAVE SOME MONEY and just go see a scary movie at the Alamo Drafthouse! :) -
Review from Megan M.
Austin, TX
5/16/2011
Boring...
The owner was very nice but the tour guide was oh so boring. -
Review from chauntelle t.
Austin, TX
10/23/2010
if there were a way to rate this "no stars," that's what I would give it. I'm ordinarily not a hater, but this has to be said...
cost - $25 a person for a walking tour that is overbooked and conducted outside and in noisy places (ie the driskill lobby) so that you can't even hear what's being said by the guides is excessive. But it's not like you're missing anything bc...
"facts" - this tour was led by the worst story-tellers who knew little to nothing about whatever it was that they were trying to describe. Maybe it was just the guides we had, but at one point they were asking us tour-ees to fill in facts that had mysteriously escaped them... maybe it was the work of ghosts??? no - it was lack of preparation and professionalism.
I imagine there are excesses of amazing stories about Austin, downtown, etc that have to do with death and ghosts and scariness and whatnot, but along Jesshay G's lines - buy a book and take yourself on a walking tour of sixth street ...at least then you might be able to hear the stories over the voices in your head.
and btw out-of-towners: I don't even imagine this "experience" would be worth it for tourists... two mega thumbs down :( -
Review from Don P.
Austin, TX
7/28/2007
My experience was a good, solid, mediocre. Yes, I'd say I found myself lodged right there between "giddyup and call me edna" and "shoot me in the face" in the sweet spot of tolerability.
We did the "Warehouse District" tour last night. Our guide... what was his name... oh yes, Maverick was a nice guy, knowledgeable and willing to help. I learned a lot and have told several people about it... but as Mav put it, the tour is really about history. Didn't see any ghosts so a star off for that.
I think it'd be a fun thing to do for a date and I'd do it again for that purpose. But I'd probably do the one that focuses on The Driskill or maybe the Capital.
Like I said, we had a good time, just not a great time. -
Review from dana p.
Austin, TX
9/27/2009
history nerds unite! I've been on the tour 4 times. 3 times, the guy was my tour guide and he's a great storyteller.
The last time, the woman was my tour guide. She dresses up in old-timey clothes. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy her style of storytelling.
My advice is to definitely go on the ghost tour but book it with the male tour guide if possible. I thought the difference in quality was quite dramatic. -
Review from Jesshay G.
Austin, TX
9/13/2010
The most haunting aspect of our tour of the warehouse district will be the fact that we dropped $40 doing it.
Our tour took us to such spooky locales as the outside of the chase bank building and the deck of the old Rio Grande across the street from Max's wine dive.
The suppossed "highlight" was standing at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the bar in the Driskill. We would of been better off putting the cost of the tour towards spirits at the bar instead!
Austin Ghost Tours provides a cool overview of some obscure facts and bits of History. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and passionate, but the content just wasn't there. -
Review from Dennis F.
Austin, TX
11/22/2009
I recorded my first official EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) while interviewing Jeanine Plumer (Owner, AGT) for a Public Radio program back in October 2008. Astonishingly clear Class A-type responses on a Marantz PMD-760 Digital Audio Recorder.
It only got better from there.
I have been on a real ghost hunt with some members of the Austin Ghost Tours crew since and actually had a 'presence' run right through me in one very haunted location North of Austin (it felt like someone dumped a bucket of cold, electrically-charged(!) water over my entire body). An EVP captured shortly after that experience the same night was equally profound and provocative. This time a full four word sentence in clearly spoken English.
I adore Austin Ghost Tours because they have cultivated in me what was once a mere curiosity into a full on obsession.
Brace yourselves for their TV program, "Haunted Texas", airing sometime in 2010 on PBS... -
Review from Yolanda i.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2008
I agree, it was a fun way to learn about some quirky aspects of Austin History but not really much of a ghost tour.
We did the Capital Tour and what I found most disappointing was that we did not enter any buidings, with the exception of the Driskill Lobby; rather the guide walked us around the downtown area occasionally stopping in front of a building to tell ghost stories. Next time we'll try the Pub Crawl Ghost Tour so at least we will have guaranteed interaction with some spirits! -
Review from Kelly B.
Austin, TX
11/13/2009 2 photos
Ok, I admit it. I'm addicted to Ghost Hunters on TV and I love a good ghost story. "I see dead people."
I was always the kid who got invited to all the slumber parties because I liked to creep everyone out and lead the seances, Ouija board, levitation and the classic....bring everyone into the pitch black bathroom one at a time so they could call on the ghost of Bloody Mary and see her staring back at them in the mirror. It was amusing and a few times I was so good at it I even creeped MYSELF out. I wanted to be a Gypsy Fortune Teller when I grew up so this was good training.
I'm also interested in history and love old buildings so what could be better than getting to know your newfound city by taking the Austin Ghost Tour?
This is a good activity for older kids too. My 12 year old daughter actually looked up from her cell phone texting frenzy to say excitedly, "Cool! Let's go!" I even got some eye contact, so I knew I must have been onto something.
We ate at the Moonshine beforehand since its the start of the Ghost Tour and is reportedly haunted as well. The tour started promptly and surprisingly was very crowded....there were at least 30 people waiting to be creeped out. Our guide was Elizabeth who showed up dressed in some period costume of sorts and proceeded to show us around the downtown haunts. I agree with other reviewers that it was a bit disappointing in that you couldn't go into the buildings and it was pretty much "ghost stories on parade" as we traipsed through the the streets of Austin. I snapped a few photos with "orbs" at the buildings as the guide suggested we do. Orbs are little anomalies of light that appear in many digital photos today but there is much controversy over whether or not orbs are really proof of anything paranormal. Mostly they are just dust or bugs reflecting the light. I tend to lean towards the dust theory but as one well versed in creeping people out, I went with it and showed the others the orbs I shot. There was even one in the window of "the most haunted building downtown."
All in all it was an interesting evening and a nice walk through downtown.
I think $20 is a bit steep for this tour but my daughter and I were pretty happy with the entertainment.
Useful info:
-Bring a camera
-Wear comfy shoes, there's quite a bit of walking
-Don't be a skeptic if you want to enjoy it
-Take it with a grain of salt
-If you bring your kid....be prepared for them to come to your room and say..."Mom, can I sleep with you tonight??"
http://www.hauntedtexa... -
Review from Michelle S.
Auburn Hills, MI
12/6/2009 2 photos
we loved it!
we were visiting family in Austin for my husband's 30th birthday which is on halloween. in my online research of the haunted Driskill hotel, which we stayed at for his birthday, i found the Austin Ghost Tour which sounded interesting.
i had my sister in law purchase tickets in advance as we were worried it would sell out being so close to halloween and from the looks of the group we were with i bet it did sell out.
our guide was Elizabeth, she was very good. she told stories in great detail, explained everything very well, entertained questions from the crowd and kept everyone involved.
like the other reviewers i wish we could have actually went into some of these places, but no biggie.
our favorite stop was the Driskill and this is where we got our 'orb' pictures. we really wanted to be freaked out here because were were staying here in just a few days!
this was a really fun, unique experience that got us into the halloween spirit. -
Review from L H.
Cedar Park, TX
8/19/2010
I really like this tour. I went on it the first time in probably 2001, and I went again on Friday the 13th in August of 2010, plus one time in between, and I can say it has gotten better with age.
My husband and I used to run the Round Rock Ghost Tour (but we don't anymore), so I had a good reference point of what I think a "good" tour is -- entertaining, creepy, and you get information about the history of the area. No, you are not "guaranteed" to see a ghost.
Monica was our tour guide, and she was really good. Dressed in a period costume, she was funny and also detailed as she told stories, giving them a lot of credibility. She also shared some pictures related to the stories, which were really cool. She definitely knows her history and knows a ton of stories she doesn't have time to tell on the tour (though you could take her for a drink at the Driskill afterwards sometimes...).
There were about 30 people when we went, and comfy shoes are definitely recommended -- we walked a lot. This is a really smart group that knows a lot about ghosts AND history, making the tour interesting for those who want to get creeped out AND those who are just interested in the history.
As with any ghost tour, I wouldn't take a child younger than about 10 or 12 -- younger kids may get bored or tired. And Monica booked it - she walked fast, which I liked, because it meant we heard more stories rather than spending a lot of time walking.
I've also been to tours in San Diego (really liked it), San Antonio (Martin Leal's tour is good), and Jefferson TX (the local woman there was just unorganized, wasn't a great storyteller, and it made for a lackluster tour, though Jefferson is an awesome little town, and one of the most haunted in TX). -
Review from Marie R.
Travis, TX
11/2/2009
My daughter (15yrs old) and I did the Austin Ghost Tour for the first time. We were looking for something fun to celebrate Halloween time. This is perfect for families and couples that would like to learn more about Austin's history & have some great stories told!
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Review from Andrea C.
Austin, TX
2/28/2011
Some colleagues & I (who are very much fascinated by ghosts/spirits & paranormal activity), decided to take a ghost tour on a Saturday night. We went on the tour that includes the Driskill hotel. Now if you are expecting to go on an actual ghost hunt, then you may be slightly disappointed. This is an hour and a half walking tour where the guide will take you to different locations where there is ghost activity. He will tell you the history behind the place and the paranormal experiences that have taken place there. The guide did a great job. He was open to any and all questions. He was very informative too. I learned a lot on this tour! Not just about the history of these places, but about paranormal activity in general. Of the places we visited, we only went into one (the Driskill). The guide encouraged us to take several pics of all of the places to see if we could capture anything (because he said that happens quite a bit). After all was said and done, one person had taken a picture that came out very eery...an unexplainable white haze. The guide said that he would evaluate the picture if she would e-mail it to him. Anyway, I had a great time & definitely want to do the other tour of the warehouse district. If you're interested in the history and paranormal, I highly recommend this tour!
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Review from Xuxa X.
Hilo, HI
9/8/2009
first of all, i appreciate austin ghost tours letting me cancel my 2 tickets from a year ago to use them when i would be back in town! i am very interested in the paranormal and have taken many ghost tours throughout my life. i look a tour of the warehouse district. it wasnt the best ghost tour i have taken, but not the worst either. i was disappointed with something in particular that made me write this review. we went to the driskill and our guide said that you wont see the number 427 and 429 (or one of those it doesnt matter) in that hotel because of one of the murders. well after the tour ended, my friend and i walked up there and we saw both rooms with those numbers clearly listed. i feel i got a good tour of austin though despite feeling a bit led on.
