Charlotte, the Queen City, has its share of ghost stories, otherworldly spirits and haunted buildings. Its rich history gives guides plenty of material to create the best ghost tours in Charlotte.
One haunted spot, according to HauntedRoom.com is Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill, where employees have witnessed ghostly occurrences over the years, including doors opening and/or closing by themselves, the radio switching on or off, and sightings of figures in the bathrooms long after the bar has closed.
The ghost story associated with Fire Station No. 4 in Charlotte involves firefighter Pruitt L. Black, who ran to slide down the fireman's pole in 1934 but fell and hit the concrete floor below instead. The rest, as they say, was ghostly history.
Another Queen City ghostly favorite is Fred, the resident ghost at the Carolina Theatre, which first opened its doors in 1927. Although Fred is mostly harmless, he's been know to turn lights on and off at the theater and showing himself as a pale white apparition on the balcony. Actors at the theater and staff members bid farewell to Fred at the end of the night as a ghostly tradition.
The best haunted tours in Charlotte provide a wide range of experiences, from spooky to zany.
Haunted tours from Charlotte, NC Tours
101 S. Tryon St., Charlotte
704-962-4548
charlottenctours.com
Haunted Walking Tour: A haunted tour Charlotte emphasizing the ghosts who refused to leave when modern buildings replaced their centuries-old dwellings.
Haunted Bike Pub Crawl: Party with the spirits! Pedal bikes, share spooky ghost stories and make stops at two haunted pubs.
Haunted Segway Tour: You don't have to walk right up to ghosts. Instead, glide through 3-5 miles of Charlotte on Segways and visit the uptown ghosts. Destinations include Historic 4th Ward, Settlers Cemetery and The Square. Guests for this one have to be 18 or older.
All the haunted tours Charlotte, NC Tours offers can be booked online.
Carolina History and Haunts: Beyond the Grave
214 North Tryon St., Charlotte
704-699-7959
carolinahistoryandhaunts.com
This outfit guides ghost hunters by lantern light for a walking tour of uptown haunts, complete with ghost stories. Also on view: some of Charlotte's famous and infamous landmarks.
Nightly Spirits Haunted Pub Tour
Leaves from Alexander Michael's, 401 W. 9th St., Charlotte
nightlyspirits.com/charlotte-ghost-tours/
An eerie exploration of Charlotte and the historic Wards surrounding uptown, including interactions with the kind of spirits you can imbibe. The Nightly Spirits group hits haunted pubs, hotels, buildings and a chilling cemetery along the way.
Queen City Ghost Tours
201 N. McDowell St., #36160, Charlotte
704-566-0104
queencityghosttours.com/
Walking or driving tours of Queen City haunts from antebellum homes to a Civil War hospital and haunted cemetery.
For more information:
The 7 most haunted places in Charlotte
Spookiest spots in North Carolina
10 Most Haunted Places in Charlotte from HauntedRooms.com