Springfield, Illinois
Phantom carriages, Abraham Lincoln's premonition of his death and the attempted grave robbery at Lincoln's tomb are among the haunted stories told during "Lincoln's Ghost Walk: Legends and Lore," a 90-minute, 10-block evening tour held early March through October. Other spooky tours from Springfield Walks include "Haunted Springfield Tour," offered Fridays and Saturdays in October (217/502-8687; springfieldwalks.com).
Saint Paul
History, ghostly stories and humor come together in the Wabasha Street Caves bus and walking tours. The "Caves & Graves" tour and "Ghosts & Graves" tour, led by costumed improv actors, take visitors by bus to sites such as a cemetery and caves; the "Lost Souls" walking tour focuses on reported ghost sightings in the caves. Ghostly tours are offered in October; the Wabasha Street Caves also has year-round historic cave tours and Saint Paul Gangster Tours, as well as seasonal themed tours (651/292-1220; wabashastreetcaves.com).
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Costumed guides with Bayfield Heritage Tours take visitors on lantern-lit walks, sharing tales of ice monsters, shipwrecks, mysterious footsteps and other spooky town lore. Two ghost tours -- "Ghosts and Legends of Old Bayfield" and "More Ghosts and Legends of Old Bayfield" -- are offered late May through mid-October. Bayfield Heritage Tours also has nonghostly architectural and historical walking tours (715/779-0299; bayfieldheritagetours.com).
Naperville, Elgin, and Aurora, Illinois
Two-hour walking and bus tours in these Chicago suburbs highlight obscure tragedies, paranormal encounters, ghost stories and more. Tours by Historic Ghost Tours of Naperville are offered Fridays and Saturdays early May through mid-November; Elgin and Aurora tours are year-round (630/978-7033; historic-ghost-tours-naperville.com).
Indianapolis and more
Hear about ghosts, gangsters and other figures from the past with Historic Indiana Ghost Walks & Tours, which holds walking tours in Indianapolis, Westfield and Noblesville, as well as bus tours of Indianapolis, Hamilton County and Madison County. Among the most popular: the "Haunted Underground Railroad Walking Tour" in Westfield, with stories of escaped slaves and the people who helped them. Tours are offered year-round (317/840-6456; unseenpress.com).
Door County, Wisconsin
Visitors board a trolley for a two-hour "Ghosts Tours of Door County" ride, stopping to hear tales of haunted lighthouses, sunken ships and other mysterious happenings. Door County Trolley also offers a "Haunted Olde Sturgeon Bay" tour and a "Haunted Trolley Pub Crawl," as well as several nonghostly trips. Most tours run from early June through the end of October (920/868-1100; doorcountytrolley.com).
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Gather at a lighthouse in Fairport Harbor (23 miles east of Cleveland) to begin the "Lake Eerie Walking Ghost Tour" with Meet the Spirits. The tour visits several houses, a graveyard and a school -- all said to be haunted. Tours run weekends in September and October. In summer, visitors can take a monthly "Full Moon Ghost Tour" (440/269-0449; meetthespirits.com).
Milwaukee
Friday and Saturday evening Milwaukee Ghosts' walks in Milwaukee's trendy Third Ward take visitors back to the years when the area was known as the "Bloody Third." (414/807-7862; milwaukeeghosts.com). For those hungry for more, Milwaukee Food Tours gives a three-hour "Ghosts and Spirits Tour," mixing stories and gourmet treats. Walking tours are offered May through November; the food tour is available in October (800/979-3370; milwaukeefoodtours.com).
Chicago
For more than 35 years, Richard T. Crowe has given tours dealing with Chicago's spooky past. Take a boat tour, bus tour, Chinatown lunch/walking tour or a haunted pub crawl with Crowe's Chicago Supernatural Tours & Programs. Some tours are seasonal; others are available year-round (708/499-0300; ghosttours.com).
Wichita, Kansas
Old Cowtown Museum partners with the Wichita Paranormal Research Society for "Historic Hauntings at Cowtown" an evening event in late October. Hear reports of the society's investigations into paranormal activities and tour historic Cowtown buildings (316/219-1871; oldcowtown.org).
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