Columbia Ghost Tour
Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours takes a deep dive into Columbia’s haunted history, where souls bound by tragedy roam the night, waiting for unsuspecting visitors to cross their path.
GET TICKETSFollow a Columbia ghost tour through the eerie, lantern-lit alleys of South Carolina’s capital, where restless souls from the Civil War still haunt the shadows.
Why You Need to Take a Columbia Ghost Tour
Columbia looks like a quaint little town, but it has a dark side, waiting for those brave enough to look closer. The city’s history is marked by Civil War tragedies, unsolved murders, and lingering spirits who refuse to leave. Columbia pulses with a spectral energy, and joining a Columbia ghost tour with Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours will venture deep inside it, stepping directly into this world of restless souls and dark secrets, and uncovering the past and the haunted history few dare to tell. Some visitors report feeling cold spots; all will leave with memories they can’t quite shake. Feel the spirits of Columbia’s past on a chilling ghost tour with Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours.
Susie was a great guide. She even included her own personal experiences in her talk. Good story teller. Beautiful walk around Atlanta in the evening. A fun night.
Why is Columbia So Haunted?
Columbia’s haunted reputation is steeped in dark history, with many locations marked by loss and tragedy, leaving behind unresolved energy. The South Carolina Lunatic Asylum is one of those locations. One of the oldest mental health institutions in the country hosts a haunting presence even by daylight. Built-in 1821, the asylum housed countless patients over the years, many of whom suffered in silence within its stone walls. Today, it’s said their anguished spirits linger, with witnesses reporting distant screams and shadowy figures that roam the abandoned halls.
The University of South Carolina adds to the city’s ghostly lore. Established in 1801, its grounds served as a hospital during the Civil War, and the spirits of soldiers seem to have never left. Longstreet Theatre, in particular, has a reputation for eerie encounters, with strange noises, cold drafts, and mysterious apparitions that disappear upon approach. Students and faculty alike feel the presence of long-departed souls wandering the campus.
Over at Olympia Mills, the industrial history casts an eerie shadow. Once a booming textile mill, Olympia Mills saw numerous accidents and even deaths on its premises. The area is now known for strange occurrences, with unexplained footsteps echoing down empty halls, machinery sounds long after closing, and the unsettling feeling that the spirits of workers past may still be carrying out their shifts in the afterlife. Many believe these restless souls remain tied to the factory that once dominated their lives.
Fort Jackson and Elmwood Cemetery seal Columbia’s haunted reputation. Fort Jackson, a military training ground, has seen countless soldiers pass through—some of whom are rumored to remain. Visitors claim to have seen apparitions of soldiers wandering the grounds. Meanwhile, Elmwood Cemetery, where some of Columbia’s most tragic figures are buried, is known for its spectral residents. As night falls, strange lights and whispering voices rise among the tombstones as if the departed have stories left to tell. Columbia’s history of unrest and sorrow lives on in these haunted places, forever etched into the city’s spirit.
Why should you tour with us?
When it comes to Civil War stories, Columbia isn’t short on them. In fact, there are many throughout the city that show Union and Confederate tactics for history buffs. These tales also coincide with many of the hauntings found throughout Columbia, such as the theater that was once used as a temporary morgue for fallen soldiers.
Columbia’s Vista District is a two-fold experience. It’s a historic slice of Columbia that captures the old-school charm coupled with the specters of its intriguing past. The downtown district is a wonder to walk down without the ghost stories, but seeing it through the lens of a ghost tour casts a spooky aura over every historical building.
There’s something about a ghost story from the Southern United States. It’s elevated to a higher degree of frightening, often because of the setting or the very localized circumstances. For example, the disappearance of a flour mill boss with potential connections to voodoo practices is almost as Southern as a ghost story can get. All that’s missing is the distressed Southern belle and a plantation.
Columbia’s historic sites are worth a visit at any point throughout the day. However, there’s something fun about seeing them through the eyes of a historian and then returning later to view them as a hotspot for paranormal activity. You get to see two sides of an important site, somewhere that made history or had an important role in Columbia’s evolution from a simple settlement to a bustling city.
Columbia’s history is a mixed bag of events that spawned the ghosts that haunt it today. From the brutal elevator incident at the South Carolina State Museum to the sordid love triangle that ended in attempted murder and an air of violence. A Columbia ghost tour has its moments that even cater to the true crime crowd.
Most Haunted Places in Columbia
South Carolina State Museum
The South Carolina State Museum, once the Columbia Duck Mill, is steeped in history and hauntings. “Bubba the Ghost,” believed to be a tragically killed child mill worker, and the mysterious “Lady in Black,” a spectral figure with unexplained origins.
Gervais Street Bridge
The Gervais Street Bridge in Columbia, SC, built in 1928, holds a haunted history. Known for sightings of the “Lady in White,” a spectral hitchhiker struck by a car in the 1940s, witnesses report her ghostly form appearing on foggy, rainy nights, sometimes vanishing from car seats mid-ride.
Adluh Flour Mill
Haunted by former worker Jerome Busbee, who’s rumored to have practiced voodoo, the mill hosts eerie apparitions, an immovable cart, and shadowy figures—including a giant snake—adding a supernatural chill to its storied history.
FAQs
View our Refund Policy on this page if you have any questions!
Please see your booking details for meeting location. There are neighboring parking garages and street parking that are available in the area.
Group size varies based on time of year and demand. We can keep everyone in your party in the same group. We’ve been doing this for years, and manage group size to ensure guests have a great experience. In the event you can’t hear your tour guide, let them know, or move closer to them.
Pets are welcome as long as they do not disrupt or distract from the tour
The arrival time will be listed on your confirmation email and in the available tour times when you click the book button
Please do not call us, the best way to reach us is by email using the contact form on this website
An extended tour takes you to a few additional locations when the regular tour ends. This adds about four new places and 30 minutes to your tour- highly recommended
Book a tour and check the +1 box for each person in your group where it says “Extended Tour” at checkout to add an extended Ghost tour.
Please contact us directly for pricing and availability. We do not do private tours under 30 persons. If you have a group under 30, please order directly from the website’s book now option.
Tours are held rain or shine. We will contact you if the tour is cancelled.
Please only attend the tour for the day and time you are booked, as another day or time may not be available. If you need to reschedule, please contact us by email first. There is a $10 per order (not person) rebooking fee for each schedule change.
As it is unfair to other guests, we do not wait for late or no show parties. Please remember to arrive to the correct location on time! We do not grant refunds to guests who fail to arrive to the appointed place on time and miss their tour.
No, but some of the locations you can visit during the day for free. We simply wouldn’t have the time to focus on as many stories as we do if we were to enter each one, and we wish to focus on the stories, and leave the exploring up to you!
15 minutes before the start of your tour
No.
No, this is a walking tour.
Most of the tour is not stroller or wheelchair accessible.
Yes, you are welcome to take photos of the locations we visit!
No, videos are not allowed
No, there is no smoking allowed on the tour
We do not allow intoxicated guests or drinking on the tour- we will promptly ask those in violation to leave
Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours
America’s most infamously haunted house delivers the most terrifying scares from all across the nation. We’ve compiled an extensive list of notoriously haunted locations and packaged them into spooky, entertaining tours available throughout the nation. Discover the true, unfiltered stories that created these hair-raising scares in only the unique and engaging way our expert guides can bring them to you. From the ghosts of unsolved murders and tragic accidents to disturbed spirits unable to find peace, there’s no limit to what we expose on our authentic ghost tours. Join us as we take you on an unforgettable, chilling journey through your city’s dark past and uncover the sinister secrets that put these places on the otherworldly map.
The Lizzie Borden House is home to the infamous murders that captivated the nation and made Lizzie Borden a macabre household name. Guests can explore the house via a variety of tours and, for those brave enough, stay in this notoriously haunted home. We aim to provide you with a memorable experience as well as deliver the best ghost tours, haunted pub crawls, and a variety of other experiences in over 100 cities.
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