When did my child become old enough to go on a ghost tour? If your child is over the trick-or-treat excitement but not quite ready for a haunted house, a ghost tour might be the sweet spot. It certainly was for us.
Is Your Child Ready for a Ghost Tour?
How old are they? The first thing to check is the age recommendations or restrictions. Even if your child is ready, some tour guides aren’t ready for your child.
How well do they handle fear? Next, keep in mind that these tours will involve stories of the departed, often with descriptions of violent or gruesome ends. I would say if your child can read a ghost story without nightmares, they’re ready, even if they can’t handle scary movies yet. There are no visuals or music on these tours.
How comfortable are you taking them out in the city after dark? Some of these tours take place downtown, after dark. On those tours, you will encounter some of our houseless community members, but you will be traveling in a large tour group. I felt perfectly safe, but I also regularly go downtown during the daytime. If you feel uneasy, check the location of the tour before signing up. Tour groups are larger on weekends, if you would feel most comfortable in a larger group.
7 Fabulous Portland-Area Ghost Tours
Portland Ghost Tours
Follow a lantern-wielding, true believer through downtown Portland, and hear tales of Portland ghosts along the way. This is the tour I attended with my daughter, and it was a delight. Our tour guide slipped in plenty of jokes to cut the heaviness of the stories, and we left the tour smiling. We weren’t converted, but we were certainly diverted. Tour lasts one hour.
Age recommendation: Some tours allow children of any age at the parent’s discretion. Other tours (Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl) do not admit children.
Cost: $26 for adults, $17 for children under 18, free for children under 6.
Sellwood Ghost Tours
Families love events at Sellwood Community House, and their new ghost tours are yet another hit. Learn about Sellwood’s haunted history, and hear a few ghost stories along the way. These sell out so fast — as of this writing there are only a handful of spots left. Tour lasts one hour.
Age recommendation: All ages who like ghost stories.
Cost: $25
Slabtown Tours: A Night With Ghosts | Haunted Adventures in NW Portland
Explore three locations and learn about Northwest Portland’s paranormal past. Outdoor walking tour lasts 90 minutes.
Age Recommendation: These tours are for ages 12+, with content warnings on their website. Friendly dogs on leash are allowed.
Cost: $30 (ghosts may attend for free)
Clark County History Museum Haunted History Walking Tours
Explore downtown Vancouver and take a haunted history tour, inspired by the stories collected by historian Pat Jolotta in the book Darkness Next Door.
Age recommendation: All are welcome, best suited for ages 10+. Ages 6+ will need a ticket.
Cost: $20
Shanghai Tunnels Tour at Old Town Pizza
Explore part of Portland’s underground tunnels, said to have been used for human trafficking in the 19th century. The tour includes a beer tasting for ages 21+. When your tour ends, don’t forget to order a pie at Old Town Pizza and ask to sit at Nina’s table.
Age recommendation: Afternoon tours admit ages 13+. Evening tours are for ages 21+. No children under 13 are permitted on any tour. This tour requires a signed waiver.
Cost: $38
Tours at Lone Fir Cemetery
Lone Fir Cemetery is a Southeast Portland gem. Not only is it a de facto arboretum, but the space is rich with Portland history. Their tours are heavy on historical events rather than hauntings, but there will be stories with mature themes and discussion of death (it is a graveyard, after all). The October tours are very popular, so don’t drag your feet. My daughter and I snagged a spot at one of their regular daytime tours, learned a lot, and had a blast. If you don’t want to go in the evening, a daylight tour is a great alternative. The Halloween night Tour of Untimely Departures sells out in a flash, so set an alarm for October 3, at 10 am, when tickets go on sale.
Age recommendation: All ages are welcome. Very young children will enjoy being outside, and the tour guides themselves walk over the graves, so you won’t have to stress about making your child stay on the path. I would say ages 8 and older will get the most out of the tours, as long as they feel comfortable with the content and spending time in a cemetery at dusk.
Cost: Daytime tours are donation only, evening Tour of Untimely Departures is usually $20
Haunted Oregon City
The Haunted Oregon City Ghost Tour is a mix of historical storytelling and ghostly legends, told as you wind through the city’s Mountain View Cemetery (includes live actors!), historic Ermatinger House and Stevens-Crawford House, or downtown Oregon City. This is more than a spooky stroll — it’s a way to see Oregon City through the lens of the people who lived (and perhaps lingered) here.
Age recommendation: The tours are family-friendly, but younger kids may find the content a little intense after dark. Ages 10 and up will get the most out of the experience, especially if they enjoy history with a side of mystery.
Cost: Varies by event, $5-$45
Love this? Check out more 35 more ideas for celebrating Halloween.