Tours/Charleston/Charleston Haunted Jail Night-Time Walking Tour with Admission to Old City Jail
Charleston Haunted Jail Night-Time Walking Tour with Admission to Old City Jail
4.4(723)Charleston1 hour
VIATOR4.4(225)TRIPADVISOR4.4(498)
+3 photos
Description
Join us for a memorable tour of the ground level of the Old City Jail, which housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals, 19th-century pirates, and Civil War prisoners. Located on Magazine Street downtown, the Old City Jail operated from 1802 until 1939, and has recently undergone renovation, leaving the first floor in keeping with its original design (with the welcomed addition of air conditioning). Bulldog Tours, exclusively, guides guests through the cells, hallways and places where Charleston’s earliest criminals lived. Get a glimpse of how the incarcerated were mistreated with primitive forms of torture while living in miserable conditions. Hear stories like the legend of Lavinia Fisher, the jail’s most famous inmate and first female serial killer. Since Bulldog's first tour of this storied place in 2004, guests have returned again and again to make their own discoveries about what has transpired in this historic site. **Children under the age of 10 are not permitted.**
Tour Options
Haunted Jail Tour
Itinerary
45 min
The Haunted Jail Tour takes you through the cells, hallways, and into the places where Charleston’s worst criminals lived and died. Brace yourself as you hear stories like the legend of Lavinia and John Fisher, hotel owners from the 1800s who supposedly poisoned their guests. Featured on such shows as Ghost Adventures, the story goes that Lavinia’s ghost still, very audibly, haunts the premises.
This Haunted Jail Tour is quite possibly the scariest place you will ever go! Visitors go as far to say they’ve seen objects move or even disappear, while others hear voices, the slamming of doors, or chains as they’re allegedly dragged against the floor of the jail.
Highlights
Charleston Haunted Jail Night-Time Guided Walking Tour
Exclusive access to entire first floor of Old City Jail
Professional Guide
45min Behind-The-Scenes Guided Tour of Old City Jail
Experience the jail that housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals & 19th-century pirates
What's included
Included
Charleston Haunted Jail Night-Time Guided Walking Tour
Exclusive access to entire first floor of Old City Jail
Professional Guide
45min Behind-The-Scenes Guided Tour of Old City Jail
Experience the jail that housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals & 19th-century pirates
Not included
Gratuities
Transportation to/from attractions
Limited free street parking. Various pay-to-park lots and garages in the area. Pricing may vary.
Traveller Ratings
4.4
723 reviews
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506
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88
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64
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30
Important Information
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(723)
J
jessicavertman
August 26, 2026
Fantastic Haunted Jail Tour — Highly Recommend!!!
We had such a fantastic time on the Bulldog Haunted Jail Ghost Tour! Our guide, Dustin, was excellent—knowledgeable, engaging, and a great storyteller. We learned so much about the history of the jail and Charleston while still getting all the spooky atmosphere we were hoping for.
We happened to do the tour during a thunderstorm, and it honestly couldn’t have been more perfect. The thunder, lightning, and rain added a whole other level of creepy to the experience—in the best possible way! It made walking through the old jail feel even more atmospheric and memorable.
Dustin really made the tour for us. You could tell he knew the history well, and he did a great job balancing the historical stories with the haunted side of the jail.
We had a wonderful time from start to finish and would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Charleston. We’ll definitely be booking another Bulldog tour the next time we’re in town!
Operator response
Thank you so much for this incredible review! A thunderstorm at the Old Jail really is the perfect setting for a ghost tour! We’re so glad Dustin made the experience such a memorable one.
D
Daniel_T
August 24, 2026
Amazing Tour
Very informative and interesting about the jail conditions back in the day. Definitely a wild and fun experience with Jane as the tour guide. Chilling experience
Operator response
Thank you, Daniel!
G
G9421PLkimc
August 23, 2026
Fun, true and very well done.
I enjoyed this tour so very much. Sara was our guide, not only was she very knowledgeable but she made it interesting with stories of different things plus one experience that truly affected her. Just a wonderful, well done tour. Kudos to Sara.
Operator response
Thank you so much for the great review of Sarah and her tour!
L
luismF3881NV
August 21, 2026
The best scary tour in Charleston
Fun and scary. Also entertained
Operator response
We appreciate the 5-star review~
S
Sabrina_S
August 19, 2026
Take Sarah’s Tour
Loved the tour and history. Sarah was AWESOME and is definitely in the right field of work! Worth the money just to hear the history of the jail!
Operator response
We appreciate the great review!
N
Nai_S
August 16, 2026
Sarah was a great guide....
Sarah was a great guide. She was informative, entertaining, and patient. She shared her own experiences which added to the tour.
Operator response
Thank you for sharing your experience, Nai!
H
Holly_K
August 11, 2026
Informative and engaging....
Informative and engaging. I can’t remember our guides name but he is a great story teller. I would definitely recommend it to friends and return myself.
Operator response
Thanks for the recommendation, Holly!
S
Sarah_W
August 10, 2026
Knowledgeable guide. Wish we coukd have explored more.
Our guide was an amaizing human & very knowledgeable & informative. The tour itself was super rushed & didn't get to explore to many areas. The company itself was very accommodating. The price wouldn't be an issue if it went a little longer to be able to go into a few more areas. We did learn a lot about the area though with the stories the guide told. So overall it was worth it.
Operator response
Hello,
Thanks so much for the feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour guide. We are sorry that the tour did feel rushed. We will look into ways to help improve this going forward. Thanks for visiting with us!
R
Rachel_F
August 8, 2026
Creepy!
Dave was a great guide and we were definitely spooked!
Just my teenage son and I, this wouldn’t be for little kids- gruesome ghost stories and dark, creepy rooms. We had a great time!
Operator response
We appreciate you sharing your experience!
B
Blake_R
August 6, 2026
Vacation
Sarah was very informative on the history and a great tour guide! She made the experience fun but also scary!