Cincinnati has long been known for its haunted history, and now it’s your turn to find out why! From hidden prohibition speakeasies to unmarked mass graves, Cincinnati Ghosts will take you to some of Cincinnati’s most elusive haunted locations.
Cincinnati Ghosts takes you through one of Cincinnati’s ghostly hotspots, the Over-The-Rhine historic neighborhood. This home of early German immigration – hence the name– is full of well-preserved 19th-century dwellings. The working-class neighborhood has been wonderfully restored and is now a hot spot. Craft breweries are everywhere, and farmers’ markets happen every weekend. It’s a haunted hot spot too, many places still have their original ghosts, if you know where to look. Hear all the secret haunted stories as you walk the charming streets where they happened. You will also visit unique locations that other tours ignore, making Cincinnati Ghosts head and shoulders above the rest. With authentic and accurate history and only confirmed accounts of hauntings, even the most skeptical will be scratching their heads when confronted with these tales of the unknown.
On Cincinnati Ghosts you will uncover the gory history of some of Cincinnati’s gruesome past, including the hauntings of bars and theatres, the excavation of mass graves, unsolved murders, and untimely deaths. All the stories you will hear come directly from historical events, local legends, and eyewitness accounts of ghostly activity. Every account is painstakingly reviewed using historical records and accurate and up-to-date information regarding Cincinnati’s hauntings. Visit the About Us page to learn more about Cincinnati’s history and why Cincinnati Ghosts is the best way to dig into the haunted history of this fascinating city!
Our family-friendly and completely accessible tour is open to everyone, and while scary, we guarantee you will still be able to sleep after hearing the 8 or 13 stories on your Cincinnati Ghosts haunted tour of Cincinnati.
Why is Cincinnati so haunted?
As one of Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhoods, these charming streets have seen bloodshed, tragedy, and crime since the neighborhood was built in the early 1800s. Spirits of the unmarked graves that were dug up to build Cincinnati Music Hall roam the area, some friendly, some not-so-kind. Old military hospitals, orphanages, outbreaks of disease and murders contribute heavily to the supernatural cloud that hangs over this neighborhood. Join Cincinnati Ghosts and experience Cincinnati as you’ve never seen it before.
The worst place to build – a graveyard
Every researcher interested in the supernatural will tell you, building on top of a burial site is a huge mistake. Not only does it disturb the final resting places of people passed, but it angers their spirits, aggravating them, making them very restless. When Cincinnati Music Hall was being built, hundreds of gravesites were found and excavated, the remains being moved from location-to-location, and never genuinely being laid to rest. The same is true of Washington Park; archeologists found over 200 pounds of bones in less than 3 days of construction. Some were adult bones, some belonging to children, who may have died during Cincinnati’s Cholera outbreak in the 1830s. You’ll never believe how many people were buried under OTR’s most peaceful park!
A city doing well, at death.
Cincinnati blossomed from its very beginning, situated on the vital route west for millions; many stopped in the young city and liked it so much they stayed. The Ohio river brought trade and prosperity to the first city founded after the Revolutionary War. It was also a curiously American city, with very low immigration, apart from the heavily Germanic OTR neighborhood that Cincinnati Ghosts explores. This made it a quintessential American city and the model for many that came after it. Cincinnati is also the birthplace of one President of the United States. William H. Taft was born and grew up here before becoming Theodore Roosevelt’s chosen successor. Later, he also became the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice, the only person to have held both positions.
Cincinnati was also a pioneer in firefighting, with the first Professional Fire Department, also a model for many other cities. You will hear about several tragic fires on Cincinnati Ghosts and the spirit of one benevolent fireman who haunts a historic firehouse on the tour.
Cincinnati has a lot to see, and you will hear the Queen City’s whole history can be told from the charming streets of Over-The-Rhine. Join Cincinnati Ghosts to hear its royally spooky stories.
Cincinnati’s Cholera Outbreak
In the late 1830s, Cincinnati was devastated by massive floods that swept away hundreds to watery graves; the city was then ravaged with disease. Cholera grows in stagnant water and drinking it can be lethal. Symptoms of this awful disease include leg cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, and in severe cases, the rapid loss of fluids can result in dehydration or even shock. Without treatment, death can occur within a few of hours after symptoms first appear. It’s a horrid way to die and was common before good sanitation and clean drinking water were considered human rights.
The city’s early streets often filled with stagnant floodwaters from the angry Ohio River, this area was a breeding ground for disease. Over 422 people died during one outbreak here, mostly poor immigrants, who died cold and alone, and were buried in unmarked graves on the land where the Music Hall and Washington Park now stand. It’s no wonder this area is such a hotspot for ghostly activity.
This is just a glimpse into what you will experience on the Cincinnati Ghosts. Cincinnati’s rich past plays host to many dark, supernatural forces, the residue of lives of the past with unfinished business or cut short before their time. We can’t guarantee you’ll feel a cold spot or a ghostly squeeze of your shoulder, but it has happened to guides and guests in the past, and it might happen to you.
Book your tour today to experience all of the Cincinnati’s most chilling haunts!
