After the Great Fire of 1889, the Regrade changed the topography of Seattle. During the project, workers repositioned more dirt than during the construction of the Panama Canal. Believers have argued that the upset graves released ghosts to haunt Seattle. Tales of the paranormal lure ghost hunters to Seattle’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Whether or not you believe in hauntings, ghost tours recount colorful local history and take you to parts of the city that you might otherwise overlook.
This van tour, run by Private Eye Tours, visits 14 locations around Seattle. Sites include a burial ground, a mortuary and the abandoned Wah Mee club, an upper-class gambling establishment where three men killed 13 people in 1983. The tour lasts three hours and requires little walking. No children under 12 are allowed. Tickets are by reservation only and cost $28.00.
Private Eye Tours
206-365-3739
privateeyetours.com
The Pike Place Market and its surroundings are the setting for many ghost stories. The first mortuary in Seattle was located a few blocks from the Market. The area also contains a brothel and a graveyard that host tales of hauntings. This walking tour lasts from 60 to 75 minutes. Tickets are $15, and Market tours run at 5 and 8 p.m. Children under 10 can attend the 5 p.m. tour for free, but no one under 18 is allowed on the 8 p.m. tours.
Market Ghost Tour
seattleghost.com
The Spooked on the Pier walking tour takes patrons through Belltown and the Pike Place Market. The tour visits Kells Irish Pub, which is located in a building that was a mortuary before the opening of the Market. Spooked in Seattle runs this tour on Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for children. An adult must accompany any child under 13. Private tours are available.
Spooked in Seattle
206-682-5844
spookedinseattle.com
Spooked in Seattle also offers a tour of Pioneer Square. Participants walk through the area and listen to stories of crimes and intrigues that took place there. Some stories feature the Underground, the passageways and basements that were abandoned during the Regrade. This is a walking tour that lasts for two hours. Spooked in Seattle conducts Pioneer Square tours at 6 and 8 p.m. each evening. They ask that you make reservations at least 90 minutes before the tour that you wish to attend. Children are encouraged to take the tour.
Spooked in Seattle
206-682-5844
spookedinseattle.com
