The Best Haunted Graveyard Tour In DFW
If you're looking for some hauntingly good ideas to celebrate Halloween this year — or you're fascinated with history and the paranormal — visiting a graveyard will certainly get you into the Halloween spirit. It also makes a great option for an unusual date, from guided ghostly tours and celebrity resting spots to seeing a historical reenactment of the deaths of those now resting in plots. For a haunted holiday thrill. these DFW graveyard visits promise the perfect creep factor for any adventurous spirit.
Fort Worth Spirit & Paranormal Adventures
(817) 681-5101
dfwparanormalresearch.com/
Price: $20 to $30
If you're looking for a ghostly experience, then tag along with these experienced paranormal researchers to visit some sites where unearthly activity looms. Fort Worth Spirit & Paranormal Adventures offer some of the best ghostly tours in the country, taking small groups of amateur hunters on a voyage through either Parker County or Arlington with stops at several notoriously haunted cemeteries. Armed with EMF meters and thermoscanners, you will see the famous glowing tombstone at Springtown's Veal Station Cemetery and possibly sightings of floating orbs at Weatherford's 150-year old Greenwood Cemetery. The Greenwood Cemetery is famous for being the final resting place of Mary Martin, the Peter Pan actress and mother of Larry Hagman, as well as noteworthy veterans dating back to the Civil War. On the Arlington tour you will help track down ghosts everywhere from screaming bridges to the historic and very spirited Calloway Cemetery.
Fort Worth Ghost Tours
(817) 501-1086
fortworthghosts.com/
Price: $20
After 15 years of investigating paranormal occurrences, you can be sure Paula Schermerhorn knows how to spot a ghost, even when she doesn't actually see one. Schermerhorn's ghost tours are held in the Stockyards and at the Birdville Cemetery. The cemetery tour delves into the history of a former town that was built around an Indian defense fort in 1841. During this two- to three-hour evening tour, visitors may try out Paula's paranormal investigating equipment, say hello to the ghost dog that sometimes pops in for a visit, and enjoy some intense spiritual ambiance.
Ghost Tours of Dallas
603 Munger Ave.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 736-3162
dallashaunt.com/
Price: $20 in advance.$25 at the door/prices vary for pre-tour dinner packages
Take a 90-minute walk on the milder side of Dallas' ghostly spots with this tour that includes haunted buildings in the West End and the Old Dallas Burial Ground. Established in the 1841 and last used in 1869, the burial ground was the oldest cemetery in Dallas before being paved over for Woodall Rogers Freeway to go in. The Burial Ground was forgotten until archeologists stumbled across it while researching the historic Freedman's Cemetery. Many of the graves from the Burial Ground were relocated to Freedman's Cemetery, but there are some forgotten ones that remain sealed up in the site — thus leaving many to believe their spirits still haunt the area.
Related: Guide To The Best Haunted Houses In DFW
Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour
701 Grand Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76164
(817) 625-5082
oakwoodcemetery.net/
Price: $10 adults/$5 children and students/$20 twilight tour
Dates: Oct. 26 to Oct. 28
Sponsored by the North Fort Worth Historical Society, the annual Saints and Sinners tour takes visitors on a daytime or twilight journey through Fort Worth's oldest cemetery, which was founded in 1879. Visit the cemetery on your own any time, or take advantage of this annual tour featuring a reenactment of the famous people who are now resting here. The graves are marked with elaborate headstones and inscriptions, and contain the founding fathers of the city, a Texas governor, confederate veterans and gun-slinging gamblers, plus a special row for bartenders.
Laurel Land Funeral Home and Cemetery
6000 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway
Dallas, TX 75232
(214) 371-1336
laurellanddallas.com/
Price: free
Bring along a picnic and make it a unique night on the town with a self-guided visit to a celebrity cold spot. Laurel Land is known to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in the state, as many report hearing the faint sounds of jazz and blues late at night there — even when there's no one else around. However, being the final resting place for famous musicians including Stevie Ray Vaughan, B. W. Stevenson and Artie Glenn, you have to figure they get together for a few jam sessions every now and then. Other noted cemetery residents include Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit, who died at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, Davey Williams of the New York Giants, and Ennis Haywood of the Dallas Cowboys.
Related: Family Guide To DFW Trick-Or-Treating Alternatives
With a passion for adventure, Ilene Jacobs has spent 25 years traveling around the globe. A native of Dallas,Texas, she has also lived in Europe studying and working in marketing and tourism. Ilene is constantly researching interesting places to visit and enjoys sharing her findings with her readers. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
