Ghost Tours
Ghost Tours (MainStreme Production Company) operates six guided haunted-history walking tours across Pennsylvania and Florida, selling tickets directly to tourists and groups via ThunderTix and proprietary costumed storytelling experiences founded in 1995.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSaint Augustine, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ghost Tours does
Ghost Tours, operated by MainStreme Production Company, is a privately held, for-profit operator of guided haunted-history walking tours founded in 1995. The company runs six location-based products across Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Lancaster, Strasburg, Douglassville/Brinton Lodge) and Florida (St. Petersburg, Tampa), each anchored by a 75-90 minute candlelight walking tour led by costumed storyteller guides. Narratives are sourced from published books and primary research, positioning the company as a history-and-folklore entertainment experience rather than a prop or technology-driven haunt attraction. Two specialty indoor tours — Ghosts of the Mansion ($22/person) at the Physick House and Ghost Tour of the Haunted Olympia ($19/person) aboard the USS Olympia — are operated in partnership with the hosting preservation organizations, with a portion of proceeds contributed back to those nonprofits.
The business model is direct-to-consumer ticket sales with a supplementary group/private tour channel. Tickets are sold in advance online through the ThunderTix platform and by phone, with group bookings (up to 300 guests) and a Victorian-style trolley option priced separately. Marketing relies on the company website, location-specific Facebook and Twitter accounts, email newsletter, and earned media through featured placements in Budget Travel, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Moon Travel Guides, and USA Today. The company is privately owned by its founding entity with no external investors, subsidiaries, or public market activity disclosed, and serves primarily tourists, group organizers, and educational groups seeking evening entertainment in historic settings.
Ghost Tours firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ghost Tours
- Legal name
- MainStreme Production Company
- Website
- https://ghosttour.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ghost Tours (MainStreme Production Company) operates six guided haunted-history walking tours across Pennsylvania and Florida, selling tickets directly to tourists and groups via ThunderTix and proprietary costumed storytelling experiences founded in 1995.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ghost Tours industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Haunted History Walking Tours
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Historical Sites (712120)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Night Tours (Illuminations, Ghost & Legends) (THAJAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB), Walking City Tours (Highlights & Orientation) (THAJAAAA)
Keywords
Where Ghost Tours is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Augustine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Ghost Tours business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Walking Tour Tickets: The company generates revenue through ticket sales for nightly candlelight walking tours, with pricing varying by location and tour type.
- Specialty Tours: Revenue from specialty tours including Ghosts of the Mansion ($22/person) and Ghost Tour of the Haunted Olympia ($19/person), with tickets sold in advance.
- Group Tours: Group and private tours available for groups of various sizes, with Victorian-style trolley options at different rates. Group tours accommodate up to 300 people.
- Group Tours (Victorian Trolley): The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia can be conducted on a Victorian-style trolley for groups, with different rates applying.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ghosts of the Mansion Tour - $22 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ghost Tour of the Haunted Olympia - $19 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Philadelphia Candlelight Walking Tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Philadelphia Nightly Tours |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ghost Tours product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ghost Tours is a haunted history walking tour operator that sells 75-90 minute candlelight guided walking tours at six locations across Pennsylvania and Florida, led by costumed storyteller guides delivering historically documented ghost stories based on published books and personal research. The portfolio includes core nightly walking tours by city, specialty site-based tours (Mansion, USS Olympia, Brinton Lodge), and group or private tour bookings for parties up to 300.
Product overview
Ghost Tours operates a portfolio of guided walking tour products centered on historically documented ghost stories and haunted tales. The core offering consists of nightly candlelight walking tours in multiple cities (Philadelphia, Lancaster, Strasburg, St. Petersburg, Tampa) and specialty tours at specific historic sites (Mansion tours, Haunted Olympia cruiser tour, Brinton Lodge). Tours are led by costumed storytellers and combine history, folklore, and supernatural narratives. The company also offers group/private tour options and special events. Ticketing is handled through ThunderTix online platform. The Philadelphia location serves as the flagship and longest-running product (since 1995), while the Lancaster and Strasburg locations also celebrate 30 years of operation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (Nightly Candlelight Walking Tour) A 75-90 minute outdoor candlelight walking tour of Independence Park, Old City, and Society Hill led by a costumed storyteller sharing historically documented ghost stories. Family-appropriate and offered nightly year-round with seasonal schedule variations.
- Ghosts of the Mansion Tour A 75-90 minute indoor specialty tour of a historic Society Hill mansion featuring ghostly tales of mystery and intrigue; $22 per person (ages 13+); portion of proceeds benefits PhilaLandmarks, the nonprofit maintaining the Physick House.
- Ghost Tour of the Haunted Olympia A 75-90 minute specialty tour aboard the infamously haunted cruiser USS Olympia docked at Penn's Landing on the Delaware waterfront; $19 per person; portion of proceeds benefits preservation of the Cruiser Olympia.
- Ghost Tour of Lancaster A haunted history walking tour of Lancaster city covering Central Market, the 'Walking Tombstone,' the old jail, and other haunted sites; departs from Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Penn Square.
- Ghost Tour of Strasburg A haunted history walking tour of Strasburg, PA featuring ghostly sightings, disembodied voices, and unsolved mysteries; weekend operations in spring, summer, and fall.
- Ghost Tour of St. Petersburg A walking tour of historic St. Petersburg exploring locations such as the Vinoy Hotel, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and waterfront areas with stories of wandering spirits and haunted mansions.
- Ghost Tour of Tampa A haunted history tour exploring Tampa's quirky past including legendary pirates, haunted theaters, and lost cemeteries.
- Ghost Tour of Brinton Lodge A haunted tour at the historic Brinton Lodge site in Douglassville, PA.
- Group Tours Private or group tours for organizations, with the nightly walking tour accommodating groups up to 300 people; specialty tours available based on site availability; Victorian-style trolley option available at different rates.
- Private Tours Custom-arranged private tours booked by calling 215-413-1997 or emailing [email protected]; the St. Petersburg location offers private tours for parties of 6 or more through winter.
Companies that use Ghost Tours
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ghost Tours technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Ghost Tours partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PhilaLandmarkscoreNonprofit partner that maintains the Physick House. Ghost Tours conducts the Ghosts of the Mansion Tour at their historic Society Hill mansion, with a portion of proceeds benefiting PhilaLandmarks.
- Independence Seaport MuseumcorePartner organization operating the Cruiser Olympia ship. Ghost Tours conducts the Ghost Tour of the Haunted Olympia aboard the ship docked at Penn's Landing, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the preservation of the Cruiser Olympia.
- Philadelphia Trolley Works & 76 Carriage Co.minorVictorian-style trolley option available for Philadelphia Ghost Tours at different rates for groups.
- Independence Visitor CenterminorOfficial tourism partner providing visitor information and tour referrals.
- Philadelphia Convention & Visitors BureauminorOfficial tourism marketing organization featuring Ghost Tours in Philadelphia visitor materials.
- Sweet Divas ChocolateminorSt. Petersburg tour departure location - the Ghost Tour departs from this venue.
- Brinton LodgeminorSeparate haunted location in Douglassville, PA with Ghost Tour offering. Linked from main Ghost Tours website.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ghost Tours competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- America Haunts: Aggregator and operator of haunted attraction tours across multiple US cities; competes for the same family-friendly ghost experience customer and uses similar costumed guide storytelling.
- US Ghost Adventures: Largest ghost tour operator in the US with presence in many major cities; offers the same candlelight walking ghost tour format as Ghost Tours and is the most direct multi-city competitor.
- New Orleans Ghost Adventures: Sister ghost tour brand offering walking tours in New Orleans, a major US ghost tourism market. Closely comparable product format, storytelling style, and customer base to Ghost Tours.
- Savannah Ghost Tours: Long-running ghost and history walking tour operator in Savannah, GA—mirrors Ghost Tours' format of costumed storytellers delivering historically themed haunted tours in a heritage city.
- Ghost City Tours: Multi-city ghost tour operator (including St. Augustine, Charleston, Savannah) with the same family tour positioning and storyteller-driven walking tour format as Ghost Tours.
- Ghosts & Gravestones: Operating under the same parent as US Ghost Adventures, this brand runs narrated ghost tours via walking and trolley in cities like Boston, St. Augustine, Key West, and Savannah—directly comparable to Ghost Tours' Philadelphia trolley and walking tours.
- Haunted History Tours (St. Augustine): Ghost Tours' legal entity is based in St. Augustine and this is a direct in-market competitor offering candlelight ghost walks with similar content (haunted heritage, storyteller-led format) in the same geography.
Broad incumbents
- Free Tours by Foot: Pay-what-you-want walking tour operator in multiple US cities including Philadelphia. Competes for the same historical-tour customer though with a different pricing model; relevant comparable on demand and tour format.
- Walks (Devour Tours / City Stories Inc.): Established multi-city small-group walking tour operator (food, history, themed tours) with a comparable guided, story-driven walking tour format in major US cities—broader portfolio but overlapping customer base.
Regional players
- St. Augustine Historic Walking Tours: Local heritage walking tour operator in St. Augustine, FL—Ghost Tours' listed headquarters. Same heritage city, similar walking tour format, and competes directly for the local and tourist demand Ghost Tours addresses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ghost Tours social profiles
Digital presenceGhost Tours financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ghost Tours leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ghost Tours funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ghost Tours M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ghost Tours
What does Ghost Tours do?
Ghost Tours is a haunted history walking tour operator that sells 75-90 minute candlelight guided walking tours at six locations across Pennsylvania and Florida, led by costumed storyteller guides delivering historically documented ghost stories based on published books and personal research. The portfolio includes core nightly walking tours by city, specialty site-based tours (Mansion, USS Olympia, Brinton Lodge), and group or private tour bookings for parties up to 300.
Is Ghost Tours a public or private company?
Ghost Tours is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ghost Tours founded?
Ghost Tours was founded in 1995. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ghost Tours based?
Ghost Tours is headquartered in Saint Augustine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ghost Tours make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Walking Tour Tickets are the primary driver. The others are specialty Tours, group Tours and group Tours (Victorian Trolley).
Who are Ghost Tours's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are America Haunts, US Ghost Adventures, New Orleans Ghost Adventures, Savannah Ghost Tours, Ghost City Tours, Ghosts & Gravestones and Haunted History Tours (St. Augustine). Broad incumbents are Free Tours by Foot and Walks (Devour Tours / City Stories Inc.). St. Augustine Historic Walking Tours is listed as a regional player.
Does Ghost Tours have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ghost Tours.
What industry is Ghost Tours in?
Ghost Tours's product category is Haunted History Walking Tours. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAAAH, Night Tours (Illuminations, Ghost & Legends), with a secondary code of THAJAAAB, Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.