Ghost Tours

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.

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

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

• Haunted history tours
• Walking tour services
• Ghost storytelling experiences
• Candlelight city tours
• Historical heritage tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Augustine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Walking Tour Tickets: The company generates revenue through ticket sales for nightly candlelight walking tours, with pricing varying by location and tour type.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PhilaLandmarkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit 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 MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVictorian-style trolley option available for Philadelphia Ghost Tours at different rates for groups.
• Independence Visitor CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism partner providing visitor information and tour referrals.
• Philadelphia Convention & Visitors BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism marketing organization featuring Ghost Tours in Philadelphia visitor materials.
• Sweet Divas ChocolateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSt. Petersburg tour departure location - the Ghost Tour departs from this venue.
• Brinton LodgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeparate haunted location in Douglassville, PA with Ghost Tour offering. Linked from main Ghost Tours website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/philadelphiaghosttours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ghost-tour-of-philadelphia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ghost Tours