Saint John, New Brunswick has plenty of ghost stories, thanks to fog, shipwrecks, old brick, and nearly 250 years of history as Canada’s oldest incorporated city. The ghost tour scene is small, though. It’s a handful of independent operators and community-run events rather than a big commercial industry, so it helps to know what each one offers before you spend an evening on it.
Here’s how the main options compare on price, format, and who they suit.
A quick note first: if you search “Saint John ghost tour,” a lot of results are for St. John’s, Newfoundland, which has a famous Haunted Hike and haunted pub crawl. Several booking sites flag this themselves. Double-check the province before you book.
The budget pick: Haunted Saint John Tours (Uptown)
Best for: families, casual curiosity, anyone who wants a cheap, easy night out.
This is the most affordable ghost experience in town. The Haunted Uptown Tour starts at 8pm outside the Imperial Theatre, with tickets at $15 for adults and $10 for children. That’s less than the price of a movie. Groups cap at 30 people, and you reserve by messaging their Facebook page with your email and ticket count.
The booking process is informal, so don’t expect an instant confirmation email. The small group size and low price are the appeal. If you want a relaxed walk through Uptown with a storyteller who knows the local legends, this is the easiest yes on the list.
Worth the money? Yes. At $15, the bar is low and the format is friendly.
The local-history deep dive: David Goss’s Frightful Friday Ghost Walks
Best for: history buffs, people who’ve read the local ghost books, repeat visitors.
This one is more of a literary event than a performance. David Goss is preparing a new edition of his sold-out book Saint John Ghosts and shares newly collected stories alongside the old standards on two Friday night walks. If you like your ghost stories grounded in research rather than theatrics, an author-led walk is hard to beat.
Know the logistics before you go. Nobody is admitted at the last minute, and registrants can’t bring anyone who hasn’t registered. The meeting location is only given after you register. Plan ahead. Spontaneous drop-ins won’t work, and there are only two dates per season.
Worth the money? I couldn’t confirm a ticket price, so ask when you register (the listing gives an email and phone contact). For the right audience, a walk led by the person who wrote the book on Saint John’s ghosts is likely the most authoritative experience in the city.
The “not strictly a ghost tour” option: Scandals & Intrigue Walking Tour
Best for: people who like ghost stories but want more variety, including true crime and general mischief.
Rocks Talk’s tour is listed under the Scandals & Intrigue name, so it’s broader than a pure ghost tour. It covers ghosts, murders, spies, shipwrecks, riots, and hijackings. It runs about 90 minutes, starts at 4:30 PM at Market Square, and lists at CA $50 per person, though discounts appeared on the booking page I found.
The 4:30 start is the catch. If you want dusk-and-lanterns atmosphere, an afternoon departure won’t deliver it, especially in summer. What you get instead is a longer, more storytelling-heavy walk with a guide who, according to the listing, delivers dark punchlines with wit and a grin.
Worth the money? Yes, if you want a full 90 minutes of local lore and you’re fine with the broader theme. It’s pricier than the Uptown tour, but you get more time and more variety. Skip it if “ghosts after dark” is the whole point.
The one for the serious ghost hunters: the Masonic Temple paranormal investigation
Best for: people who want to do something rather than just listen.
This one is a different category entirely. MOC Paranormal Investigations ran a guided investigation of the Saint John Masonic Temple at 92 Germain Street on July 24, 2026, with sessions from 7:00 PM through a late-night VIP experience. Regular admission was $50 and VIP was $75, with all proceeds going toward preserving the historic building.
That charity angle matters. You’re getting an unusual evening inside a heritage landmark while helping keep it standing. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, paying $50 to explore a historic Masonic temple after dark and support its upkeep is a decent trade.
That date has passed for 2026, so treat this as one to watch for next year. Events like this tend to be one-offs, so follow the Temple’s ticketing page if it sounds like your thing.
Worth the money? Yes for the right person, especially since the funds go to preservation. The VIP tier is a stretch unless you really want the late-night session.
So which one should you pick?
- Tightest budget or traveling with kids: Haunted Saint John Tours. Cheap, easy, and built for groups.
- You love local history and archives: the David Goss walks, if you can get on the list.
- You want a longer, more entertaining outing: Scandals & Intrigue.
- You want something hands-on and different: the Masonic Temple investigation, when it returns.
A few practical tips
- Book early or message ahead. Several of these tours are small and capped, and some require registration or a Facebook message instead of a one-click checkout.
- Check dates every year. These tours run on short seasonal windows, mostly summer into October. It’s late October now, so most 2026 dates have passed. Use this as your shortlist for next season.
- Dress for the weather. Saint John fog is atmospheric until it’s cold and damp. Wear layers.
- Confirm the city. St. John’s, NL listings pop up constantly in search.
The bottom line
No tour here is a rip-off, and the prices are modest compared to ghost tours in bigger cities. The real question is what kind of evening you want. If you just want a fun, inexpensive stroll, go with the Uptown tour. If you want depth, go with the Goss walks. And if you want to poke around a haunted building, keep an eye on the Masonic Temple’s next event.
