For example, I absolutely love the thrill of watching horror films, even though I know hours later, the memory of it will literally keep me awake at night for about a week.
But if you’re weird like me and love nothing more than scaring the s*** out of yourself, a spooky, haunted, Halloween ghost walk is just what you need to celebrate this season in style.
And being from Manchester- a city immersed in history- there’s plenty of ghoulish tales to feed your inquisitive, horror-hungry mind. Here is our list of the best ghost walks in Manchester this Halloween.
The Haunted Underworld Tour
Every Sunday in October
Day in day out, people walk the streets of Manchester, unbeknown that there is an entire dark world right beneath our feet. Spooky tour guide, Jonathan Schofield, will take you on a journey through Manchester’s ghostly and murderous past, telling tales of the Manchester Tudor Magician, The Tear Catcher, and The Manchester Shouter. The tour starts at St Ann’s Square, where you will be told a tale of hanging, drawing and quartering, before delving through creepy alley ways until you reach a Manchester Vault. Go down if you dare- but be warned, there is no lighting except for that provided by the guide, so prepare to have your nerves tested!
This walk is held every Sunday throughout October, but also on Halloween night itself. Tickets are £15 PP and include a beer, glass of wine or soft drink at Mulligans. Minimum age is 12 years old.
The Halloween Special, ‘Saturday Night’ Ghost Walk
Saturday 27th October
Living beside a canal in Manchester, I was pretty horrified to learn that the ghost of a little girl roams the water side. However, this is just one of many eerie cases of ghostly activity known in the city centre, Campfield, Castlefield and by the canals. This bloodcurdling tour will teach you about many fascinating stories including: the first cases of cholera, The Paupers Graveyard (now the home of the set of Coronation Street), John Bryom and the Hellfire Club, The Knights of the Round Table and the Ghost of the Headless Knight and the deathly tale of the ship, ‘The Emma’. This event includes a much-needed 30-minute pub interval at the historical Ox Noble, and will commence/end at the LOCK 91.
This event will take place on Saturday 27th October and will run from 7 – approximately 9pm. Tickets are £14.61pp. 18+ only.
Spooky Manchester
Thursday 25th October
Can you believe that once upon a time, our beloved city was once a haven for murder, assassination, hanging, homicide, regicide, hoax deaths, bloody deaths and talking corpses? This gruesome tour explores unusual and horrifying deaths that have cemented themselves in Manchester’s brutish history, including the tale of the poor John Beswick, who was horrifically buried alive. This event will play on every fear you have about death, and will put the strength of your stomach to the test when you hear about decapitations, slow, tortuous and accidental deaths.
This event is taking place on Thursday 25th October, and begins at Victoria Station wall map (on top of the old graveyard) between 5.30-7.30pm. Tickets are £10pp.
The Witches Walk at Buile Hill Park
Friday 26th October
Perfect for families, this Witches Walk at Buile Hill Park in Salford will be on throughout the day on Friday 26th October. Lasting an hour this walk will include a tour of loads of spooky zones, scary characters and more special effects than a Michael Bay movie. There’ll also be stilt walkers and live dance performances too, alongside the mandatory jump scares of course.
Takes place every hour from 4pm on Friday 26th October. Tickets are £2.50pp
The Didsbury Ghost Walk
Friday 9th November
The legendary Flecky Bennett is so good at his ghost walks that they’re all bloody booked up until November – but fear not – he takes this kind of stuff very seriously so you’re not going to get a washed out version at any time soon. Didsbury is known for being one of the most charming and hipster areas in Greater Manchester- making it one of the most in-demand places to live. However, don’t let its pretty appearance fool you – not everything about Didsbury’s past is as attractive. So if you’d like to listen to spine-chilling accounts of hauntings and strange, gruesome rituals, get yourself booked in with Bennett as soon as you can!
This event is taking place at the The Entrance to The Old Parsonage on Friday 9th November and will run between 7-8.30pm. Tickets are £12.50pp.
