Charleston Jail Tour: Explore Infamous Criminal Cells

Explore Charleston’s haunted Old City Jail at night. Hear chilling tales of infamous criminals and Civil War prisoners. Book your unforgettable tour now.

Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Old City Jail - The Haunted Jail Tour takes you through the cells, hallways, and into the places where Charleston’s worst criminals lived and died. Brace yourself as you hear stories like the legend of Lavinia and John Fisher, hotel owners from the 1800s who supposedly poisoned their guests. Featured on such shows as Ghost Adventures, the story…
What's Included
  • Charleston Haunted Jail Night-Time Guided Walking Tour
  • Admission to Old City Jail in Charleston
  • Professional Guide
  • 45min Behind-The-Scenes Guided Tour of Old City Jail
  • Experience the jail that housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals & 19th-century pirates
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information

Join us for a memorable tour of the ground level of the Old City Jail, which housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals, 19th-century pirates, and Civil War prisoners. Located on Magazine Street downtown, the Old City Jail operated from 1802 until 1939, and has recently undergone renovation, leaving the first floor in keeping with its original…

Location
21 Magazine St
Magazine Street
Please meet the tour guide at Old City Jail 15 minutes prior to tour time.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(623 Ratings)
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Susan_d
Oct 9, 2025
Great time! - The tour was very well done! It was a nice mix of spooky and historic and out your guide, Zoe, was excellent! My adult son and I loved it!
Review provided by Viator
H5206xnlesliew
Oct 9, 2025
The ghost tour was interesting and fun. Sarah was our tour guide and was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and entertaining! - This was a great Charleston activity. Learned a lot about the history of the city and much of the lore! It was the perfect amount of time and our guide was excellent!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy_s
Oct 8, 2025
Excellent tour! - A wonderful combination of haunted history! Our guide Sarah was excellent and very knowledgeable. YES
Review provided by Viator
Kellie_k
Oct 7, 2025
A creepy good time - I sent my three teenagers in on the tour to let them have some fun activity and boy did I miss out on the action! They were absolutely fascinated with all of the stories told and the extremely creepy environment. They got back in the car afterwards and could not stop talking about how insane and fun and scary. The tour of the jail was.
Review provided by Viator
A3110mmrachaelm
Sep 29, 2025
Quick history lesson and ghost tour of the Old City Jail - I think it's sometimes hard to review these kinds of experiences because it's very subjective to how one feels about the subject matter on top of how it's presented. The guide we had was great although he talked a little fast. It was hard to keep up and process what he was saying at times. However, he covered a lot of information and stories in the short time we were there. The stories of spirits that were believed to still linger within the walls (again whatever you choose believe here) could definitely make the space feel spooky. As someone who enjoys learning some dark history with some ghost tales thrown in, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthia_h
Sep 13, 2025
Sarah was an excellent... - Sarah was an excellent guide! She was very knowledgeable and entertaining! I would most definitely recommend this tour to others and go back myself!
Review provided by Viator
Kayla_l
Oct 5, 2025
Our tour guide Sarah was... - Our tour guide Sarah was absolutely amazing. But the tour only covered 1 floor of the jail, so that was rather disappointing.
Review provided by Viator
Gail_b
Sep 18, 2025
Haunted Jail tour - The tour guide was AMAZING! Very informative and entertaining. The tour itself was disappointing. The area we got to tour was ridiculously small and therefore overpriced. I would definitely given the tour a lower rating if not for the guide.
Review provided by Viator
Petergk4410xq
Sep 11, 2025
Fun 45 minutes of dark Charleston history - Fun tour! Sarah made it fun, interesting and informative. Lots of historical information and very provocative but not really scary. If you’re interested in the history of the gruesome and brutal history of 1700 - 1800’s Charleston you’ll enjoy this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bob_f
Sep 21, 2025
Bad Guide - not worth the money - Guide was awful. His presentation was not understandable. We didn't see much of the jail. It was just not worth the money.
Review provided by Viator
From $46
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).