The Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington is an operator-described 90-minute walk of about one mile, starting at the riverfront sign at Market and Water Streets. Choose it for guided storytelling on foot. A ghost account is not historical proof, and this guide does not promise a particular story, stop list or ending point for your departure.
Current schedule and price
The tour page, checked October 5, 2026, lists:
- March-October: nightly at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
- November: nightly at 6:30 p.m.
- December-February: Thursday-Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
- No tours July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
- Adults $22 plus tax; seniors, students and military $20 plus tax; children 6 and younger free.
Use the actual booking date and confirmation before traveling. The operator’s sellout language is not a measured availability forecast for every night. Two standard adult tickets total $44 before tax. Children 6 and younger enter free; price other guests using their actual ticket categories. Tax and any chosen gratuity are additional.
Check-in and the return route
The operator FAQ gives 8 Market Street, the Black Cat Shoppe, as a GPS landmark for the sign and says check-in begins 20 minutes before departure. The tour page requires arrival at least 15 minutes early. Plan for the earlier check-in window plus parking and the walk to the sign.
Arrival and the ghost-walk evening
- 20 minutes before departure
Check-in opens.
- 15 minutes before departure
Required arrival margin stated by the operator.
- Booked departure
The tour begins at your selected time.
- About 90 minutes later
Nominal tour ending. Leave room for the return route and any variation in the endpoint.
The FAQ says routes vary nightly. That does not imply they never share an ending point. The checked materials do not provide a guaranteed endpoint for every departure, so ask the guide where that evening’s walk finishes and how you should return to your transport. A late evening reservation should include that return, not just the 90-minute tour duration.
Weather and refunds are booking terms
The operator advertises rain-or-shine operation, with shelter when the guide considers lightning an imminent threat. Its FAQ says a NOAA hurricane watch or warning triggers cancellation and full refunds; otherwise the tour page says all sales are final and tickets apply only to the purchased date/time.
Those are operator terms, not a guarantee that walking outdoors is suitable for everyone in severe weather. Read the current policy and any dated notice before purchasing. Check the forecast, clothing and your group’s mobility needs, and ask about a specific accommodation rather than assuming a historic district is flat or easy throughout.
Parking: use the city’s actual rules
The FAQ mentions street parking after 6:30 p.m., but the city parking page and the sign at your space govern the actual location. Arriving early for a 6:30 tour also means arriving before that time. Do not assume your entire stay is free from a tour’s general parking sentence.
The city lists the Market Street Deck at 115 Market Street and Second Street Deck at 114 North Second Street. Check posted fees, event changes, open routes and any access need. The operator identifies public restrooms at the information booth near the sign and Market Street deck; confirm current access before relying on them.
Keep the legend and the visit separate
The tour’s claim to haunted places is the storytelling offer. For a daytime historical visit, use the institution’s own account and admission arrangements rather than treating a ghost tale as documentation. A walking tour outside a house does not grant entry to that house or a churchyard.
Across the river, our Battleship Ghost Ship page has a separate program-status question. This guide does not confirm a 2026 Ghost Ship run or recommend booking both as though the ship event were established. Ghost Walk and Battleship admission are separate operators and activities.
Choose a confirmed departure, price the actual group, ask about the endpoint and any access need, then arrange dinner and transport around that window. Our downtown dining guide can help with the meal.
