Review · NEVADA

Ghosts of Virginia City Audio Self Guided App/GPS Walking Tour

★ 3.5 · 5 reviews 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) From $7 Operated by WalknTours · Bookable on Viator
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Virginia City’s ghost stories begin with a table named for suicide and finish at a schoolhouse tied to Disney’s Haunted Mansion. In between, you’ll pass old saloons, a former Mark Twain home, a murder site, and a motel with rooms said to be especially haunted. It is a good way to see the town after the usual history talk has taken a darker turn.

I like the freedom to start anytime, since the app does not expire and works around your day in Virginia City. I also like the low price, $7.75 per person, which gives you about an hour to an hour and 20 minutes of stories without paying admission to buildings. The main drawback is sound: road traffic can drown out the narration, so bring earbuds or headphones.

Key points to know before you start

  • A self-guided ghost walk: You follow the GPS route on your phone rather than joining a live group.
  • The route begins at the Delta Saloon: Hear the story behind the famous Suicide Table and the spirits linked to the saloon.
  • Most stops are outside: The price does not include food, drinks, or entry into any building.
  • The walk ends at Fourth Ward School: The final stop connects the building with Disney’s Haunted Mansion and local ghost stories.
  • Earbuds are a smart extra: Traffic noise can make some of the audio difficult to hear.
  • Good value for independent sightseers: At $7.75, the tour costs little more than a snack and can be taken at any hour.

A ghost walk with Virginia City underfoot

Ghosts of Virginia City Audio Self Guided App/GPS Walking Tour - A ghost walk with Virginia City underfoot

This experience works best when you want a flexible introduction to Virginia City, not a formal guided tour with a fixed departure time. You use the Walking Tour App, follow the GPS directions, and listen as you move from one location to the next. The route begins at the Delta Saloon on South C Street and ends at the Historic Fourth Ward School Museum.

The full walk takes about one hour to one hour and 20 minutes. Your pace matters. If you stop for photos, pause the narration, or spend time looking at the buildings, you will likely take longer. Since you can go at your own pace, you are not pushed along by a group.

The stories focus on murders, haunted rooms, old saloons, and lingering spirits. That gives the walk a different purpose from a standard town-history tour. You are still seeing Virginia City’s historic streets, but you are doing it through local legends and unsettling tales.

The tour is offered in English. It is a private activity in the sense that only your group takes part, but there is no live guide walking beside you. That distinction matters. You get privacy and control, but you also need to manage the app, keep an eye on the route, and make sure your phone audio is clear.

More Ghost Walking Tours in the USA

Starting at the Delta Saloon and the Suicide Table

Ghosts of Virginia City Audio Self Guided App/GPS Walking Tour - Starting at the Delta Saloon and the Suicide Table

The Delta Saloon is a fitting place to begin. The tour opens with the story of the old saloon’s Suicide Table, including how it received that grim name and the ghosts said to remain nearby.

This first stop lasts about five minutes, so it serves as an introduction rather than a long visit. You do not pay admission, and the experience does not include entry into the saloon. You hear the story from outside while standing near one of Virginia City’s best-known haunted locations.

That outside-only format keeps the tour inexpensive, but it also shapes your expectations. You are not taking a paranormal investigation or a building tour. You are walking through town, listening to stories connected to the places around you.

The opening stop should appeal to anyone who likes a quick hook. A table with a name like Suicide Table gets your attention fast, and the setting gives the rest of the walk a clear mood. If you are hoping to sit inside the saloon or inspect the table in person, you will need to make separate plans.

Silver Queen, E. Clampus Vitus, and other early stops

After the Delta Saloon, the route continues to several places where you listen from outside. One stop is the Silver Queen, where the audio explains a painting inside the building and the spirits believed to haunt its rooms.

The fact that the painting is inside is worth noting. You may hear about a feature you cannot fully inspect during the tour, since no building admission is included. This is common throughout the walk. The app supplies the story, while the street and building fronts provide the setting.

The route also pauses outside the old E. Clampus Vitus building. Here, the focus shifts to why the building is considered the most sinister in the city. That wording sets up one of the stronger mood changes on the route, moving from a famous saloon story to a place with a more threatening reputation.

Another stop is described through its history and ghosts, though the available tour details do not identify the building by name. You will hear the narration when you reach it. If you like knowing every stop in advance, the app’s GPS guidance may feel more useful than a simple printed route, since the places are not all clearly identified in the basic tour description.

B Street and stories of a club and murder

B Street receives about 15 minutes, making it one of the longer sections of the walk. You stop at three sights there and hear their history and related stories.

One of those locations concerns a club, a murder, and the ghosts said to remain there. This is the point where the tour’s subject matter becomes more serious. The stories are not only about strange noises or old rooms. Murder is part of the local tale, and the audio connects the event with the haunting that followed.

For you, the value of this section is the way it links several nearby places. Instead of treating each stop as an isolated ghost story, the route gives you a short stretch of Virginia City to explore while the narration moves between history and legend.

B Street may also be one of the busier portions of the walk simply because you are spending more time there. Keep your phone accessible and watch the GPS directions as you move among the three sights. The app is designed to guide you, but self-guided touring always asks you to pay attention to the route.

Tahoe House Hotel and the Mark Twain connection

The Tahoe House Hotel stop lasts about 10 minutes. Its main draw is the connection to Mark Twain, who once called the building home.

The audio also tells you about a former owner and the book inspired by her murder. That gives the stop two hooks: a literary connection and a crime story. It is a good example of how this walk mixes recognizable names with darker local history.

The Mark Twain link adds context beyond the supernatural. Even if you are not especially interested in ghost stories, you may find this stop useful because it connects Virginia City with a major American writer. The story of the former owner then brings the focus back to the tour’s central theme.

Again, you hear the story from outside. You should not expect a hotel visit or an indoor presentation as part of the $7.75 price. The benefit is that you can fit the stop into a broader walk around Virginia City without paying separate admission.

A haunted mansion and the Sugarloaf Mountain Motel

The route next stops outside a mansion and tells its story. The supplied details do not name the mansion, so the app’s narration provides the explanation when you arrive. This stop is best treated as another exterior landmark with a ghost story attached, rather than a building visit.

At the Sugarloaf Mountain Motel, the audio turns to haunted rooms and identifies which rooms are considered the most haunted. The stop lasts about five minutes, making it a short but specific addition to the route.

A motel may sound less grand than a nineteenth-century saloon or a former hotel, but that contrast is part of the appeal. Ghost stories do not stay confined to historic civic buildings. The Sugarloaf stop brings the theme into a more ordinary lodging setting, with the focus on individual rooms and their reputations.

You will hear the story outside. The tour does not promise room access, and no admission is included. If you want to stay at the motel or ask about the rooms directly, that would be a separate matter and is not part of this activity.

Finishing at Fourth Ward School

The walk ends at the Historic Fourth Ward School Museum on South C Street. The final story explains how the building inspired Disney’s Haunted Mansion and describes the ghosts believed to linger there now.

This makes a strong ending because the building has both a recognizable pop-culture connection and its own local ghost stories. You finish at a substantial historic structure rather than simply reaching the end of an ordinary sidewalk route.

The endpoint is also practical. You know exactly where the tour finishes: 537 S C St. If you are planning the rest of your visit, you can use that location as a marker for continuing your walk through Virginia City.

The tour does not include admission to the Fourth Ward School Museum. You hear about the building and its ghosts from outside. If the museum is open and you want to go in, you will need to arrange that separately.

What $7.75 really gets you

Ghosts of Virginia City Audio Self Guided App/GPS Walking Tour - What $7.75 really gets you

At $7.75 per person, this is a low-cost way to add structure and stories to a visit. You get access to the walking tour app, GPS guidance, and narration that remains available indefinitely. You can take it at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

That flexibility is the main value. You do not have to match a guide’s departure schedule, and you can pause the walk for lunch, photos, shopping, or other sightseeing. The tour also works well for a private group because only your party participates.

The price is less impressive if you expect entrance to the saloons, hotels, museum, or other buildings. This is an exterior audio walk, not a ticket bundle. There is no food or drink included, either.

Group discounts are available, which may improve the value for families or larger parties. Since the tour is offered in English only, it is best suited to people comfortable following English narration on a phone.

Sound, phones, and the practical side of the walk

Bring earbuds. This is the clearest practical lesson from the experience. Road traffic can make some of the commentary hard to hear, especially when you are standing outside near active streets.

You also need enough phone battery for the route and audio. The tour details do not specify battery requirements, offline access, or a separate equipment rental, so make sure your phone is ready before starting. Confirmation is provided at booking, and the mobile ticket is part of the experience.

The starting point is the Delta Saloon and Sawdust Corner Steakhouse at 18 S C St. The ending point is the Historic Fourth Ward School Museum at 537 S C St. The route is near public transportation, and service animals are allowed. Most people can participate, but the information provided does not give a specific distance or accessibility surface description.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund. That is useful if your Virginia City plans change, especially since the tour itself has no fixed departure time.

Who will enjoy this Virginia City audio tour

I would choose this walk if you like independent sightseeing with a strong story angle. It suits couples, families with older children, and small groups who want to move at their own speed. It is also a sensible add-on if you already plan to see Virginia City and want more background for the buildings along the way.

It may not suit you if you want a live guide, a full paranormal investigation, or indoor access to historic sites. You will be listening from the street, and the quality of the experience depends partly on your phone, headphones, and ability to follow the GPS route.

The tour also works best for visitors who enjoy a little mystery without needing every story treated as proven fact. The experience presents ghosts, murders, haunted rooms, and local legends as the subject of the walk. You can enjoy the atmosphere while deciding for yourself how much you believe.

Should you book the Ghosts of Virginia City tour?

Book it if you want a cheap, flexible way to see Virginia City through its darker stories. The Delta Saloon, Suicide Table, Mark Twain connection, murder tale, Sugarloaf Mountain Motel, and Fourth Ward School give the walk enough variety for its short length.

Skip it if your priority is entering historic buildings or hearing a live guide answer questions on the spot. For everyone else, $7.75 is a fair price for a self-guided route that never expires. Bring earbuds, start when it suits you, and treat the walk as a story-filled introduction to Virginia City rather than a complete tour of its interiors.

FAQ

How long does the Ghosts of Virginia City audio tour take?

The tour takes approximately one hour to one hour and 20 minutes.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at the Delta Saloon and Sawdust Corner Steakhouse, 18 S C St, Virginia City, Nevada 89440.

Where does the tour end?

It ends at the Historic Fourth Ward School Museum, 537 S C St, Virginia City, Nevada 89440.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

Can I take the tour at any time?

Yes. The tour is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you can go at your own pace.

Does the tour ever expire?

No. The walking tour app access does not expire.

Are building admissions included?

No. The tour takes place outside, and admission to buildings is not included.

Should I bring headphones or earbuds?

Yes. Earbuds or headphones are recommended because road traffic can make some of the commentary difficult to hear.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund.

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