Follow Candlelight From Merchants Square Into Williamsburg's Ghost Stories
A 90-minute evening walk that meets outside Lululemon for an 8:00 PM start, with every story told outdoors.
At 8:00 PM a guide gathers the group outside the Lululemon store in Merchants Square, then spends about 90 minutes walking Colonial Williamsburg by candlelight. The format is plain storytelling, mixing the town's history with its ghost lore.
Several companies run evening ghost walks in Colonial Williamsburg, so know which group is yours: this listing belongs to the company called The Original Ghost Tour, and its group gathers in front of Lululemon. Colonial Williamsburg's guidelines ask independent guides to display identification giving their name and their tour company, which makes the guide easy to check.
The Original Ghosts of Williamsburg TourA 90-minute candlelit ghost walk through Colonial Williamsburg, meeting outside Lululemon in Merchants Square.www.viator.comThe Stops Travelers Keep Naming
The listing does not name individual stops, and the operator's terms reserve the right to change the route and the length without notice. Travelers fill in the outline. Several describe starting on the William & Mary campus beside the statue of a colonial governor, then heading back down Duke of Gloucester Street.
The Peyton Randolph House comes up again and again, and the operator's own listing photos caption it as the most haunted house in Williamsburg. Others mention the Governor's Palace and a churchyard. One recent traveler put the whole route at about a mile.
Every Story Is Told From the Sidewalk
The whole walk happens outdoors: the operator's terms say all tours are outside, and travelers note they never go into the buildings or the graveyards. The guide stops in front of each place and tells its story there. One traveler noted the guide carried a lantern, which made following in the dark easy.
That matches the rules at the sites themselves. Colonial Williamsburg's guidelines for independent tour guides, posted on the city's website, say its exhibition areas and gardens are open in the evening only for the foundation's own programs, and that other groups should stay on public property. Bruton Parish Church, which a couple of travelers name, says its churchyard can be visited while the church is open, currently 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, or from 12:30 PM on Sundays.
A few travelers wanted more ghosts and less history. The operator describes the walk as storytelling and says plainly that nothing jumps out at you and it is not a haunted house.
Bring a Camera, Then Ask the Guide
The tour page tells you to bring a camera and says thousands of guests a year catch light orbs in their pictures. Travelers describe exactly that around the churchyard and the Peyton Randolph House.
The operator's terms add two rules that are easy to miss: ask the guide before taking photographs, and no recording of any kind. Stills are at the guide's say. Video is off the table.
Kids, Strollers and Keeping Pace
The operator pitches the walk to all ages and says all of its tours are wheelchair and stroller accessible. On children it promises nothing: it is not sure the stories will scare yours, and says you know them better than it does. Recent reviews come from families with kids of seven, eleven and fourteen.
Pace is the part to plan for: the listing says the walk is not recommended for travelers who have walking problems, and one traveler using a cane could not keep up with the group. Wheelchair users in other reviews say their guides made sure they were not left behind.
🕯 Meet in front of Lululemon at 345 Duke of Gloucester Street in Merchants Square at least 15 minutes before the 8:00 PM start. The map pin marks the Thomas Jefferson statue, a short walk west along the same street; the group itself meets at Lululemon.
Plan the ride home before you go. WATA's Route 15 stops at Merchants Square on South Henry Street, but it lists service until 9:00 PM Monday through Saturday and only until 6:00 PM on Sunday, and the 90-minute walk lets out after that. If you drive, Merchants Square's P2 to P5 lots charge from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with the first 30 minutes free and two dollars an hour after that. The city's Prince George Parking Garage at 230 North Henry Street is free for 30 minutes, then a dollar an hour, cards only.
As of October 26, 2026, this listing's calendar shows the 8:00 PM walk nightly through October 31 and no later dates yet. Every traveler aged one and up needs a ticket here, the guide's tip is not included, and all sales are final. The walk goes ahead rain or shine unless the guides judge conditions unsafe.
Dress for the evening and follow the candlelight into the dark streets.