Philadelphia Haunted Old City Self Guided Ghost Tour Game

This is a self-guided exploration game where you'll be wandering the streets of Philadelphia and solving a paranormal case and hunting for ghosts. The file has been open since 1954. You, with your detective and observational skills, and a little help from the Questo app, will try to close it in 2 hours. The route starts at Benjamin Franklin's grave and takes you through 13 of Old City's darkest addresses. Your job is to find out what each ghost is still owed, and settle it. You'll discover dark stories like the first bank robbery in America, the surgeon who had bodies delivered in barrels after midnight, and the lunchtime park where 1,300 fever victims were buried in one year. Each location involves inspecting a real-world object and solving a challenge. Best after dark with your phone torch on. About 1.7 miles of walking, with unlimited breaks. Hints and 24/7 support if you get stuck. Perfect for Halloween or any night you're in the mood for creepy ghost stories.

1. 1

   Christ Church Burial Ground

   8 min

   You'll start at the gate of Christ Church Burial Ground on Arch Street, where the app opens your case file and introduces the agent running it. Your first task will be to investigate the inscription above the gate and find a password. Once you solve it, you learn why people still throw pennies on Benjamin Franklin's grave, and what he thinks about it.

2. 2

   Arch Street Meeting House

   7 min

   You'll walk down Arch Street to the Quaker meeting house and solve another challenge. You'll learn how many people lie under its neat lawn without a single headstone.

3. 3

   Betsy Ross House

   7 min

   You'll stop at the flag house at 239 Arch Street and search for a sign to help you solve the next challenge. You'll learn how many times Betsy Ross has been moved, and why nobody can say whose bones are under her stone.

4. 4

   Elfreth's Alley

   7 min

   You'll turn into Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously lived-in street in the country, and read what's hidden on its historical marker. You'll learn why it survived three hundred years and the story of the spy who was hanged there.

5. 5

   Christ Church

   6 min

   You'll walk to Christ Church on 2nd Street and investigate the iron sign. You'll learn about the people in the vaults under the floor where Sunday services are still held.

6. 6

   Franklin Court

   7 min

   You'll head to Franklin Court on Market Street and solve a riddle about the object on the wall above the post office's red gate. You'll learn why Franklin's fire company refused houses with trees in front, and who took those customers.

7. 7

   Carpenters' Hall

   7 min

   You'll stop at Carpenters' Hall on Chestnut Street and complete a torn note from the text by the gate. You'll learn about the first bank robbery in American history, $160,000 taken from this very building.

8. 8

   First Bank of the United States

   7 min

   You'll cross to the marble portico of the First Bank, unscramble a message and look up at the building to answer it. You'll learn how the robber got caught putting the money back into this bank under his own name.

9. 9

   Powel House

   7 min

   You'll walk into Society Hill to Powel House and use a sign on site to name two of its famous guests. You'll learn about Peggy Shippen, who danced here at eighteen and insists she was no bystander to Benedict Arnold's treason.

10. 10

    St. Peter's Episcopal Church

    6 min

    You'll stop at St Peter's, where almost nothing has changed since 1761, and find what's missing from your photo of its carved stone. You'll learn whose names are kept in a burial register that has survived 260 years.

11. 11

    Physick House

    7 min

    You'll walk to the Hill-Physick House and use a punchcard on the text of its bronze plaque to find your answer. You'll learn what the Father of American surgery had delivered to his back yard after midnight, and why his wife left him.

12. 12

    Old St. Mary Church

    6 min

    You'll solve a challenge someone buried in Old St Mary's churchyard. You'll learn why every respectable burial ground in the city turned people away, and where they ended up instead.

13. 13

    Washington Square

    8 min

    You'll finish in Washington Square, where you'll turn the fragments you've collected into the word that leads to the last clue. You'll learn what this lunchtime park was for 88 years, and who kept watch over it with a lantern.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• A charged smartphone with internet is required to play the game in the Questo app
• Comfortable walking shoes are recommended

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