Specters & Shades of Court End Ghost Tour

Join us for haunting tales of Richmond's Court End neighborhood on a guided walking tour. Take in a unique urban landscape where historic and modern Richmond come together in dramatic fashion, with historic homes, medical buildings, museums, and more. See the home of America's most renowned Supreme Court Chief Justice and hear about the tragic tales that have resulted in hauntings within the historic house. Learn about a grim resurrectionist who terrified the community in the 1800s and continues to frighten medical students in an architecturally stunning Egyptian building. Move through the neighborhood and learn how the regal historic structures and gleaming veneers of modern Richmond belie the tumultuous and eerie history that remains just below the surface.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   20 min

   Meet your guide in Court End, one of Richmond’s oldest neighborhoods. Here, glass-clad towers rise alongside some of the city’s oldest surviving houses, creating a distinctive modern urban landscape shaped by centuries of history. Your guide will introduce the neighborhood and share eerie tales, dark-history vignettes, and stories connected with places that have vanished from the streetscape. This is an outdoor walking tour.

2. 2

   The John Marshall House

   15 min

   Pause outside the former home of John Marshall, the influential fourth chief justice of the United States. Your guide will discuss Marshall’s place in American history and the unexplained activity reported at his remarkably preserved home, including stories associated with his wife, Polly. This is an exterior stop; the tour does not enter the house.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   15 min

   Pause outside the William H. Grant House, a handsome nineteenth-century residence that later became part of Sheltering Arms Hospital and now serves as VCU office space. Your guide will trace the building’s changing uses and share stories of the echoes of the past said to linger within. This is an exterior stop; the tour does not enter the building.

4. 4

   White House Of The Confederacy

   10 min

   Pause outside the historic White House of the Confederacy while your guide shares a sorrowful story connected with the surrounding streets and Jefferson Davis’s young son, Joseph, remembered as “Little Joe.” The narrative offers a more personal glimpse into the neighborhood’s past beyond its familiar Civil War associations. This is an exterior stop; museum admission is not included.

5. 5

   Egyptian Building

   15 min

   Pause outside the Egyptian Building, a remarkable medical-school landmark distinguished by its elaborate Egyptian Revival architecture. Your guide will explore the building’s long association with medical education and share the enduring story of “Old Chris,” one of Court End’s best-known spectral figures. This is an exterior stop; the tour does not enter the building.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   5 min

   Make a brief stop near Richmond’s imposing Old City Hall, a landmark of High Victorian Gothic architecture. Against its dramatic stone exterior, your guide will share a dark-history vignette drawn from Richmond’s civic past. This is an exterior stop; the tour does not enter the building.

7. 7

   The National

   10 min

   Pause outside The National, the lone surviving theater from Richmond’s once-thriving Theater Row. Your guide will explore its place in the city’s entertainment history and introduce the resident spirits said to linger after the final curtain. This is an exterior stop; the tour does not enter the theater.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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