Charleston Jail Tour: Explore Infamous Criminal Cells

Explore Charleston’s haunted Old City Jail at night. Hear chilling tales of infamous criminals and Civil War prisoners. Book your unforgettable tour now.

Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Old City Jail - The Haunted Jail Tour takes you through the cells, hallways, and into the places where Charleston’s worst criminals lived and died. Brace yourself as you hear stories like the legend of Lavinia and John Fisher, hotel owners from the 1800s who supposedly poisoned their guests. Featured on such shows as Ghost Adventures, the story…
What's Included
  • Charleston Haunted Jail Night-Time Guided Walking Tour
  • Admission to Old City Jail in Charleston
  • Professional Guide
  • 45min Behind-The-Scenes Guided Tour of Old City Jail
  • Experience the jail that housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals & 19th-century pirates
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information

Join us for a memorable tour of the ground level of the Old City Jail, which housed some of Charleston’s most infamous criminals, 19th-century pirates, and Civil War prisoners. Located on Magazine Street downtown, the Old City Jail operated from 1802 until 1939, and has recently undergone renovation, leaving the first floor in keeping with its original…

Location
21 Magazine St
Magazine Street
Please meet the tour guide at Old City Jail 15 minutes prior to tour time.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.4
(535 Ratings)
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Angelamc1153rb
Feb 26, 2025
Sarah’s a Badass - Sarah was the best tour guide for the jail!!! She made it perfectly comfortable with her humor, instruction, and transparency. Her knowledge and delivery ensure a wonderful experience!!! A true unique experience 🫶🏽
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kdragon67
Feb 25, 2025
Great tour and guild - Great tour and guild. Sara was outstanding, tour was entertaining and informative. Would recommend, even go again myself.
Review provided by Viator
Kiya_r
Feb 25, 2025
Great night! Sarah was... - Great night! Sarah was very nice and answered every question we all had. She was very fun to listen to, would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Beulah_c
Feb 21, 2025
The haunted jail tour was... - The haunted jail tour was really fun. Sarah is the best tour guide we've had on this type of tour. My only complaint is that it didn't last long enough!
Review provided by Viator
988allena
Feb 20, 2025
Tour was super creepy. I may have taken a photo of a ghost at end of tour. - My 18yr old daughter and I did the tour as a last-minute thing. I'm a skeptic. However, from the moment that I went into the jail, I felt sick and faint. I don't get sick at the sight of blood, and I never pass out. Being in that jail was very strange. It feels bad, tainted, and just negative. Made me feel physically sick and lightheaded being in there. Our tour guide, Bruce Orr, was awesome...a retired homicide detective who wrote a book about that jail. It was obvious that he was basically rehearsing the same pitch that he's given like 1000 times, but it was still incredibly interesting. As we were leaving (about 10p), I turned around and snapped the photo attached below. That is from the outside of the jail, as we're walking from the back exit, around to the front of the building. When we got back to the hotel, my daughter checked all the videos and the few photos I took. She freaked out when she checked the last photo that I took. That same photo is attached. If you zoom into the top window on the right, you will see a man standing there. It is scary. The building was empty. I can't stress how freaky this whole experience was. This photo was not edited at all; I literally downloaded it from my phone and posted it to this website.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel_m
Feb 18, 2025
Tour guide was brilliant!... - Tour guide was brilliant! I would definitely recommend. Very historical, so if you’re not into ghosts it’s still very interesting. Sarah is a great guide and very knowledgable.
Review provided by Viator
L7080pesaraa
Feb 18, 2025
Old jail tour - The tour was unique. It was very cool seeing the old history of the jail. We didn’t get to see the whole jail or go up stairs because it was under construction so we stayed on the first floor which had some replicas of what was above. The tour guide was very knowledgeable & made it fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Edwardmb3171rp
Feb 16, 2025
Hunting jail tour - We both loved it and enjoy the information. Our tour guide joy. Was very informed. The whole atmosphere and vive was good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peters-dorsey
Feb 15, 2025
A Jail Tour to Remember - Sarah was very knowledgeable and made the jail tour experience very interesting. My husband and I work in a Federal Penitentiary and couldn't imagine what happened in that place. Thank you for the transparency. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erica_h
Feb 5, 2025
A wild piece of history! - This tour was informative and downright terrifying! Our tour guide, Sarah, was extremely knowledgeable. She is a wonderful story teller, and her warm energy really made us feel safe throughout the tour.
Review provided by Viator
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