Australia’s Most Haunted Places After Dark (and the One That’s Now Locked Up)
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Australia’s spookiest sites aren’t old castles. They’re convict ruins, goldfields asylums and sandstone gaols where the stories come from real records, and almost every one runs a lantern or torchlight tour after dark.
The list looks different this Halloween, with Australia’s best-known “haunted house” now shut and a few old favourites closed or only viewable from the outside.
Which Haunted Site in Australia Is Actually the Scariest?
Port Arthur in Tasmania is the one most locals name first. It mixes a brutal convict history with one of the country’s longest-running ghost tours, and tour groups have the whole site to themselves after dark.
For sheer creepiness though, the old asylums in regional Victoria come close. Aradale, J Ward and Beechworth’s Mayday Hills all sit within a few hours of Melbourne.
Quick picks by state
- NSW – Q Station in Manly, Maitland Gaol, Trial Bay Gaol
- Victoria – Aradale and J Ward in Ararat, Mayday Hills in Beechworth, Pentridge in Coburg, Old Melbourne Gaol
- Tasmania – Port Arthur Historic Site, Hobart Convict Penitentiary
- Western Australia – Fremantle Prison
- South Australia – Adelaide Gaol
- Queensland – South Brisbane Cemetery, Devil’s Pool at Babinda Boulders (Boggo Road Gaol is closed)
- ACT – Old Parliament House
- Northern Territory – Fannie Bay Gaol
Haunted Spots in New South Wales
NSW has more reported ghost sightings than any other state, and most of its haunted sites are old quarantine, convict or prison buildings.
Q Station, Manly
Q Station on North Head is Sydney’s creepiest night out. It was the city’s quarantine station for more than 150 years, and hundreds of people died there from smallpox, plague and Spanish flu.
- Ghostly Encounters is the adults’ tour, two to two and a half hours by lantern (strictly 15+)
- Ghost Trackers is the family version for kids aged 8 to 14
- Tours run most evenings from Wednesday to Sunday, but Halloween week sells out early
I cover the other Sydney options in my guide to the best Sydney ghost tours and the full list of Sydney’s most haunted places. For the festival side of spooky season, there’s my Halloween in Sydney guide.
Maitland Gaol, Hunter Valley
Maitland Gaol is often called the Hunter’s most haunted building. It held prisoners from 1848 until 1998 and saw 16 legal executions.
The torchlight and psychic-led tours are for 14+, and there are Ghost Hunting 101 nights with K2 meters and spirit boxes. Groups of 25 or more can even book a sleepover in the cells.
It pairs well with a weekend in the Hunter Valley wine region, about 30 minutes away.
Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains – Closed Until 2027
Jenolan Caves is closed until early 2027, so its lamplit Legends, Mysteries and Ghosts tour isn’t running this Halloween. The caves shut in April 2024 after storms damaged Jenolan Caves Road, and the heritage Caves House is being refurbished.
When it reopens, the ghost tour is a good pick for anyone who wants spooky without gore. It’s known for stories about long-serving guide James Wiburd, whose ashes rest inside the caves.
Trial Bay Gaol, South West Rocks
Trial Bay Gaol in Arakoon National Park runs an adults-only Walk on the Dark Side sunset tour. Locals say a German WWI internee called Charlie still walks the grounds and the beach near the lighthouse.
It’s the easiest haunted site to combine with a beach holiday on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Monte Cristo Homestead, Junee – Now Closed
Monte Cristo is no longer open to the public. For decades it was billed as the country’s most haunted house, but it closed to the public around the start of 2025 and is now private property.
There are no tours or overnight stays there anymore. If its old ghost tour operator relaunches somewhere else, I’ll update this.
The Mushroom Tunnel, Picton
The Mushroom Tunnel can only be seen from the outside now. The 1867 Redbank Range railway tunnel is tied to the story of Emily Bollard, killed by a train inside it, but the structure has deteriorated and walking through isn’t allowed.
Victoria’s Haunted Asylums and Gaols
Victoria’s eeriest sites are mostly old asylums, and three of the biggest sit in the goldfields and High Country. More detail is in my Melbourne’s most haunted places guide.
Aradale and J Ward, Ararat
Aradale is one of the largest abandoned asylums in the country, and it’s in Ararat on the edge of the Grampians.
It opened in 1867 as the Ararat Lunatic Asylum and housed thousands of patients for over 126 years.
- Eerie Tours runs the two-hour Aradale ghost tour through cell blocks, the chapel, surgery theatres and the morgue
- J Ward across town was the ward for the “criminally insane”, and once held Chopper Read
- J Ward’s volunteer-run day tours run daily, with ghost tours on set nights
Ararat is just over two hours from Melbourne, so it works best as part of a Grampians trip rather than a day trip.
Mayday Hills, Beechworth
Asylum Ghost Tours runs night tours and paranormal investigations at the old Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum in Beechworth. It operated from 1867 to 1995, and more than 9,000 deaths are on record.
There are daytime history tours too, which suit anyone travelling with younger kids. Beechworth itself is one of the best-preserved gold rush towns in the High Country, so it’s worth a night.
Pentridge Prison, Coburg
Lantern Ghost Tours runs ghost tours and overnight paranormal investigations at Pentridge Prison in Melbourne’s north. The tours go into D Division and the cells once used by Chopper Read and Squizzy Taylor.
Tours run Friday to Sunday evenings and are for 16+.
Old Melbourne Gaol, Melbourne CBD
The Old Melbourne Gaol runs a one-hour night tour called Ghosts! What Ghosts? This is where Ned Kelly was hanged, and it’s the easiest haunted site in the country to reach by tram.
It’s 16+ and runs in the dark with tight spaces, so closed shoes are a must.
Tasmania’s Convict Ghost Stories
Tasmania’s haunted sites are almost all convict sites, and the island has two of the best ghost tours anywhere.
Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasman Peninsula
The Port Arthur ghost tour is a 90-minute lantern walk through the World Heritage-listed site after dark. Nobody else is allowed on site at night, which makes the ruins feel very different from a daytime visit.
- Tours run Wednesday to Sunday nights, and bookings are essential
- It isn’t wheelchair accessible because of the old buildings and dark paths
- Departure times change through the year, so the booking page is the place to confirm them
Port Arthur is about 90 minutes from Hobart, so staying nearby on the Tasman Peninsula saves a late drive.
There’s more on planning a visit in my Port Arthur guide, and it slots easily into a longer Tasmania itinerary.
Hobart Convict Penitentiary
The National Trust runs the Unshackled lantern guided tours inside Hobart’s 1820s convict penitentiary. Thirty-two people were executed on site, and the chapel’s underground tunnels and solitary cells are part of the walk.
UNSHACKLED TOUR TIMES
Wednesday to Sunday
Morning: 10:00 am | 11:30 am
Afternoon: 1:00 pm | 2:30 pm
Western Australia – Fremantle Prison
Fremantle Prison’s Torchlight Tour is the scariest thing to do in Perth after dark. The 90-minute tour goes through the Main Cell Block, solitary confinement, the gallows and the morgue, with a few planned surprises along the way.
- Runs Wednesday and Friday nights
- Not recommended for under 10s
- Fully wheelchair accessible, which is rare for a heritage gaol
The prison is UNESCO World Heritage-listed and a short walk from Fremantle station. For the wider city, I weigh up whether Perth is worth visiting.
South Australia – Adelaide Gaol
Adelaide Gaol runs two-hour ghost tours, paranormal investigations and gentler twilight tours. It operated from 1841 to 1988, and the executed prisoners buried within the walls are a big part of its reputation.
The ghost tours carry adult content and aren’t recommended for under 16s. The twilight tour suits families with older kids.
Gaol Road has been closed for construction, so access is through Bonython Park off Port Road. I’ve got more SA spots in my guide to the most haunted places in South Australia, and the gaol is an easy evening add-on to an Adelaide itinerary.
Queensland’s Haunted Sites
Queensland’s spooky side runs from a Brisbane cemetery to a rainforest creek with a sad legend.
Boggo Road Gaol, Brisbane – Closed
Boggo Road Gaol in Dutton Park has been closed since March 2022, and its ghost tours are suspended. The operator says it’s shut because of a development next to the prison, and there’s no reopening date yet.
Some older booking listings still show its Ghosts and Gallows tour, but they’re out of date.
The closest alternative is the South Brisbane Cemetery ghost tour, right next door in Dutton Park. Ghost Tours Australia runs the two-hour lantern walk, which stops at the Devil’s Plot where Boggo Road’s ghost stories are told.
For something central, the same operator’s Haunted Brisbane CBD Ghost Tour starts at City Hall in King George Square and ends near the South Bank stations.
For the rest of a Brisbane trip, I cover whether Brisbane is worth visiting.
Devil’s Pool, Babinda Boulders
Devil’s Pool is tied to the Aboriginal legend of Oolana, and swimming there is now banned. More than 20 people have drowned in the fast water since 1959.
Today it can only be seen from the viewing platforms along the walking track at Babinda Boulders, about an hour south of Cairns. The council asks visitors to stay in the marked swimming area and on paths out of respect for the site’s cultural meaning.
There are more Queensland options in my roundup of the most haunted places in Queensland.
Canberra – Old Parliament House
The Museum of Australian Democracy runs paranormal investigations at Old Parliament House on just a few nights a year.
This year’s dates include Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October 2026, so it’s a rare Halloween-weekend option, with more nights in late November and mid December.
Staff report footsteps in empty halls and cigar smoke in the old Prime Minister’s Office. The two-hour night is 18+ and sits in the pricier tier, but it includes ghost-hunting gear.
Tim the Yowie Man also runs evening ghost and history tours around the capital. I cover the rest in my guide to the most haunted places in Canberra, and my Canberra one-day itinerary covers the daytime side.
Northern Territory – Fannie Bay Gaol
Fannie Bay Gaol was Darwin’s main prison from 1883 to 1979 and is now a free-to-visit museum. Its gallows were last used in 1952, and stories of moaning from empty cells and slamming doors are part of local lore.
It’s a daytime visit rather than a ghost tour, so it’s best for curious families and history fans. It sits near the East Point Reserve and Mindil Beach, so it fits into an easy Darwin afternoon.
Picking the Right Ghost Tour
The best ghost tour depends more on age and nerves than on location. Here’s how I’d match them.
Families with kids under 12
☑️ Q Station’s Ghost Trackers
☑️ Mayday Hills’ daytime history tours in Beechworth
☑️ Fannie Bay Gaol by day
☑️ Adelaide Gaol’s twilight tour
Couples after a spooky date night
☑️ Port Arthur’s lantern tour with a night on the Tasman Peninsula
☑️ Q Station’s adults’ tour, then dinner in Manly
☑️ Hobart’s Unshackled tour, then a drink in Salamanca
Hardcore paranormal fans
☑️ Overnight investigations at Pentridge or Mayday Hills
☑️ Maitland Gaol’s Ghost Hunting 101 or cell sleepover
☑️ Old Parliament House on 30 or 31 October
Budget travellers
☑️ Fannie Bay Gaol is free
☑️ The Mushroom Tunnel and Devil’s Pool viewing platforms cost nothing
☑️ Most gaol tours sit in the budget to mid-range tier, while overnight investigations are among the pricier options
First-timers with only a few days
☑️ Old Melbourne Gaol or the Haunted Brisbane CBD Ghost Tour, both easy on public transport
☑️ Fremantle Prison, a short train ride from Perth
When to Book Ghost Tours for Halloween
Halloween-week ghost tours are best booked as early as possible, since many are already filling up by mid-October. Small groups are normal (12 to 30 people), so the 30 and 31 October slots go first, and earlier in the week is the easier fallback.
✔️ Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, so Friday and Saturday nights will be the busiest
✔️ Spring weather means cool nights in Tasmania, Victoria and Canberra, so a warm layer helps
✔️ Far North Queensland and Darwin are humid and heading into the wet season in October
✔️ Outside Halloween, winter is a great time for ghost tours since it gets dark early and tours start sooner
For more ideas across the country, the Australia travel hub has guides for every state.
Know Before You Go
✅ Age limits are strict. Many tours are 16+ or 18+, and venues do check.
✅ Closed shoes and a jacket are a must. Old gaols and asylums are cold, dark and uneven underfoot.
✅ Latecomers miss out. Several tours, including Old Melbourne Gaol, don’t let anyone in after the start time.
✅ Accessibility varies a lot. Port Arthur’s ghost tour isn’t wheelchair accessible, while Fremantle Prison’s is.
✅ The history is real. These are places where real people suffered and died, and some are sacred to Aboriginal communities.
✅ Closed areas stay closed for a reason. The swimming ban at Devil’s Pool and the no-entry rule at the Mushroom Tunnel exist because people have died.
✅ Sites do close. Monte Cristo, Jenolan Caves and Boggo Road Gaol have all caught people out, so it’s worth checking each venue’s own website before driving anywhere remote.
