Candice Q.
Yelp
I really wanted to love this ghost tour, but unfortunately, it missed the mark in several ways. Our guide was a super sweet and funny guy who was clearly passionate about what he does. He also dressed the part--his top hat and tall frame made him easy to spot, which was great for keeping our group engaged.
The highlight of the tour was the Menger Hotel. The haunted history of this place is fascinating, and it truly had an eerie energy. Our guide did a great job sharing stories about Sally White and the more haunted rooms, but I wish he had gone deeper into some of the more well-known ghostly activity, like reports of levitating beds and unexplained cigar smoke. Still, this stop was the most engaging part of the tour, and the pictures of apparitions (one on his iPad, another framed in the hotel) added a nice touch.
From there, we got on the tour bus, where we watched a local news segment about hauntings at the hotel. This part was actually really interesting and added credibility to the stories, making it feel more like a true ghost-hunting experience.
However, things started to go downhill after that.
1 The tour was way too long--advertised as 2 hours but stretched into 3. A big chunk of that was spent in a pitch-black cemetery, where we listened to a very long-winded explanation of seances, personal stories from our guide, and previous sightings. While I appreciate his enthusiasm, it just didn't feel like a ghost tour at that point--it felt more like a personal monologue that went on too long, especially given that we were freezing and visibly uncomfortable.
2 The tipping speech at the end felt off. When we finally made it back to the bus, the guide didn't open the doors right away and instead gave a speech about how they "live on tips" and how this is "how I feed my family." He then reminded us that both he and the bus driver expected tips and listed every payment option available (CashApp, Venmo, Zelle, etc.). I absolutely believe in tipping, but after paying $110 for two tickets--and with a group of 30+ people--it just left a bad taste in my mouth. It felt like a high-pressure sales pitch rather than an optional show of appreciation.
Overall, our group had a great energy, which made the night more enjoyable, but the tour itself was lacking as a ghost tour. It felt more like a history lesson with ghost stories sprinkled in, rather than a truly immersive paranormal experience. If you love San Antonio history and don't mind a longer tour with lots of storytelling, you might enjoy this. But if you're looking for a spooky, ghost-hunting adventure, this may not be the best fit.