I believe in ghosts but am always skeptical of places that advertise themselves as "super haunted" and host tours--people need to make money somehow, right? Well, this place is definitely haunted. The energy here makes the atmosphere thick with the suffering of those who perished here. Our guide was very informative and gave a lot of good history about the property and some of the inmates. I even had some paranormal experiences of my own. If you want to be spooked in Charleston, the Old City Jail is the place to go. read more

We took the haunted tour and it was creepy. Sarah was our tour guide and she made it even creepier with her stories. She provided historical data and personal experiences and once we were on the tour with her it was easy to start wondering if we were alone. I don't think we were. I took pictures in every room but there was one room where my camera and my flashlight would not work. It's called the dark room. Not sure what that was all about. read more

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It was exciting for my daughter to visit this notorious jail. She enjoyed the stories but we wish there were more stories about what went on. read more

The Old Jail - A wheelchair that the handicapped inmates used. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Absolutely the worst tour you could do. The entire jail is new construction, everything but a section of the bottom floor is used for events, they wont even let you see up there. Nothing is original and its all sad. They post about the jail and you think its going to be all great and spooky and big but its not. Its literally more spooky outside seeing as how its next to section 8 housing. Don't waste your time or your money. The tour is 20 minutes, such a joke. read more

Even if you're not expecting a scare, it's an important part of Charleston's history and attraction to the area . I walked out of there with a deeper respect for the local history and the UNEXPLAINABLE phenomena. read more

Tour guy Brian was nice with a great personality and knowledgeable about the building's history. But...wtf.... I could've just stayed in Brooklyn and seen scarier shit and learned about bigger criminals. There were sooooo many empty rooms . It didn't feel like a jail - just an old, abandoned castle. The landmark is scheduled to be renovated read more

This place is a privately own building. This was the worst use of our money and honestly it's not my fault my husband insisted on this crap. It's 45 mins of pure crap standing around and shuffling through 4 rooms as the tour guide tells us ghost stories. Save yourself the trouble and $80 or however much and use that money to buy drinks at the bar. Bulldogs tour company should be ashamed of themselves for even offering this crap as a valid tour. read more

The Old Jail tour by Bulldog Tours was... ...wait for it... ...my legs became itchy... ...I have one picture with a weird swirly white things in it... ...we had a tour guide... ...he shared history, pointed out certain structures, talked about famous prisoners and their sad reality... ...he also told us about his experiences of not believing in ghost or spirits. Our tour guide was either a good actor, or experienced something either way he made it fun. I won't tell any of the secrets go and see for yourself. Well worth it. read more

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If you like ghost stories then this is the tour for you. Bruce did an awesome job giving us the history lesson of the jail. I definitely recommend this tour. read more

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This review is written by someone who doesn't believe in ghosts. Now you know. Earlier in the day, we took a carriage tour around Downtown Charleston. We passed the Old Jail, our tour guide gave us enough of the low down and history that peeked our interests to go ahead and book a jail tour. 9:30pm jail tour on a rainy and chilly night? I couldn't recommend this scenario enough! This is the way to go, folks. I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, our tour guide was 100% passionate about his job. From what I remember, he was actually retired, then relocated to Charleston, and became one of the head honchos of the Old Jail. At times cheeky, but for the most part, it was entertaining. Can't give too much away, it's one of those "see it to believe it" type experiences. Like I said earlier, for someone who doesn't buy in to the whole ghost thing, there were parts of the tour that were flat out creepy. One room in particular, paired with the legend behind it, had the whole crowd in total silence. Someone even left the tour after... In my opinion, it's worth your time and money. Truly an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience for those who believe in the supernatural or are simply a history buff. read more

A great and interesting experience for those who love paranormal, weirdness and history. I've been twice I've the past 7 years and both times were totally a different experience and I enjoyed them both. Each time I had family in town to visit and each of them really enjoyed the whole experience. I actually saw a shadow and captured it on a roll of live pictures with my iPhone. This is definitely a must see for locals and tourists alike. read more

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I toured the Old Jail with my parents in October 2018. I am a big ghost/anything spooky buff (my parents, not so much). We chose this tour over the other ghost tours because I had done a google search for "The most haunted buildings in South Carolina" and read a pretty creepy story about it. Our tour guide, Sean, was really animated and engaging. Several times it felt as though he were reciting a dramatic monologue (some people might find this detail off-putting as it could come off as scripted, but it added to the experience for me!). He shared the stories the tour guides, I assume, are required to share, but my favorite part was when he shared his personal run-ins with the ghosts/spirits of the jail. He seemed truly connected to the jail and its paranormal spirits. My only criticism was that the tour was way too short. From reading other reviews I realize this is likely because there isn't much to see in each room you go into, but I feel like there could've been a way to beef up the tour, I.e. staying in a room for longer, really taking in any spirits that might be about. Before we went into the building he advised us to just take moments to listen. However, we weren't really given moments to do so. All in all, I'd recommend the tour because it was cool to be able to go into such an old structure with so much history. We got to experience a tiny bit of paranormal activity - there was a motion sensor going off where no one was walking. My skeptical mother suggested that the sensor was "supposed" to do that, but you never know... read more

The Old Jail - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This tour was a joke. We paid for a haunted jail tour and got a desperate attempt to find ghosts with an iPhone. The entire experience is a hoax, a scam and shouldn't be permitted. I'd advise not paying for this for many reasons. Too bad read more

We did the 10pm tour and it was creepy as hell. Highly recommend this on your trip to Charleston. Our tour guide was great and along with giving us a detailed history of the jail, he included his own personal experiences. It didn't feel scripted or made up in any way. I had goosebumps about 80% of the time. At one point we heard a loud snap and fall in one of the rooms upstairs. Tip: it's about 15 degrees warmer inside the jail so you're better off doing it at night when it's a tad cooler. read more

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Bruce Orr of Bulldog Tours was a very interesting story teller. The building was very eerie but we did not experience any paranormal activity. This building and area has a very dark past. It was a bit pricey for a 30 minute tour of three rooms. read more

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Two words: TOURIST TRAP. Bulldog tours began with information about the jail and some of the harsh conditions in the prison, but it soon morphed into controversial inmate experiences mixed with "ghost encounter" stories. The tour guide stated facts that were contradicted a few sentences later, the tour was less informational than it was a gory storytime to creep you out. It's hot as the devil in the jail, so BRING WATER! Would not recommend for children, or for anyone for that matter, unless you bring your expectations way down. It is basically just stumbling through an abandoned building with strangers while the tour guide tells a scary ghost story the whole time. read more

A friend and I went to the haunted jail tour. It was very exciting. Our tour guide was great! He focused a lot on the historical side of the tour at first. He talked about some of the more supernatural things that have happened as well. Once we got in the lower level of the jail, that's when we had some experiences...my friend saw a girls hair pulled (she freaked out)...and pebbles were being thrown...but no one was throwing them. If you're in to that kind of thing, check this tour out! Very creepy, but very informative. I kinda wanna go back haha. I really want to check out a different Bulldog tour. read more

GO NOW! This place was creepy as all get out but apparently they are converting it into offices??? I did a tour with Bulldog tours and I really enjoyed hearing the history and the stories about this place. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and was able to easily field my questions. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a good spook. Another tip is to book ahead of time. I booked two days before my tour and had plenty of options on tours and times. Day of things seemed to be sold out. PS Bulldog tours offers a $5 coupon. You should be able to find it with a quick google. read more

I've toured the old Charleston jail once before, liked it then...but really loved it this time. Bruce Orr was our tour guide and he was absolutely amazing!! Knowledgeable and entertaining, he made the tour that much more interesting. We will definitely do the tour and more again and we will request Bruce for all future tours. read more

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We went on a night tour that was conducted by Bulldog Tours. The staff members were very down to earth. What I liked about this tour is that it is not hokey. No stupid costumes or lanterns and such. They also did not sensationalize anything. They just told the history. For the night tour, you walk through the jail in the dark. But they do have limited light so that you can find your way around OK. There are several flights of stairs that you have to climb, but if you are able to, you just take your time and it's no problem. The tour guides seem very sincere in the stories they tell. One tour guide even had pictures of tour participants who had been scratched. I did not see or feel anything, nor did anything get revealed in my photos. But I still enjoyed it very much and I'm glad I went. I would recommend this tour to history and supernatural buffs. read more

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The Old Jail, built in 1802, is a historic and creepy building that you must visit during the day and at night. Bulldog Tours offers a guided tour at various times of the evening, and if you're brave enough, you can even set up an overnight "investigation" of your own. The building has been through many structural changes over the years, but still stands strong thanks to some serious efforts by volunteers. A great tour guide will give you the history of the building and those who stayed here, to make your visit much more enjoyable. Without a good tour guide, you're left to wonder, and will probably end up Googling for answers, which isn't always a bad idea, but it's better to learn in person. read more

It was a great experience and even caught an orb in the morgue of the jail. That room was by far the heaviest of the rooms in my opinion. The tour guide was great and told great stories and showed some interesting phenomenon. I do think it was a little pricey for it only being 45 minutes. read more

The Old Jail - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Went on tour June 2016 - I thought it was good. Even if you don't believe in the supernatural, just hearing the history of incarceration in early SC, as you experience the extreme heat inside the jail, while inside these cramped rooms that held dozens of other prisoners and then wondering how long you could last in that environment is something you should try once. At near the end of the tour, our group stopped to take photos of inside the morgue area from the doorway. A woman on the tour who was standing next to me at the doorway of the morgue, snapped a photo of what looked like a full apparition - it was truly the only and best photo evidence I have seen on any tour that I have done. Since I was standing next to her, and I saw the photo first hand immediately right after she took it on her camera roll app, so there was no time to mess with it. She seemed genuinely astonished at it at what see caught and after she showed us she moved along with the tour. My camera didn't catch anything in that room but I did catch something in the adjoining room next door. I captured something that is semi transparent and hovering over two solid objects that are at different distances from me. It's very faint but it kind of looks like it is floating from the morgue room to this new room - like it was following the tour - there appears to be a face with a hat on it. I think I actually captured something based on what I saw on the other persons camera a minutes prior/next room over to taking my photo - you decide !!! read more

The Old Jail - a semi transparent mist that followed us from Morgue (full apparition was captured minutes before) into this room - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The old jail tour is very interesting, and I bet there are even more stories then what they tell you. Given the horrible conditions of this jail, I have no doubt that many spirits remain here, and I definitely felt a heaviness in my chest during our tour. The tour only lasts 45 minutes as there truly isn't much to see. Still i feel it is worth going to and once would certainly be enough. read more

We did a nighttime tour with Bulldog tours. Randy was our guide, and he was phenomenal. He is a true storyteller who knows how to set the mood. The jail itself was interesting, historically and architecturally. Randy was very expressive as he told us of the brutal conditions, including no electricity, no air conditioning, and squalid conditions that bred disease. We learned about infamous female serial killers, slave revolts, insane inmates. We learned about the cruel hangings of innocent people and slaves. We were told about child criminals. Women prisoners who had to bring their children to jail with them. We learned about the Gullah culture and boo hags. I can't say enough about this tour or Randy. This site has been purchased for office space and the operation will be shut down for an indeterminate amount of time, then reopened in a new form, just a first floor museum if I understand correctly. There will no longer be full access to the jail. So do this while you can! And book ahead, this is a popular tour. read more

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Very interesting tour. Learned a lot about the history, I was hoping to see the ghost that was there but they didn't appear. Their is one ghost a kid who would put rocks in your pocket but didn't find any in mine. He hangs out in the mortuary moving a old wheelchair around. read more

The GF and i came through Charleston on a road trip. We took a tour through downtown and our guide said to definitely check out the Old Jail Ghost tour. Well, we love that stuff, but really can't stand the hokey ones, so we were hoping for something more informational. From the first 3 sentences uttered by our guide, i knew we were not going to have a good time. I'm not sure if he thought he was an actor or what, but the inflection he used was a tremendous overkill. I was so optimistic that we would be freaked out in this building, but we weren't and the guide didn't help. We wanted to hear more about the history and interesting things, but instead we heard 2 stories basically about inmates. This tour was expensive and didn't meet our expectations at all, which is too bad because i was really looking forward to it. read more

The Old Jail is probably my favorite building in Charleston. It is absolutely beautiful, both during the day and at night. Tons of history here! Built in the early 1800's this building has seen its share of pirates, prisoners, and supposedly spirits. Whether or not you believe such things, I definitely recommend taking a tour with Bulldog Tours to hear all the stories. Keep in mind that you will not be able to see all of the jail, but what you do get to see is a great representative of the whole place. Also a good thing to keep in mind is that there is no heat or AC in this building. The tour is not only educational, but also fun. And you never know what you may see! read more

Well, I hate to do this but I wouldn't waste your time. Our tour guide spoke so quickly and with awkward dictation we could barely understand anything. Completely scripted and bland. There are 4 rooms inside which are all extremely hot. Their definition of scaring people is turn off the AC (they do have AC units in all of the rooms) and hit the lights. When members of our group asked questions they received generic answers. Cheesy tourist trap. If you do go, bring many bottles of water! read more

During the day, this jail is actually a school. The school is from the American College of the Building Arts. The third floor of the building had some of the art stored by the students that attend class here during the day. While visiting Charleston, I thought this would be an interesting place to visit. I know some people that do believe in ghosts, but I always go in with a skeptical view. I am open to ghosts being out there, but having a background in science, there needs to be some type of proof. Although I watch some of those types of shows on television, who says it wasn't created for the show's entertainment value? I think a few years ago, the Ghost Adventures crew was at this location. When coming to this place, you'll need to enter through a spot that says private parking only, but once you go in from there, just turn right at the first chance to get to the parking lot for the jail. I ended up going around twice before going in, not realizing that it was the only way in and out of the lot. The tour was set to begin at 9 pm. I had arrived early at the location, so explored around the outside of the building, along with taking photos to see what may or may not show up on them. When looking at the building from the outside, you can tell the building is old and does need some work on the outside, but I guess that's to be expected since it was built in 1802. Not as much may be done I'm assuming to keep the "spooky" feel to the building. That feel is there when you're at the building and its grounds during the night. A few minutes before the tour was to begin, the guide came out to greet those of us that were scheduled for the 9 pm tour. We were able to go into one part of the building to use the restrooms, etc. before the tour would begin, as there would be none available once it would begin. Shortly after 9 pm, we went up the stairs to the entrance to the jail on the second floor. Once you go inside, you'll notice that the place is dark, as there are no lights inside there. The first room that we visited in the jail was where those charged with misdemeanor charges would be held. There were no bathrooms in there, so there was an area of hay for the prisoners to take care of their business. We also went upstairs to the maximum security area, where there's also art in there from students at the college there in this building. This place has a lot of history. The guide also told us about the various types of punishment done at the jail. Many of the practices done back then would cringe to most of us today considering how antiquated the punishments were back then, including flailing (most who were sentenced to a flailing didn't survive). In one of the rooms that we visited, I was also able to capture an "orb", which I have included photos of as well. I couldn't answer whether it really was a spirit or if it was something else like dust or a bug of some sort. I would definitely recommend this 45 minute tour. One suggestion is to make sure to wear closed toe shoes for this tour as well, since there are some spots inside where you could catch a lip on the ground when going from room to room, going up and down the stairs there, and so forth. If you're visiting the area, this place is worth checking out. read more

The Old Jail - This photo was taken a few seconds after the one with the "orb", which was no longer there. Photo taken February 29, 2016. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This was the biggest disappointment of the trip. The tour guide was horrible. She made up stories and couldn't public speak at all. The jail was cool but it was basically an empty building where they told made up ghost stories. I would not recommend this place at all. read more

This is a creepy old jail / asylum on top of a burial ground so it has a legitimate fear factor. If you buy into possession, the stories told here are quite fascinating. read more

Here's a tip . Skip the dopey tour and save the 23 bucks . Google the history . Walk or drive to the jail . College classes are held in one of the rooms ,so the doors are open . I had full access to jail with no questions asked. I took a bunch of photos . It's a pretty cool place from a historical point of view . It's a shame it's been turned into a tourist trap . 23 bucks or 21 bucks with a coupon for what should be a free historical museum . Shame on you Charleston! read more

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I attended the jailbreak. Having artist breakout their personal art. Wonderful art pieces from my artsy friends from the low country. Music was awesome! The dance group was great. I loved how each cell was covered with different art. Different foods with a twist. Family friendly. My children enjoyed the art and the dance crews. Loved all the organic and natural food options. Can't wait to go again. Yelp had a booth. We took pictures at the yelp background. Lets party like yelper! I didn't do a jail tour so I can't tell you any information about the ghost tours of the jail. To me everyone need a creepy place to visit and a good story teller. :)) read more

The building is historic and interesting. The tour would have been much better if they had not hyped the haunted part so much. We were their to learn about the building and the history behind it. The guide was focused on the haunting of the building and so we did not learn as much as we would have liked about the actual building. Overall a good experience. read more

Definitely an interesting place to visit. Slot of rich history. Worth the money to get a tour through Bulldog Tours to learn all about it. It's a great history lesson along with an awesome tour. It was or of our last tours in Charleston and I'm so glad we did it. Waaaay better than the Provost in my opinion. read more

The Old Jail - Going late eases the temps with no AC and makes for an even better adventure. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

On November 4,2019 at 7PM my wife and I went on the Old Jail Haunted tour with guide Brandy Cherry. We have taken many haunted tours over the years all over the East Coast and found the Jail to be a great experience. Brandy was an awesome guide and knew all there was to know about the history and current residences. I fully enjoyed the tour it was one of the 3 Bulldog tours we did this week and every one was awesome. read more

This tour is as interesting as they come. Suzy Q did a great job at telling the stories and taking us back in time. A perfect blend of history and the paranormal. read more

Ooohhh.... spoooky. Well, not really. Spooky is a state of mind. Just like all those ghosts people see. Honestly, I am not a believer in the whole ghost garbage. "You just say that because you never experienced one." We really don't need to get into that, now. Needless to say, orbs are dust. I have seen many funky things that cameras do to make something look like a ghost. So, I don't buy the whole ghost thing. But I love history. So when I hear of ghost tours, there will be this awesome story or more somewhere along the way. So I love going on them. Have yet to see any "spirits". But I have learned a ton of history. The Old Jail in Charleston is no different. The "ghost" tour is presented with stories surrounding the history of the supposed ghost. They mix some anecdotal stories involving the guides from time to time as well. This, to me, makes this all worth it for that tour. The ghost stories are somewhat hokey with little imagination and standard haunt stuff that you will find on any of these things anywhere in the country. The factual historical stories, though, are amazing. They contain a wealth of horror and beauty. I loved the tour for that. When we went, it was obvious there was some work going on. That is great as there is a full fledged effort at preservation. But I hope they don't modernize much. In its current state, the story is preserved. The Old City jail is about a mile or so walk from the historic district downtown. On that walk , you pass several beautiful historic areas and maybe a few that need some work. But it is worth the walk and doesn't really sock you in the pocket too much. Just watch out for all those "ghosts", Bigfoot, and the aliens on your way there. You never know what is around the corner in Charleston. read more

Boring..... Yawn... A great event if you want to get ready to go to sleep for the night. Overpriced and a dull event is what you'll find for your money at the Old City Jail tour.. It could be creepy and fun but it's not. You see only 4 rooms at most in the entire building, hear cheesy stories that may not be true and it's over 37 minutes later with no excitement and nothing to remind you about the event except maybe the bad unshowered smell of others or the tour guide that you met for the night and cheesy ghost stories that you could've heard at a campfire for free. Save your 62.00 and do something else like a walking trail through the city to various rumored haunted locations or the haunted carriage trail.. but if you like a dull night than this is it. read more