Head to Alton for Spirited Fall Fun - Haunted tours, craft beer walks and more on tap

ALTON - Want a spine-tingling journey through the haunted streets of downtown Alton? Reserve your place on local haunted trolley tours, walking tours, and even a haunted craft beer tour.

Choose your variety of haunted thrills from tours available through Alton Odyssey Tours, Alton Hauntings, Mysterious Mineral Springs, and McPike Mansion. Tours are available every weekend in October.

“Alton has such a rich history and so it’s no wonder there are tales the city is haunted as well,” says Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau. “Anyone who is interested in the history of Alton should be sure to take a haunted tour because they all link the hauntings to the city’s history.”

Alton Odyssey Tours offers Trolley Tours and Haunted Craft Beer Walks. All tours begin at My Just Desserts, 31 E. Broadway, Alton which is also known as the Simeon Ryder building dating back to 1845. The three-hour trolley tours include jaunts to Alton’s most ‘sinister haunts’ including the Milton School and McPike Mansion. Two different trolley tours are available including the Eating with the Entities Tours Oct. 16, 23, & 29 which includes dinner along with visits to haunted sites; and the Witching Hour Tours which take place later in the evening on Oct. 16, 23 & 29. http://www.altonhauntedtours.com/

Haunted Craft Beer Walks take place Oct. 15, 22 & 29. Alton Odyssey Tours has teamed up with Old Bakery Beer Company and includes stops at five haunted locations with each stop paired with a five-ounce pouring of one of five different Old Bakery brews. For more information on these tours, visit: http://www.altonhauntedtours.com/

Enjoy a haunted walking tour or bus tour with Alton Hauntings. While most of the tours are sold out, there is availability on a late-night tour on Oct. 22 and tours on Oct. 29, 30, Nov. 5 & 6. Alton Hauntings has been providing haunted tours in Alton and the region for 20 years. It is based on the Alton Hauntings book by Troy Taylor. The tours begin at Mineral Springs Hotel and travel along the eerie night streets for an in-depth look at Alton’s history and hauntings. For more information, visit: https://www.altonhauntings.com/

Standing tall on Mount Lookout Park in Alton, haunted McPike Mansion has achieved national recognition as one of the most haunted mansions in the country. The now unoccupied building is reportedly home to 12 spirits, according to owner Sharyn Luedke. Every weekend in October, tours are offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Tours include a history of the mansion, an introduction to its resident spirits, and a darkroom session in the basement wine cellar where dowsing rods are used to communicate with the unseen residents.

Tours are available Oct 8 & 9; 15 & 16; 22 & 23 and Friday, Oct. 29. For more information, visit: http://www.mcpikemansion.com/index.html

For a more immersive haunted experience, take part in a Walking Tour & Investigation of the Mineral Springs Hotel, 301 E. Broadway, Alton. Caretaker Dave Nunnally shares the history of the building and leads visitors through the most actively haunted areas. Tours include all necessary ghost-hunting gear. For more information, visit: https://www.riversandroutes.com/events/walking-tour-investigation-of-the-mineral-springs-hotel-4/

The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is a certified Destination Marketing Organization serving Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Greene counties. The bureau is dedicated to educating visitors about the region by providing information regarding the area’s history, unique landmarks, recreational opportunities, leisure attractions, special events, and scenic marvels.

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