Self Guided Haunted Walking Tour in Portsmouth APP/GPS/EMF Reader

Ghost stories make old streets feel closer. This self-guided Portsmouth walk combines spooky tales with real local history, including the African Burying Ground Memorial, underground tunnels, former hotels, theaters, and historic homes. I like the freedom to pause and wander and the fact that one purchase covers your whole group. The main drawback is the app setup, which can be confusing if you do not download the correct app and tour before arriving.

At $9.75 per person, this is a low-cost way to spend about 40 minutes to an hour in central Portsmouth. I also like that you can take it during the day or at night, at your own pace, without joining a large group. Bring a fully charged phone and earbuds, because the audio and walking directions are the heart of the experience.

Key points to know before you go

• One purchase covers one private group: You do not need to buy a separate tour for every person in your party.
• Start at Ceres Bakery: The walk begins at 51 Penhallow Street and finishes at Portsmouth Brewery on Market Street.
• Expect history with a spooky edge: The route includes the African Burying Ground Memorial, former brothels, historic hotels, theaters, and buildings linked to ghost stories.
• Plan for 40 minutes to one hour: You can pause for food, shopping, photos, or a drink along the way.
• Set up the app before arriving: The correct WalknTours app and Portsmouth tour are essential. Confusion over apps and city selections has caused problems.
• Use earbuds if possible: Street noise can make the narration difficult to hear when several people share one phone.

What this Portsmouth ghost walk is really like

This is not a costumed guide leading you through dark lanes. It is an audio walking tour delivered through a mobile app, with GPS directions guiding you from one stop to the next. You walk with your own group, listen to narrated stories, and decide how quickly to move.

That format works well in Portsmouth, a compact city where historic buildings sit close together. You can stop for a pastry at the starting point, pause at the memorial, browse nearby shops, or end with a drink and a meal at the Portsmouth Brewery.

The tone is playful rather than grim. Some stories involve ghosts, old scandals, angry spirits, and unexplained activity. Others give you a reason to look more closely at buildings you might otherwise pass without noticing.

The tour is offered in English only. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. The route is near public transportation, but parking in the area can be difficult, so arriving by public transport or parking outside the center may make the start less stressful.

Starting at Ceres Bakery on Penhallow Street

The tour begins at Ceres Bakery, 51 Penhallow Street. This is a useful meeting point because it puts you in central Portsmouth, close to the old buildings that give the walk its character.

You do not meet a guide inside the bakery. That distinction matters. Some people have gone into the business looking for help starting the tour, only to learn that the bakery is simply the starting location.

Before you arrive, download the WalknTours app, locate the Portsmouth tour, and make sure the audio starts properly. A phone battery of at least 50 percent is a sensible minimum, especially if you plan to stop along the way or take photos.

The app uses GPS and gives spoken directions. It can recognize when you reach the next location, although it may not alert you if you take a wrong turn. Keep an eye on the map rather than relying only on the narration.

Haunted buildings from 1814 and 1815

One early stop focuses on a building first constructed in 1814. The story centers on its frequent changes of ownership and the suggestion that ghosts may have made the property difficult to keep.

That kind of tale sets the mood for the walk. You are not just hearing about a haunted room in isolation. You are looking at an actual Portsmouth building and hearing how its past has been folded into local folklore.

Another stop dates to 1815 and once housed one of the city’s most popular brothels. The story gives you a glimpse of Portsmouth’s less polished past, when sailors, merchants, and waterfront businesses shaped the city’s social life.

These stops are viewed from the street, so expectations matter. The experience is about hearing the stories while looking at the locations. It does not promise entry into every building, and some places may be closed or operating as private businesses.

The 1749 building and Portsmouth’s underground passages

One of the most interesting historical stops is a pre-Revolutionary building built in 1749. It is among the oldest structures still standing in Portsmouth, which alone makes it worth a pause.

The more unusual detail lies below ground. An underground tunnel system once ran beneath the building’s foundation and secretly connected parts of Portsmouth. The story adds a layer of mystery to the city’s streets, especially when you consider how much of the older town is hidden below present-day sidewalks.

This is one of the tour’s better examples of history working alongside the ghost theme. You do not need to believe every supernatural claim to appreciate the idea of hidden routes beneath a colonial city.

The audio also helps you notice details that a simple map would miss. Still, the directions are not always foolproof. If you reach a corner and the route seems unclear, stop the narration, check the map, and confirm the next location before continuing.

The African Burying Ground Memorial

The African Burying Ground Memorial is the most important stop on the route. The burial ground is believed to be the largest of its kind in the United States, with more than 200 people from Portsmouth’s African American community believed to have been buried there.

You receive about three minutes at this stop, and admission is free. That short pause is a reminder that this is not only a ghost walk. Portsmouth’s past includes stories of people whose lives and deaths were long overlooked, and the memorial gives the route a more serious historical center.

Take your time here, even if the audio moves on quickly. The memorial deserves quiet attention rather than a hurried photo and immediate departure.

For families, this stop may also be the point where the walk shifts from spooky entertainment to a more thoughtful lesson about the city. The combination is valuable, provided you approach the memorial with respect.

The Rockingham Hotel and famous former visitors

The next part of the walk brings you to the Rockingham, built in 1785. In its prime, it was one of New England’s most prestigious hotels.

The building welcomed presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ulysses Grant, along with author Mark Twain. Those names give you a sense of the hotel’s former importance and place Portsmouth within the wider story of American travel and politics.

The ghost material here works best as an extra layer rather than the main attraction. Even if you are not interested in spirits, the building’s connection to prominent figures gives you a reason to stop and look.

This is also where the self-guided format proves useful. You can pause the audio to take photographs or read any available signs without holding up a group. Afterward, you resume the tour from the same point.

The John Paul Jones House and restless spirits

Built in 1758, the John Paul Jones House is another strong stop for history fans. The house is linked to John Paul Jones, the naval commander who is said to linger in the room where he once slept.

The stories become more theatrical with reports of an angry spirit opening cabinets and slamming doors. These details give the narration a fun campfire-story quality, though you should treat them as folklore rather than documented fact.

The house is especially effective during the evening, when the idea of a restless presence feels more natural. Still, the walk can be taken during the day. In daylight, the experience leans more toward local history with spooky decoration around the edges.

That flexibility is helpful if you are traveling with children or prefer not to walk after dark. One drawback is that younger children who expect actors, special effects, or visible ghosts may find the stop too quiet.

Portsmouth’s theater ghosts and famous performers

Another stop focuses on a historic theater where performers such as Harry Houdini, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Mark Twain once appeared.

The list is a reminder that Portsmouth was not a sleepy backwater. Touring entertainers passed through, audiences gathered, and major names shared the stage. The suggestion that ghosts stayed behind after the performances gives the stop its supernatural hook.

This section may appeal to you if you enjoy connecting buildings with famous people. It is not only a ghost story. It also shows how entertainment helped shape the city’s public life over the past century.

The narration is a major part of the experience here. The recorded speaker has a clear voice, and several people have found the directions easy to follow once the app is working. Earbuds are still the better choice, especially if you are walking beside traffic or talking with companions.

Ending at Portsmouth Brewery on Market Street

The walk ends at Portsmouth Brewery, 56 Market Street. It is intended as a natural place to finish with a drink and a meal, and the building itself has a ghost story involving a flirtatious spirit of the night.

That ending gives the experience a practical shape. You are not left in an unfamiliar corner of the city after the final story. You can sit down, compare your favorite stops, and continue your Portsmouth visit from a central location.

Check the brewery’s current operating status before you go. At one point, it was closed for renovations, which meant the final stop could not function as expected. The listed opening hours run from noon until 11:30 p.m. daily for the stated operating period, but business hours can change.

If it is closed, the tour still has value, but you will need another nearby place for food or drinks. The final stop is a bonus, not the reason to book the walk.

How the app affects the experience

The app is both the tour’s strength and its weak point. Once running, it lets you pause, restart, and move at your own speed. You can stop for lunch, browse a shop, or spend longer at a memorial without losing your place.

The setup, however, requires attention. You need the WalknTours app rather than relying on a booking platform’s app. You also need to select Portsmouth, New Hampshire, rather than another city that may appear in the app’s nearby-tour menu.

Download the tour before arriving if possible. Some people have had trouble with internet access, Bluetooth connections, or audio starting correctly. Downloading alone may not be enough, so open the tour and test the start function while you still have a reliable connection.

If you are sharing one phone, keep the volume high enough for everyone to hear, but an earbud for each person is better. One phone does not always keep a whole group in sync, and street noise can swallow the narration.

The experience is advertised with an EMF reader, but the supplied details do not explain whether this is a physical device, an app feature, or how it is used. I would not book the tour expecting a detailed paranormal investigation. Its clear strength is the GPS audio walk and the stories attached to Portsmouth’s buildings.

Is $9.75 a fair price?

At $9.75 per person, the tour is inexpensive compared with a traditional guided walk. Since one tour covers your group, the value improves for couples, families, and small groups who want a private outing.

You are paying for a short, flexible experience rather than an expert guide who can answer questions on the spot. If you enjoy choosing your own pace, the price is reasonable. If you want live storytelling, conversation, and help with directions, a conventional walking tour may suit you better.

The tour also costs less than an evening attraction and can fill a spare hour before dinner. Its value depends heavily on your phone working properly. A failed download or audio problem can turn a cheap activity into a frustrating one, so preparation is part of getting your money’s worth.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded, and changes in that period are not accepted.

Who will enjoy this walk most?

I would recommend it to couples, friends, and families who enjoy local history with a light spooky touch. It is also useful for anyone who wants to get oriented in Portsmouth without committing to a long group tour.

You will likely enjoy it if you:

• Like historic buildings and short local stories
• Prefer private activities to large groups
• Want to pause for food, shopping, or photos
• Are comfortable using a phone app for directions
• Plan to explore central Portsmouth at your own pace

I would be more cautious if you dislike apps, have unreliable mobile access, or expect actors and dramatic effects. Children who need constant action may lose interest because the main activity is walking past buildings while listening to narration.

The route is offered only in English, so it is not suitable if you need a Spanish-language or multilingual tour. People with hearing or visual needs should also test the audio and app functions before starting, since the experience depends on the phone delivering the narration correctly.

Should you book this Portsmouth ghost walk?

Book it if you want a low-cost, flexible way to see Portsmouth’s older streets and hear entertaining stories about ghosts, brothels, tunnels, hotels, theaters, and historic homes. The African Burying Ground Memorial gives the walk added depth, while the stop at Portsmouth Brewery makes a sensible finish.

Skip it if you want a live guide, guaranteed ghost sightings, or a polished paranormal investigation. Before you go, install the WalknTours app, select Portsmouth, download the tour, charge your phone, and pack earbuds. Those few steps address the biggest practical problems and give this short walk its best chance to be an enjoyable part of your day.

FAQ

How much does the self-guided Portsmouth haunted walking tour cost?

The listed price is $9.75 per person. Only one tour is needed for each private group.

How long does the tour take?

The walk takes approximately 40 minutes to one hour. You can pause it for lunch, shopping, photos, or extra time at a stop.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Ceres Bakery, 51 Penhallow Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Where does the tour end?

The final stop is Portsmouth Brewery at 56 Market Street. It is intended as a place to finish with a drink and food.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English only.

Is this a private group tour?

Yes. Only your group participates, and no separate purchase is needed for every person in the group.

Can service animals participate?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded.