Ghost & True Crime Tour in San Luis Obispo
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
What if you could travel outside the beaten path, and discover some of the most exciting, yet often overlooked destinations in San Luis Obispo, CA? Mystery Loves Company Tours offers just that!
Wait a minute, you might think. Nothing ever happens in San Luis Obispo, right? Well, not quite. This community hides a gruesome past. You’d be shocked to learn about some of what happened here back in the day!
Join us on nightly walking tours through San Luis Obispo’s haunting downtown district, a stark reminder of the town's turbulent founding days. From local lore to urban legends and ghost sightings, we hope to offer some genuine and unexpected storytelling to visitors who are new to the area or even people who have lived here forever but never had the opportunity to explore the eerie side of the city.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What To Expect
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Guides will share haunting tales about the city's earliest residents and the horrific treatment of the indigenous people. Multiple stories will be shared from this location throughout key points in the city's founding history.
History Center and Museum of San Luis Obispo County
Guides will share a brief history of this location and the prominent family that once dwelled at the residence, including their darker pastimes.
What‘s Included
Local Guide
Gratuities
Food or Drinks
Online Booking Fee
Tour does not enter buildings
Options
Tour for All Ages
Tour Content: All of our stories contain sensitive topics, but we have left out some of the most graphic details for tours of all ages.
Adults-Only Tour
Reviews
112 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Kept Young Adults & the Senior Set Interested!
dtaylorfrench,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Our night tour guide had the perfect background to conduct this history and mystery tour. She moved our group of about a dozen visitors to new locations and included the date and events that took place at each spot. Attention was paid to walking safely in the dark for our group. Questions were answered and knowledgeable replies were given. Our guy was thorough, and showed a fine sense of humor, also. I recommend this tour for adults or older teenagers.
Odd tour
Mariana Z,,Dec 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00Our guide was nice, smart young kid but you can tell he’s new to the touring gig. We tried to stay engaged but his story telling was just all over the place. We were also expecting a group tour but it turned out to be just my husband and I. Wish we would’ve known ahead of time as we wouldn’t have booked a 9pm tour alone.
Do it!
DrShandala L,,Oct 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great tour! Lots of interesting history and I’ll certainly look at downtown San Luis Obispo differently now.
True Crime is scarier than Ghosts
610jermainew,,Sep 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of San Luis Obispo, both sublime and macabre. Thank you for a wonderful evening!
The history and ghost tour of SLO
Ken P,,Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Melanie, she was enthusiastic, knowledgeable about the history of SLO, and she was very engaging. Highly recommend the tour. It is more than a ghost and crime tour, it is also about history.
Melinda is the amazing
Choosenickey,,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00She’s a city native and animal lover!! She loves dogs like us, so we immediately bonded over that. She’s so cute and very very cool like she’s your cousin. She’s excellent at story telling and is a wonderful conversationalist was a bomb sense of humor.
She was an amazing tour...
Jennifer V,,Sep 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00She was an amazing tour guide. She knew her history and made me and my boyfriend very comfortable. I’ll definitely be telling friends about this
Always a fascinating experience
Wendy B,,Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Learn fascinating (and macabre) history that you'd never know of otherwise than by going on this tour
No one arrived
308stephw,,Aug 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Booked this tour over a month ago. I wanted to break up my journey from Santa Barbara to Emeryville and based on this tour I booked SLO. Lone female traveler. Received all the confirmation. Including reminders that it was happening tonight. Tour starting location is the fountain at 9pm - arrive 15 minutes before which I did. It was already dark by 7.30pm, The fountain is isolated and pretty dark. I went up to wait and the only person up there was a homeless sleeper; I felt uncomfortable so waited at the bottom of the steps by the road and the sign. Not one had arrived by 8.55pm so I contacted the tour and made them aware of where I was. Went through various emails and there was mention of a bell, so I checked the bell which is the other side of the fountain, again no one was there. From where I’m stood I can see the steps to the bell and the fountain. Sent a few more emails. By this stage where I am is very isolated; and another homeless person has arrived. At 9.10pm having waited for 25 minutes I decided to leave, as a lone female stood where I was, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable. Tour operator contacted me and said they hadn’t received the booking which was made a month ago, for which payment was taken and reminders sent… Such a disappointment, and a wasted journey. They offered me another tour; however as I’m only here tonight I can’t take them up on it
Stories and fun in downtown SLO!
Sarah M,,Jul 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Melinda was an excellent tour guide and host! She was so knowledgeable about the history in San Luis Obispo and the crimes that happened there. She was also familiar with the ghosts that still haunt the downtown area and their stories that they left behind. A wonderful and fun experience for those into history and the paranormal! 10 stars all around for Miss Melinda! You are awesome!!! 👻✨
From US$29.99
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by Mystery Loves Company Tours