Tour Providence Aboard a Haunted Boat Ride

Summer may just be starting, but it's never too early to get in the Halloween spirit with some spooky fun.

I was psyched to learn from friends recently that the Providence River Boat Company offers haunted boat tours all summer long.

As someone who has done several of the haunted walking tours of Providence – and all the uphill trekking they require – the idea of a relaxing boat ride on a summer night hearing spooky real-life stories about "long-lingering residents" sounds like a good time to me.

These boat ride stories are told by guest guides from the Providence Ghost Tours crew, so I can tell you firsthand they know their stuff.

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You basically get to board the boat, cruise the Providence waterways and hear true tales of haunted happenings that took place around the surrounding buildings, bridges, walkways and more – and there are a surprising amount of creepy real-life stories in this city.

One such tale is that of Edgar Allen Poe's ghost haunting the Providence Athenaeum. Poe was once dumped by Sarah Helen Whitman in this library shortly before he died. She reportedly summoned his spirit to the building after his death and people still say his ghost haunts the area.

Haunted boat rides are every Sunday and Wednesday night for the season and are for anyone age 10 and up.

Tickets vary from $25-$30 depending on age and all tours are an hour long.

Though if the spooky stuff is not for you, there are lots of other boat tours you can take. The Providence River Boat Company offers Providence architecture tours, twilight river tours, "vineyard voyages," daily narrated tours and more.