Find your Haunt on the Haunted Tiffin Ghost Walks

The Haunted Tiffin Ghost Walk is an after-dark historical tour/paranormal investigation that spotlights seven of Tiffin and Seneca County, Ohio's most legendary — and sometimes slightly sordid — landmarks. Join award-winning author/historian/ paranormal investigator Lisa Swickard, psychic medium Lindsey Lawson and a host of other experts as they guide you in this truly unique, entertaining experience as the team explores the phenomena that lies beyond our physical world. 

Swickard says they start up the ghost tours every weekend in June, and typically last until Halloween. Tours are every Friday and Saturday evening, typically starting at 8:30 p.m. but moving earlier as the sun sets. 

About ten to fifteen people typically go on a walk at a time. Their team also includes two psychics, who also come along on the tours to speak with the dead.

Tools they use during the hunts include dowsing rods, flashlights, infrared cameras, recorders to capture electronic voice phenomenon, and radio transmitters to capture spirit voices. With their team, they are able to communicate differently with spirits and validate each other.

All tours are "100 percent local history," Swickard said, and the spirits they attempt to communicate with are all previous residents of Tiffin. 

For Swickard, the best part about doing the ghost tours is sneaking in the history lessons about the area. 

"We're teaching the history you didn't learn in school," she said. "You show them as human beings."

The Fort Seneca walk is currently the most popular—it is both handicap accessible and drivable. Swickard also said their "Bettsville, Ohio: Little Town, Big History" tour has shown some significant evidence—including ending at the local mausoleum. 

Swickard said whether visitors believe or not, whether they get evidence or not, they take away a very interesting history lesson.

"Death is not the end," she said. "There's something else out there. People deserve to be remembered."

For more information about the Haunted Tiffin Ghost Walks, visit hauntedtiffin.com. All tours are ages 13 and up. Walks are $15 per person. Since the tours are outdoors, it is possible to social distance. Masks are not required.

Tours include:

Camp Noble, where the 49^th Ohio was created during the Civil War

In this tour, you can hear the incredible story surrounding this historic Tiffin venue and the role its soldiers played in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. In addition, this walk introduces visitors to the neighborhood that once was home to some of Tiffin's most unique movers and shakers.

Bettsville, Ohio: Little Town, Big History

Join us for a walk through the downtown district, visit the house once occupied by a kindly physician who, as a young medical student, was convicted of grave robbing. Stroll through the village's first cemetery and cap off the evening inside the historic mausoleum.

Little Hedges Park, Court Street, & Julia Rumsey

The site of the first city cemetery in 1834, Little Hedges Park housed the graves of scores of Tiffinites who fell victim to the 1834 cholera epidemic. Court Street was one of the most eclectic streets in Tiffin. Situated opposite Courthouse square, the area was abuzz with the famous and infamous in Tiffin's rich history. Tiffin's first female physician, Julia Rumsey was a doctor when very few women were admitted to the profession. She had a thriving career here, until a shipwreck in 1865 claimed her life.

Fort Ball, Ketchup Bottle Murder, & Brothels

Enter the confines of Camp Ball, the fort built as a supply depot during the War of 1812. Surveyed by Gen. William Henry Harrison, the location was chosen for its close proximity to the Sandusky River and the natural spring that offered a constant supply of fresh water. Visit the site of the former home of Tiffin Millionaire Col. Albert Brewer. In May 1902 the industrialist's life changed forever when he killed a man in a bar fight. The Hotel Monroe was situated across from the railroad depot, it soon gained a reputation as a popular house of ill-fame in Tiffin's red light district. Mattie Ross Nisonger was the most famous madam in Tiffin's history. Her Hotel Berlin was considered a classy "palace of pleasure."

Haunted 1913 Flood Walk

Relive the most harrowing events of the Great Flood of 1913, which still stands as Tiffin's —and Ohio's — greatest natural disaster. Based on Swickard's award-winning book, Calamity and Courage: Tiffin's Battle During Ohio's Deadly 1913 Flood, this ghost walk is sure to be a thrilling tale of those who perished and survived. Across the paranormal realm, this area has proven to be dotted with visits from those who succumbed to those raging waters more than a century ago.

1913 Flood: Klingshirn Property Investigation

The 1913 Flood was tragic for many businesses and individuals in Tiffin, but no familes were more devastated than the ill-fated Klingshirn and Knecht clans. This fascinating investigation takes visitors to the actual site where the houses stood, and Swickard recalls the last moments of those poor souls. 

“Pair of Shoes & a Beer” Tour

Visit the Tiffin Shoe Factory, also known as the Van Nette Flats, located at the corner of Liberty Street and Riverside Drive. Built in 1871, the factory was known for the manufacture of women’s high-button shoes. Eventually, it became the Van Nette Apartments and was home to inventor Jasper Van Nette. After, visit the old railroad bridge, the only surviving bridge after the 1913 Flood. The Mueller Brewery, now Tiffin Scenic Studios, and the Kuebler Home round out this historic tour.