I study mythology, folklore, and the occult. I travel the world documenting the weird, the unsettling, and the historically strange for both this blog and my Amazon Prime show, Weird World Adventures. So when I tell you that Richmond, Virginia’s ghostly history surprises people, that’s not something I say lightly.
The city is no stranger to me. It’s where I grew up, and it genuinely has some weird history. It’s the former capital of the Confederacy, has one of America’s great literary haunted figures in its backyard (more on that shortly), and sits on enough layers of violent history to make any folklore enthusiast perk up. What I didn’t expect was how well US Ghost Adventures had assembled all of that darkness into something genuinely compelling, educational, and, yes, spooky.
Who Is US Ghost Adventures?
Before we talk Richmond specifically, it’s worth knowing who you’re buying a ticket from, because US Ghost Adventures is not your average ghost tour operation.
The company was founded by Lance Zaal, a Marine Corps combat veteran who completed two deployments in Iraq and one in Latin America. Driven by his belief that businesses have a duty to create a lasting, positive impact, Lance built US Ghost Adventures to reflect his deep convictions and commitment to the values of justice, liberty, and equal rights. That ethos actually comes through in the product — these tours don’t feel like a cash grab on top of a skeleton costume. They feel like someone genuinely cares about the history being told…