Spooky Places to Visit in London
When the autumn mist rolls over the Thames and the nights draw in, London reveals its ghostly past. Beneath the city’s lively streets lie crypts, prisons, and old taverns echoing with centuries of secrets. Whether you’re chasing chills, historic tales, or a unique Halloween night out, these ten haunted spots and Spooky Places to Visit in London will send shivers down your spine in the best possible way.
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Top 14 Haunted Places in London to Visit This Halloween: London’s Dark Side Awaits
Discover the most haunted places in London to visit this Halloween, from Highgate Cemetery to The Clink Prison. Explore ghost tours, eerie crypts with me!
1. Highgate Cemetery
Creeping ivy, towering angels, and twisting paths make Highgate Cemetery feel like a Gothic novel come to life. Even the smell of the wild garlic lingers, creating an atmosphere. It’s the final resting place of George Michael and Charles Dickens’s wife, Catherine. Wander its shadowed walkways, and you’ll understand why it’s one of London’s most hauntingly beautiful landmarks.
How to book
- Dates are added four weeks in advance.
- Tours: Adult £18, Children 8-17 £9, Students* £9.50. Minimum fee based on 10 participants. Payment must be made in advance.
- Day tickets: Full Price £10.00, Children £5.00
Address: Highgate Cemetery, Swain’s Lane, London N6 6PJ
2. St Bride’s Crypt
Tucked beneath the bustle of Fleet Street lies St Bride’s crypt, where an original iron coffin still rests. The air feels thick with centuries of secrets, perfect for those who like their history with a touch of the macabre. This church, known as the journalists’ church, holds mysteries inside. Do not miss the west door of the church, beneath the tower, you’ll find a memorial to Polly Nichols, the first known victim of Jack the Ripper, who was born, raised, and married here in 1864.
In the crypt below, don’t miss the Roman tessellated pavement (c. AD 180), the Medieval Chapel restored in 2002 as a memorial to the Harmsworth family and war staff, and a rare Victorian iron casket, designed to protect the dead from 19th-century body snatchers.
Address: St Bride’s Crypt, Within St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London. (Exact crypt entrance address: St Bride’s Church, Bride Lane, London EC4Y 8EQ)
3. Jack the Ripper Museum
In the heart of Whitechapel, the Jack the Ripper Museum dives into the chilling crimes of London’s most infamous killer. Through immersive exhibits and haunting details, you’ll relive the dark days of Victorian London and its most enduring mystery. Set in a house with a themed room for each, you will discover the lives of the victims, the suspects and even the Mortuary!
See my post on Jack the Ripper Museum here!
Address: 12 Cable Street, London, England E1 8JG.
Jack the Ripper is open daily from 10am until 5.30pm.
It is £10 for the museum and £16 if you wish to do the walking tour guide as well. It is also £8 for children and £12.80 for children.
4. Somerset House, The Deadhouse and Light wells
Few realise that beneath the elegance of Somerset House lies The Deadhouse, a cryptlike corridor lined with five surviving tombstones. Once part of a chapel buried beneath the building, it’s an eerie fusion of art, architecture, and afterlife.
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA (Dead House is part of the Somerset House complex)
Tours: Book a Historical Highlights tour here. Tours run every Tue & Sat- 12, 2 & 3.45 pm. Cost: £12.00
5. The Clink Prison Museum
Once one of the capital’s most notorious jails, The Clink Prison Museum is built upon the original site of the Clink Prison, which dates back to 1144, making it probably the oldest prison in England. The Clink’s walls still whisper stories of torture and despair. Walking its cold, stone corridors will make you thankful for modern comforts, and perhaps a little wary of the dark.
Address: The Clink Museum (site of old prison), Clink Street, London SE1 9DG
Book: £8.80 for adults, £6.60 for children.
6. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
London’s most haunted theatre, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, hides more than dramatic tales. Join a backstage tour to hear about the “Man in Grey,” a spectral figure said to appear before successful shows. With over 350 years of performances and hauntings, this is a must-visit for theatre lovers and ghost hunters alike.
Address: Catherine St, London WC2B 5JF
Book: Weds & Fri, 12:30pm & 2pm and Thu & Sat, 10:30am & 12pm
7. Bow Street Police Museum
Did you know you could visit the original headquarters of London’s earliest police force, the Bow Street Police Museum, which retains its original prison cells. Their heavy doors and cold bars hold echoes of the city’s criminal past, and perhaps a few spirits who never quite left.
Set inside the historic building that once served as both the Magistrates’ Court and Police Station in the heart of London’s Theatreland, the Bow Street Museum tells the story of the Bow Street Runners, London’s first professional police force, and the Metropolitan officers who followed in their footsteps. Step inside the original 19th-century cells and uncover the fascinating tales of those who worked, served, and stood trial within these walls.
Address: 28 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7AW,
Book: Adults £8, children under 12 FREE.
8. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub
End your ghostly journey at the Cheshire Cheese, one of London’s oldest and most haunted pubs. With its candlelit rooms and creaking wooden floors, it’s easy to imagine spectral patrons still raising a glass from beyond the grave. One of the most famous pubs in the world, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is a rare surviving 17th-century chophouse, steeped in history and atmosphere. Sawdust still covers the floors, changed twice a day, and hearty traditional meals are served in cosy wooden booths made from old church pews. The site was once part of a 13th-century Carmelite monastery, and a pub has stood here since 1538. The current building was rebuilt around 1667, rising from the ashes of the Great Fire of London. There absolutely must be some ghosts hiding there!
Address: 145 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2BP
9. Leake Street’s Dark Secret Exhibition
Into ghosts, the devil, and all things supernatural? Then you cannot miss the Dark Secrets Exhibition in London! Hidden under Waterloo Station, the graffiti-covered Leake Street tunnels transform into a shadowy, immersive art experience for Halloween. The Dark Secret Exhibition is part eerie gallery, part urban adventure.
27 themed rooms full of magic, science, folklore… and yes, some seriously spooky stuff. Each room is darker and more fascinating than the last.
Heavy on chills, info, and atmosphere 14+ only!
Address: The Vaults, Leake Street, SE1 7NN
10. Ghost Stories (The Play)
If you’d rather be scared from the safety of your seat, Ghost Stories in the West End delivers perfectly timed frights and eerie twists. It’s one of London’s most thrilling theatre experiences, just don’t expect to sleep soundly afterwards. I really did not know how this was going to go! It really makes you jump out of your skin! Think ghost stories, poltergeists and Stranger Things all rolled into one!
Address: Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT
11. St Paul’s Cathedral Crypt
Did you know you can step beneath the iconic dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and explore one of the largest and most historic crypts in Europe? Resting beneath the cathedral’s grand arches lie the tombs of some of Britain’s most celebrated figures, including Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Sir Christopher Wren himself, the cathedral’s architect. The air feels heavy with history, a silent reminder of the nation’s heroes and visionaries who shaped its story.
Walking through the vast, vaulted space, you’ll also find memorials to artists, scientists, and writers, each with a story to tell. It’s a place of quiet reflection, grandeur, and national pride hidden beneath London’s bustling streets.
Address: St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD
Book: Adult £25, Child £11, Family tickets available.
12. St Martin-in-the-Fields Crypt & Café
Beneath the stunning Georgian church of St Martin-in-the-Fields lies one of London’s most atmospheric spaces, a historic crypt that’s now home to a café, shop, and gallery. Once a burial site, this beautiful underground setting invites visitors to dine among centuries of history, where old tombstones are still visible underfoot.
The Crypt Café is a local favourite, serving homemade British classics like soup, pies, and cakes, all in the soft glow of candlelight and the echo of centuries-old stone. It’s one of London’s most unique dining experiences, blending the city’s rich past with a warm, welcoming present.
Address: St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ
Book: Entry free, café open daily 10 am–6 pm.
13. St Olave’s Churchyard
Tucked away on Seething Lane, St Olave’s Church is one of London’s oldest and most hauntingly beautiful hidden gems. Dating back to the 15th century, this tiny medieval churchyard once served as a burial place for plague victims and even Charles Dickens described it as “a ghastly grim little churchyard.” Passing beneath the macabre stone gateway adorned with carved skulls, you step into a space where history and mortality linger in the air.
Inside the church, you’ll find centuries-old monuments and memorials to notable Londoners, including Samuel Pepys, who worshipped here and now rests within its walls. It’s a quiet, eerie haven that feels untouched by time one of the few medieval churchyards to survive the Great Fire of London.
Address: St Olave’s Church, 8 Hart Street, London EC3R 7NB
Book: Entry free, donations welcome.
14. Greenwich Foot Tunnel
Beneath the Thames lies one of London’s most unusual and surprisingly eerie passageways: the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. Opened in 1902, this narrow underground walkway connects Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs, stretching for over 1,200 feet under the river. Its long, echoing corridor and tiled Victorian walls make it feel like stepping into another world, one filled with whispers, footsteps, and the hum of the city above.
The tunnel remains a working part of London life, used daily by commuters and curious explorers alike. But walk it alone at night, and you’ll understand why it’s long been rumoured to be haunted by the ghosts of workers who helped build it, and never made it out.
Address: Greenwich Foot Tunnel, Cutty Sark Gardens, London SE10 9HT (south entrance)
Book: Open 24 hours, free to walk through.
