Grand Rapids ghost hunt tour brings history and hauntings alive

Grand Rapids is known for its breweries and riverfront views. Michigan’s second-biggest city is also surprisingly fertile ground for hands-on paranormal experiences. 

Seeing an opportunity to connect curiosity with local history, Tours Around Michigan has launched the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunt Tour. The immersive adventure allows guests to use real investigation tools like EMF meters and spirit boxes to explore the city’s most haunted locations.

Founder Candice Smith says the new tour expands on years of spooky storytelling from the original Grand Rapids Ghost Tour.

“We’ve documented countless unexplained activities,” Smith says. “Now guests can help us investigate them for themselves.”

The 90-minute experience, which launched this month in the ramp-up to Halloween, blends local history with ghost-hunting techniques for an experience that’s equal parts education, adventure, and community engagement. 

Available year-round and at all times of day, the tour invites families and curious skeptics alike to explore Grand Rapids’ spectral past, from its cobblestone alleys to the Grand River’s misty banks.

Smith, a former journalist and broadcaster, built her company around storytelling and service. Through seasonal tours and collaborations with local organizations like the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Rapids Public Library, Smith’s company promotes both history and civic pride.

“This isn’t just about ghosts,” Smith says. “It’s about remembering our city’s stories, supporting our neighbors, and encouraging visitors to come back and explore again.”

Rapid Growth Media caught up with Smith to learn more about her business and latest tour. 

Rapid Growth: You’ve built a business around storytelling, history, and the supernatural. How did you first become interested in Michigan’s haunted past, and what led to the creation of Tours Around Michigan?

Candice Smith: Storytelling is at the core of who I am. After college, I moved to Grand Rapids to work as a TV news producer, shifted to NPR and WGVU as a reporter, then to international public relations and corporate communications. When I discovered tourism, I fell in love with storytelling that creates joyful memories for families, couples, friends, and groups exploring together. I started with a City History Tour, which was the first year-round public tour for Grand Rapids. After the tourism company where I started suddenly closed, I built my own company. We now share public tours for historic homes, Grand River riverfront, art and murals, churches, beer, wine, distillery/cocktails. And of course, ghosts. All of our public tours run all year, but we are beginning to offer more seasonal tours, like touring holiday decorations in historic buildings.  

We have fun creating special mixes of private tours, like a bachelorette party with ghost stories while having drinks in haunted restaurants. Private tours can cover any topics, such as government history, gardens, urban renewal, military history, and whatever people request. I even had a group of wastewater treatment experts with whom I shared the history of the water scandal that changed Grand Rapids’ form of government. Everything is connected to history. Michigan history is personal to me and a foundational part of who I am.

RG: The original Grand Rapids Ghost Tour has been running for years. What inspired you to expand it into the new Ghost Hunt Tour, and how does this interactive format change the experience for guests?

CS: We’re always collecting new stories from people’s past encounters and searching for new experiences. Our latest ghost encounter was literally yesterday from Amos Rathbone, our own (formerly) live mid-1800s ghost guide who walks with our tours. And just last week, a tour guest had a haunting overnight in a downtown hotel. 

For Tours Around Michigan’s Ghost Hunt Tour, we hyperfocus on just a few areas where we’ve had the most spirit interactions. We share additional haunting activity at these places, stories others have told us, and common experiences during our tours. We’re putting paranormal instruments into people’s hands so they can experience the activity personally. With an investigation item like an EMF meter (a long black box with five colored lights that measures energy strength), guests see the level of the haunting energy right next to them. It helps guests create a personal, exciting memory. We also have other instruments that work great for spirits who want to interact with us. 

RG: Without giving too much away, could you share a few of the figures or locations featured on the tour? Are there stories that reach far back into Grand Rapids’ history or any that are surprisingly recent?

CS: Tours Around Michigan’s Ghost Hunt Tour focuses on the areas where we’ve experienced the most haunting activity. One is the Michigan Bell Building. Just last night, we had spirit activity there seen by the entire tour, plus some individual experiences. Another is St. Cecilia Music Center, where a spirit woman who talks to and touches our tour guests is now lighting up the cat toy light balls when we talk about her. 

By far, the most activity comes from our own #AmosTheSpirit (he recently corrected me that he doesn’t want to be called a ghost, but if you search #AmosTheGhost you’ll find more about him). Amos walks with our tours and routinely interacts with our guests, as the happy, silly energy that he is. Amos has gathered a lot of fans over the years. I’ve started documenting Amos’ experiences with testimonials (YouTube #AmosThe Spirit and Ghost Stories & Haunted Places). Last Sunday, he pranked a guest on a private tour by filling the cuff of her pants with cracker crumbs.

RG: You’ve explored haunted sites across Michigan. How does Grand Rapids compare to other cities when it comes to paranormal activity? Are there particular areas or landmarks that seem especially active?

CS: Grand Rapids is a very active city for a few reasons. First, even before settlers arrived, thousands of people traveled through the area to meet at the rapids. Everyone leaves a little energy behind, and that accumulation of energy is still here for other spirits to use. Another reason is the water underground and in the Grand River. Water is scientifically proven to move energy. So if you’re a spirit looking for energy to use, you want to be near a water source. Finally, limestone is known to increase spirit activity, and we have a lot of it around us. Some things that make Grand Rapids so active are also statewide. Michigan was recently named the fifth most haunted state by MoveBuddha. 

For landmarks, the Michigan Bell Building, St Cecilia Music Center, and Amway Grand Plaza Hotel (the historic portion built as the Pantlind Hotel) are top of the list of active spots. 

RG: The Ghost Hunt Tour is open year-round and welcomes both families and serious ghost hunters. How do you balance authentic paranormal investigation with a sense of storytelling and fun for all ages? 

CS: The right paranormal investigators blend in perfectly with our tours and add a lot to the fun by sharing their experiences. My style of communication with ghosts is never confrontational or antagonizing. Spirits have verbally and physically responded to things I say, and some feel protective of me (except for one murderer who is just a mean control freak that attacked me in my car.) While sometimes I need to set boundaries, my approach is respectful and grateful when spirits choose to interact gently with us. I expect my tour guests to do the same.It’s important that everyone feels welcome and comfortable on all of our tours. When a guest under 18 years is on the tour, I tone down any gore in the stories. I’ll also adjust for guests who have a sensitivity to harsher details. Also, accessibility is an important focus for us. From the beginning, I designed experiences so everyone could have fun with less worry. I created wheel-friendly routes for wheelchairs and strollers and have shortened tour routes. I’m comfortable working with sign language interpreters, adjusting phrasing for people who are visually impaired or have a neurodivergence where a different style of storytelling helps them enjoy it more, often making it more tactile. The goal is to help everyone relax, feel safe, and have fun!

Photos courtesy of Candice Smith