Forget trick-or-treating. If you’re after something a little scarier than your neighbour in a Freddy Krueger costume, then we might just have the thing for you.
This Halloween, Gladstone Gaol will officially reopen its gates for the first time since 2022, welcoming visitors with an eerie new after-dark tour that’s sure to delight ghost hunters and history buffs alike. On the night of October 31st, award-winning ghost tourism operator, Lantern Ghost Tours, will run two after-dark experiences and, from what owner Jacqui has told us, we’re sure they won’t disappoint.
“We have had so many reports of ghost stories from people who live in the area and have visited or worked in the gaol,” Jacqui said.
“One of the stories centres around A Block. Because husbands and wives imprisoned at Gladstone were kept apart, they reportedly developed secret ways to communicate through walls and floors. Three coughs supposedly meant, ‘I’ve had a letter from home.’ Many people have reported knocking sounds moving along the walls of A Block, as though someone is still trying to communicate with their other half.”
But it’s not just old reports and stories that have the hairs on the back of our necks standing up. Even during her recent visits to the gaol, Jacqui says she’s experienced what she believes could be a little paranormal activity of her own.
“We haven’t run tours at Gladstone yet, but we have spent time exploring and collecting stories. I was alone in C Block taking photos when I heard a loud clock ticking from an empty cell. As I stepped inside, I saw what looked like a dark shadow in the corner. Then it vanished, the ticking stopped instantly, and a cold chill swept through me. I had to go outside to warm up again. It was a very strange feeling.”
The tour is set to take guests through the eerie corridors, traversing a journey through the Gaol’s past with real stories from former inmates and wardens.
“Gladstone Gaol operated for almost 120 years, housing everyone from petty offenders to some of the state’s most notorious criminals. Behind its towering stone walls are stories of hardship, punishment, daring escapes, and lives forever changed,” shared Lantern Ghost Tours.
Image Credit: SA Community
After being closed for almost four years, we’re sure that this Halloween event will have every lingering spirit and paranormal presence eager to stretch their legs, creep out from behind the old stone walls and welcome brave guests with a boo.
Marking the beginning of a new chapter under Lantern Ghost Tours, the reopening is also set to breathe new life into one of Gladstone’s most recognisable landmarks, restoring the historic gaol as a much-loved local icon and tourism drawcard.
But it seems the hauntings may not stop at the gaol’s gates.
“You could do ghost tours all over that town! The old railways and old pubs would have some stories for sure!” one excited local commented following news of the reopening.
So this Halloween, why not make a trip of it? The tour is the perfect excuse to head to the Southern Flinders Ranges and support the welcoming, community-minded towns that are the beating heart of the region. After all, who wants to drive home along isolated country roads after spending the evening wandering through a supposedly haunted gaol?
Gladstone Gaol Halloween after-dark ghost tour
Where: Ward St, Gladstone SA 5473
When: October 31, 2026 Saturday (7:30 pm & 9:30 pm)
For more information, click here.
