The spirits are back in Yardley, and this year, they have more stories to tell.
Spirits on Main, a guided ghost walk, produced in partnership with Valerius Productions and the Lower Bucks Paranormal Society, has returned for a second fall of ghost stories, historic mysteries and reported paranormal encounters along the borough’s streets.
Emma Girandola, co-producer of Spirits on Main and director of Valerius Productions, grew up in Yardley and said she was thrilled with the response to the inaugural season.
“We did our first fall season last year, and it was awesome,” Girandola said. “We sold over 300 tickets for our first season.”
This year, the tour has been expanded to a 10-week season, giving people more opportunities to participate. The route also has changed, and the stories have been expanded through overnight paranormal investigations conducted by the Lower Bucks Paranormal Society.
That is one of the biggest differences for returning guests.
“Last year in Yardley we did not have the inclusion of the Bucks County Paranormal Society,” Girandola said. “So if you did the tour last year, the stories were all from local residents and business owners.”
This year, investigators conducted overnight investigations at the Continental Tavern and The Vault. Evidence and stories from those investigations have been incorporated into the tour.
The tour begins at the Cellar, located at the back of the Yardley General, before continuing toward the police station and town hall. From there, guests travel along Canal Street before looping back toward The Vault.
At The Vault, one of the investigations produced a story about two children. One identified himself as Thomas, or Tommy, and investigators believe he may have connections to both The Vault and the Continental Tavern.
“We believe that Tommy is the same spirit and he is familiar with the whole town,” Girandola said.
The tour then continues to the old library at Lake Afton before ending at the Continental Tavern, where guests have the opportunity to go below the building into a historic chamber.
The chamber was discovered in 2007 when the Lyons family purchased the Continental Tavern and began renovations. It had previously been used as a trash chute, but the owners discovered thousands of whiskey bottles dating to the Prohibition era, along with license plates, shoes, clothing, Edison light bulbs and doorknobs.
Some of those artifacts remain at the tavern, while others have been preserved elsewhere.
The chamber has become one of the tour's most talked-about stops.
Many guests report feeling a sense of heaviness while inside, Girandola said, and some have said they heard voices. During one visit, her co-producer reported feeling a small hand grab his hand.
The Continental Tavern is also connected to a tragic chapter of local history involving a bartender who was killed there in the 1970s. Girandola said the team became aware of the individual through its paranormal investigation and later found historical reporting that corroborated details they had encountered during their research.
"We're very conscious that when we uncover stories like this, we're talking about real people and real tragedies," Girandola said. "Our goal is never to sensationalize someone's death. What was significant to us was finding historical information that appeared to corroborate aspects of our investigation, since we had no prior knowledge of the individual or what had occurred."
After the tour, guests can keep the evening going at the Continental Tavern. The tavern welcomes tour participants to stay for food and drinks, including spooky-themed cocktails, making it an opportunity to relax and continue talking about the stories they just heard.
The Yardley tour blends paranormal stories with descriptions of the town's history, including its connections to the Underground Railroad and Prohibition era. Girandola said the tour's historical research has revealed similarities among the Bucks County towns where Spirits Tours are offered, while also showing how each community has its own stories.
The company began in Bristol, where it is entering its third fall season.
“We have two tours in Bristol: a cemetery tour and the Mill Street Tour,” Girandola said.
The original Spirits on Mill name came from the Bristol tour, but the brand has since evolved to Spirits Tours as the number of locations has grown.
The tours combine historical research, local folklore and paranormal investigations. Organizers also interview business owners, employees and residents to uncover stories that may not appear in historical records.
“We love using the paranormal approach because we feel it's a fun way to introduce history to all groups of people,” Girandola said.
The tours are designed to be family-friendly, with no jump scares. Guides wear Halloween costumes and present the darker stories in a lighthearted way.
The Yardley tour also has several partnerships with local businesses along the route. At the Cellar and The Vault, for example, guests can stop in for designated spooky-themed cocktails to enjoy while listening to the stories at those locations. The tour also partners with Yardley Tattoo, where guests can get a flash tattoo and receive a discount code for Spirits on Main.
The partnerships are intentional. Girandola said the goal is not only to give tour guests a fun Halloween experience but also to introduce them to local businesses and bring customers through their doors.
“We purposely run our tours on weekday nights versus weekends so that we can bring in more business to the local bars and businesses on slower nights like Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays,” she said.
Girandola said the team enjoys seeing businesses along the route decorate for Halloween and create special drinks for the tours.
“We are proud of the partnerships we have with local businesses and it gets everyone in the spirit,” she said.
The tours also attract visitors from outside the area, giving people who may not otherwise visit Bucks County an opportunity to learn about its towns while patronizing local businesses.
“We bring in a lot of people from outside of these towns,” Girandola said. “A lot of traffic comes from outside of Bucks County, introducing them to this area, to these small businesses, simply by walking around during these tours.”
While Yardley is entering its second season, the tour concept continues to expand.
This fall, the tour series is expanding into Newtown with Spirits on State, a new ghost walk beginning Sept. 29. The tour will take guests through historic sections in 10 locations of the borough, with stories involving haunted hotels, secret societies, battles, true crime and reported paranormal activity.
For Girandola, bringing the tour to Newtown is especially meaningful. Her first job was at the Brick Hotel, where she recalls experiencing several incidents she could not explain, which helped spark her longtime interest in history and the paranormal."
“I was personally surprised about the conversations of what was once a secret society in Newtown that evolved into a normal society that still exists today,” she said.
The Newtown tour is the latest addition to a growing collection of Bucks County ghost walks that use local history as the starting point.
“The most enriching takeaway is learning about the history of these towns,” Girandola said. “The history of all three towns is truly incredible and unique.”
Spirits on Main tours are approximately 90 minutes and cover about a mile at a slow walking pace. The tours are family-friendly, and guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight and wear comfortable shoes because some walkways are uneven. Everyone is welcome to dress in their favorite Halloween costumes.
Yardley tour dates are available through Nov. 18. Tour times vary by date. Visit events.ticketleap.com/tickets/spiritsonmill/yardley2026 for more information and to order tickets.
MORE: 7 can’t-miss fall festivals in Bucks County
Yardley tour dates are available now through Nov. 18. Tour times vary by date.
Spirits on Main tours are approximately 90 minutes and cover about a mile at a slow walking pace.
Yes, the tours are family-friendly and appropriate for all ages.
Spirits on Main tours start at The Cellar, located in the back of Yardley General, at 14 S Main Street in Yardley.
