Warren Ghost Walk: Haunts & History in Northeast Ohio

Cozy fall vibes meet eerie local lore at the Warren Ghost Walk. Take a lantern-led tour through Millionaires Row and hear about hauntings, history, and hometown legends.

The 2025 Ghost Walk takes place on October 17, 18, 24, and 25. Tours start at 6:30 pm and run every 15 minutes until 9 pm. The event begins at First Presbyterian Church in Warren, located at 256 Mahoning Avenue NW. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12, and are available onsite or online.

Two costumed performers share a ghost story on the steps of a historic brick building during the Warren Ghost Walk in downtown Warren, Ohio.

What is the Warren Ghost Walk?

There are two types of people in October – those who crave cozy fall activities and those who chase thrills and chills. The Warren Ghost Walk is a festive blend for both, taking place each October just off of downtown Warren in Northeast Ohio.

The Ghost Walk leads guests through downtown Warren’s storied streets. Attendees gather outside First Presbyterian Church, where lantern-guided tours set off every 15 minutes between 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm. Stops include landmarks such as the library, Pioneer Cemetery, Women’s Park, the courthouse, and Millionaires’ Row, each offering new tales each year.

Two actors with vintage attire sit on the front steps of the Harriet Taylor Upton House, holding roses and candles during the Warren Ghost Walk in Warren, Ohio.

Local Legends and New Stories

Some Ghost Walk tales become familiar over time – would it even be October without Aunt Lizzie’s scream? You might come for stories of the Mahoning Valley’s mafia past or a grisly murder, but you’ll also hear quieter tragedies: unrequited love, sudden accidents, people in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sensational and the ordinary blend to reveal our region’s rich past.

We spoke with co-director and co-writer CJ Adkins about what’s ahead. Without spoiling surprises, CJ says this year’s theme is “about the forgotten – those whose stories were too strange, too dark, or too heartbreaking to tell before.” Expect the tale of the only person ever executed in Trumbull County and new insight into suffragist Harriet Taylor Upton of Upton House fame.

Performers tell a haunted tale outside a columned historic building on Millionaires’ Row as visitors watch during the Warren Ghost Walk in Warren, Ohio.

Meet the Cast – Honoring Tradition

Ghost Walk fans don’t just look forward to the stories—they look forward to the cast that brings them to life. The lineup changes each year, and the team is always scouting fresh talent, but longtime attendees will recognize a few familiar faces. One who has “haunted” the Ghost Walk since 1994 is Don Novorsky. He and his wife, Sharon, began as volunteer tour guides; soon, Don’s booming voice and unforgettable presence made him a crowd favorite, whether as General Simon Perkins or Dr. Henry DuBois.

All good things end eventually: this will be Don’s final season, and a fitting farewell is planned. This year, attendees will encounter Don as himself as he says goodbye to the Ghost Walk stage. As co-director CJ Adkins shared, “The Ghost Walk has always been more than an event for me and so many others. It’s a true passion. Every year, it brings together people who care deeply about history, storytelling, and our community. Over time, we’ve become more than cast and crew. We are a family, and Don has been at the heart of that family for decades. We love him like one of our own, and though it will be hard to imagine the Ghost Walk without him on stage, his spirit will always be part of what we do.”