Black Cat Tours Named Top Ghost Tour in America
USA Today readers selected the Salem-based company as the best ghost tour in the nation.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Paranormal
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USA Today released its 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, crowning Black Cat Tours in Salem as the top ghost tour in the country. The final rankings were determined by popular vote following an initial selection of 20 nominees by travel experts.
Why it matters
These awards provide travelers with a curated guide to the most highly regarded haunted history experiences across the U.S. By relying on public participation, the list highlights which tours currently resonate most with enthusiasts of paranormal tourism.
Black Cat Tours in Salem secured the No. 1 ranking, followed by Providence Ghost Tour at No. 2 and Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tour at No. 8. The list comprises 10 total winners selected from an initial pool of 20 expert-nominated tours.
The players
USA Today
This national news organization publishes the 10Best Readers' Choice Awards which evaluate various travel and tourism sectors.
Black Cat Tours
This organization operates haunted walking tours in Salem, Massachusetts, and was voted the top ghost tour in the nation.
The details
The selection process for the 10Best list began with travel experts choosing 20 nominees across the country for the category. These nominations were then subjected to a public voting period that established the final top 10 winners.
Timeline
USA Today released the 2026 10Best ghost tour list on September 30, 2026.
Culture Shift
This ranking follows the established pattern of the USA Today 10Best series, which leverages expert curation and public voting to identify industry leaders in various travel segments. The growing popularity of such awards highlights how social proof and reader polls now define success in the niche tourism market.
Travelers planning trips to Salem, Providence, or the Mystic area can use these results to prioritize their itinerary based on public sentiment. Prospective visitors should note that top-ranked tours often see increased demand and may require advance booking.
The takeaway
Ghost tours continue to grow as a major component of regional tourism, with public sentiment driving interest to specific historic sites. Readers can use these rankings to distinguish between various tour offerings when looking for highly rated, historically focused spooky experiences.
Further reading
For more on trending haunted history and travel, visit the Paranormal section.
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