we did a paranormal investigation and found this place to be alive with ghosts. had a few conversations on the emf meter.the dousing rods were constantly swinging around and when we got home found some interesting and clear evp's on the recorder.. excellent value and would turn any skeptic into a believer

Tour groups are usually too oversized for my own preference, portions of the tour where due to group size there is too much talking and barely any room.

Approximate cost: $40

THEIR SEEMINGLY BLUNT APPROACH TO MY $160 BOOKING MADE ME FEEL LIKE A HELPLESS, LESSER BEING

Firstly this wasn’t my first ghost investigation or tour so I had much anticipation for what was to come from my past experiences with other companies, I didn’t expect not wanting to do another investigation or tour through a company ever again. I’ve delt with many businesses before and Eerie Tours has been by far the most unpleasant to deal with.

Booked a 3 hour paranormal investigation at Aradale asylum with Eerie Tours, called us 5 minutes before the 7:00pm start time on !NO CALLER ID! and expected me to pickup? Later blaming me for missing their call I couldn’t even return. We were 5 minutes late and the tour guide standing there in the doorway says ‘I’m afraid theres nothing that can be done’ heartlessly. We booked our whole weekend in Ballarat around this investigation and this is the treatment I’m met with after spending $160 of my hard earned money on our tickets weeks before planning this weekend. The guide standing there wouldn’t give us 2 minutes of his time to let us catch up to our group. The service felt terrible regardless of their written guidelines, we were left standing outside the asylum in the cold speechless as to the resistance we were met with. Under my own recommendations we participated in a shorter, cheaper tour worth $80 (which we didn’t want to be on but didn’t want to leave empty handed and shocked either) and when I emailed the manager for a refund of the other $80 he constantly refused regardless of my approach of wanting to put everything on the table from the terrible experience we had. This manager tried to compare the experience to missing a flight on Jetstar and related my lateness to having over 180 people through the asylum in a single night which to me sounded careless. Constantly quoting the terms on being late regardless of my circumstances, felt like quite a heartless and blunt approach from a company who try to handle high volumes and order, at the expense of in my personal opinion an expected level of customer care.
(They will claim I was over 20 minutes late to the 6:45pm early arrival time but to my recollection we were not, we were 5 minutes late to the 7:00pm start time and lost precious time arguing our case to the tour guide at the door who I expected to just lead us to our group but was instead resistant and unhelpful, also will be claimed that they hide their workers CALLER ID to protect their privacy which if is such an issue why do they not have strictly work-use phones to avoid issues like ours? even if it is only for the duration they’re working)

WOULD DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMEND A COMPANY WHO WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHO’S AT FAULT THAN FIXING THE ISSUE IN A FAVOURABLE MANNER FOR BOTH PARTIES INVOLVED
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FROM MY HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE I’D ADVISE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE
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Approximate cost: $160

We did the Aradale Ghost Tour last night at 8pm. I really exploring the old buildings and hearing all of the stories. Our tour guide was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The only drawback we found were the other people on the tour. There were about 30 people on the tour. The other tours I have done have kept numbers smaller than this. Some of the other people on the tour were talking loudly, giggling like school children, wondering off, cracking jokes and acting in a way that was very distracting. Whenever we left a room people were lagging behind and trying to make "ghost" noises. It wasn't funny the first time, yet alone the tenth time. When leaving the kitchen area one woman screamed so loudly that one of my ears was ringing. The tour guide had to ask people to be quiet at least twice as the rest of us could not hear. I felt at times that I was stuck on a tour with naughty teenagers instead of adults, and it was very irritating. I would recommend the tour overall, but maybe check the size of the group you will be with, and aim for a small group.

loved it, the host was very attentive and knowlegable, didn't degrade the mentally ill just gave us the facts and was such a showman.

Approximate cost: $25.00

Aradale Ghost Tours at the former Ararat Lunatic Asylum is overpriced hogwash. I find the abandoned buildings passed while travelling through the vast grounds in daylight up to NMIT are a melancholy enough sight. It takes very little to imagine human misery existing in that place. This was a working hospital until the decision to “rehouse inmates in the community”. With the lights on the tour would not be any more scary than a tour of any empty hospital of course. Although possibly interesting in the way of tours of historical buildings, the gimmick of making it a “ghost” tour sits badly with me. The real history is interesting and often sad enough without spinning ridiculous tales about haunting. Patrons should be aware that the patter is a script from which the guide is not supposed to digress. Having lived in Ararat at a time when this was still un use, and knowing a number of people who have worked here, some of the purported facts are of questionable veracity. In fact I consider it embarrassing that tourists will go away with a load of rubbish instead of education. The entrance and exit from the highway can be quite dangerous. There are a number of alternative entrances to the grounds which the tour does not use. It is possible to approach the assembly point from the modern NMIT building, behind the bushes and trees. Of course to begin from there would spoil the atmosphere.

We are from Ballarat and made a weekend out of it with 2 other couples. Our tour was at 11pm and the night was cloudy and drizzly rain so you can imagine the ambience, driving up to it was quite spooky. We met the guide and the others going on the tour at the front door and then started our 2 hour journey. The stories are very interesting and informative and at times horrifying and spooky. The place is a lot bigger than you think and can see from the outside. Would definately recommend this tour but not for small children we had a couple on our tour and I'm sure there still having nightmares. Great night had by all.

Approximate cost: $30