ballarat jail tour

J Ward Lunatic Asylum Ghost Tour

• Local guide
• Live commentary
• Entry/Admission - Ararat
• Food and drinks
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Girdlestone Street, Girdlestone St, Ararat VIC 3377, Australia Please meet at JWard Old Gaol , Girdlestone Street Ararat Victoria
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Minimum age is 12 years
• Children 12 and over must be accompanied by a supervising adult ticket holder
• Flat, comfortable shoes are recommended
• The 2-hour tour is mostly indoors with moderate walking and some steps
• Tours take place in wet weather; in the case of extreme weather, the local tour operator will contact you directly to offer alternative options
• Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

Similar experiences

• You'll start at Girdlestone Street Girdlestone St, Ararat VIC 3377, Australia Please meet at JWard Old Gaol , Girdlestone Street Ararat Victoria See address & details
• 1 J Ward Museum Stop: 2 hours - Admission included Visit Australia's home to the criminally insane, J Ward Lunatic Asylum. Explore the museum followed by a ghost tour of the home of notorious criminals including Chopper Read, Gary Webb and William Wallace. Explore the governor's bathroom, hangman's gallows, original kitchen, showerblock, grave sites, West Wing, J Ward Block, exercise yards and grounds in search of the souls that still linger. Learn of governors whose spirits are still lurking, prisoners buried in the grounds and the many souls trapped within these walls. Read more
• You'll return to the starting point

• Toowoombatourist 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles FUN, NOT SPOOKY, GHOST TOUR Definitely not a spooky "ghost" tour if that's what you're after but a nice way to explore the back streets of The Rocks and hear some interesting stories of events that are part of The Rocks colourful history. The archaeological dig of the homes demolished during the years of the plague was an unexpected addition and probably worth a revisit in the daylight, if time permitted. Our guide Georgia was very enthusiastic and quite theatrical in her delivery of the tour. She allowed plenty of time at the photo-opportunity spots and kept the walking to an appropriate pace taking into consideration all of the group. There were some stairs involved and plenty of cobblestoned streets, but overall the tour should be manageable for both old and young. Read more Written March 24, 2024
• 619jeffry 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Altona ghost tour is entertaining This Altona Homestead ghost tour, with bright lanterns, is very entertaining. Altona Homestead was built in 1842, a pioneering property that has since served many useful purposes. Altona is an outer suburb. The bluestone residence has much to see at night. The homestead is near Port Philip Bay, almost on the waterfront. These days, it is the headquarters of the Altona Laverton Historical Society. Altona Homestead is 20 km (12 km) from the Melbourne CBD by car. By the way, a fee is charged, you can book on-line. It's popular with younger visitors. Read more Written March 3, 2024
• craigz255 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Don’t waste your money on this tour Not recommended,tour guide walked to fast,left group to find own way,history stories were to long and boring,This tour is just a money maker,don’t waste your money on this tour. Read more Written November 24, 2023
• Z2665VJfrancot 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Good tour, shame about the "spoilers" Beautiful homestead, history and surrounding land. Great host, well guided. Shame for the group of disrespectful idiots that decided to "party" halfway through that ruined it for the rest of the group. If I knew this demographic were on the tour I would not have booked and was on verge of demanding my money back or move my booking to another session. Read more Written August 20, 2023
• eimaj174 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Very good! Jake was a very good guide. The sites were all very interesting. Not a super spooky ghost tour if that is what you're after, but the stories that were told were all told wonderfully. We unfortunately took our tour during Vivid which meant that the area was very crowded and sometimes it was hard to hear. Another family bought a lot of light up flashy sword with them that their kids waved around the whole tour as well which did kind of kill the vibe for our group but booking this tour during Vivid was our mistake so no points off the tour group for that one. I would recommend that items such as those are turned off or asked to be turned off out of respect for other tour goers though. Lots of walking through interesting alley ways in the rocks and overall an enjoyable experience on the tour groups part 😊 would definitely recommend. Read more Written June 17, 2023
• lisamN9668TT 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Enjoyable walking tour for most age groups! My 79 year old Mum, 11 year old nephew and I did the Ghost Tour in The Rocks last Saturday night, and we all really enjoyed it! Jake our guide was excellent and explained every story really well, and answered any questions that the group asked him. We saw a fair bit of The Rocks and just for the history side of things alone, it was really interesting (not to mention the spooky stories which were great, too!) Luckily for us it was a clear night and no rain, and the views from up on Observatory Hill were spectacular! There's quite a bit of walking and some stairs involved, so wear comfy shoes and take water with you. My nephew was fascinated with some of the stories and is still talking about it. Great fun for anyone aged 10 or above, and Jake is an excellent guide. Read more Written April 3, 2023
• friday0206 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Nice thing to do in the evening It’s an interesting perspective to Sydney history and night scene. Though, if you are looking for a really haunting and creepy experience, it’s not that. Read more Written January 18, 2023
• S80IAthomasf 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Intriguing excitement I had a great time, my wife and I had a few experiences on the tour and looking back through the photos I took I spotted a few odd things that were interesting. The tour guide had amazing knowledge of the sites. I will be recommending this tour to my friends. Read more Written December 4, 2022
• 624taniaj 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great time. We took our daughters age 9yrs and 13 on this ghost tour. It was so much fun, Jake was an awesome guide. Definitely recommend this fun, interesting tour of The Rocks. Read more Written September 24, 2022
• zozos647 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles There are talking all night so I have to go Bad walking all night in the street in the end I said I’m going toilet then I lost there no one call me back Read more Written August 6, 2022
• V8413CKmargareth 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun Night Out! We didn't really expect much, but boy was it fun! Jake is a great guide and we saw parts of the Rocks that we've never seen before and we are locals! This is a fun walking tour well worth doing. Read more Written July 18, 2022
• 934marnii 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Highly recommend My daughter and I went on the Rocks Ghost tour tonight and it was great! Highly recommend! Our tour guide was friendly, informative and fun! Great way to see the Rocks and learn some history of the beautiful old cobblestone alley ways and streets, with a bit of an eerie edge. Read more Written May 13, 2022
• 1_E_m_i_l_y_0 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Very intriguing The tour was fun and informative. Whether you believe in ghosts or not it's a great tour to find out more about Melbourne. Tip: where comfortable walking shoes as there is a lot of walking. Read more Written April 11, 2021
• 1_E_m_i_l_y_0 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great night out The food was delicious and the tour was fun and informative. Whether you believe in ghosts or not it's a great tour to find out more about the homestead and the area. Our guide was very passionate, knowledgeable and friendly. Tips: where comfortable walking shoes as there are some uneven surfaces and weather appropriate clothing, it can get quite cold in Eynesbury. Read more Written April 11, 2021
• Nora C 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Very informative ghost tour Lauren was very clear and concise as she spoke and it was a pleasure to be on the tour. While I am not a believer in the paranormal, it was very interesting to hear about the history of the Rocks. Would highly recommend. Read more Written April 11, 2021

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

J Ward Lunatic Asylum Ghost Tour provided by Lantern Ghost Tours

J Ward Lunatic Asylum Ghost Tour

A guided evening tour of this former prison for the criminally insane

On this guided tour, you’ll visit the J Ward Lunatic Asylum, Australia’s former home for the criminally insane. Before the tour, you’ll be able to visit the museum to learn about the history of the site.

In the evening, your tour will begin and you’ll see the hangman’s gallows, the grave sites and exercise yards. Throughout the tour, you’ll hear about the people who were imprisoned and buried here as well as the governors who ran the asylum.

What's included

• Guide services

What's Not Included

• Food and drinks
• Pickup and drop-off

Accessibility

• Accessible to strollers
• Public transit links nearby

Health & Safety

• Requires a moderate level of physical fitness

Languages spoken by guide

Additional information.

The minimum age for participating in this tour is 12 years.

Children aged 12–17 must be accompanied by an adult.

Comfortable footwear is recommended.

The tour involves moderate walking and some steps.

Tours take place in wet weather. In the case of extreme weather, the tour provider will contact you to offer alternative options.

Itinerary information

Frequently asked questions, how do i book a ticket.

Select a date and time.

Choose the number of tickets.

Click through to the next page and enter your personal details.

After entering your personal details, select your payment method and enter your payment details.

Once you’ve entered your payment details successfully, you'll be redirected to your ticket page where you can check the status and details of your reservations.

You'll receive a confirmation email once the reservation is confirmed with the attraction operator. This could take some time based on the supplier.

You can view your tickets in your confirmation email or the Booking and Trips section of your account.

When do I pay?

Booking.com collects payment on behalf of the attraction operator when you book your ticket.

How do digital tickets work?

Each digital ticket contains a unique code. This is usually a QR or numerical code, but could be something else and can be found on your ticket or the PDF sent to you.

If your digital ticket contains a barcode or QR code, show it to the staff at the attraction's entrance or ticket collection point for them to scan.

For those with numerical codes, show your ticket to staff for verification.

Can I cancel or modify my tickets?

You’ll need to check the policy on the specific ticket you book. Last-minute bookings might not have free cancellation available.

When will I get my free cancellation refund?

After you cancel, we'll issue a full refund immediately. Depending on your bank or payment provider, it can take 3–10 days to be refunded to your original payment method.

Tickets and prices

Book your visit

Virtual tour, souvenirs & books, discovery centre, asylum for the criminally insane.

“It's continuance as an adjunct to a mental hospital, in this the 20th century, is more barbaric than barbarism.” Inspector General of the Insane, 1908

Take a guided tour of J Ward, Ararat's Old Gaol and Lunatic Asylum. Hear stories of its time as a gaol with murderers and thieves and later as the home for Victoria's criminally insane.

J Ward is 2.5 hours from Melbourne, close to the Grampians and open daily for tours by passionate Friends of J Ward volunteers. More than 10,000 people visit each year.

Tours run at 10am and 1pm each day with  extra tours at 11am and 2pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Victorian public and school holidays (except Christmas Day).

“It was great! We all loved it, very informative, but thank goodness times have moved on.” — Sheila Cook, 2023

“Thank you for the tours that we were a part of last Sunday 16th April. We really enjoyed spending the day learning about the history of both Aradale and J Ward. The tour at Aradale was very informative and the guides were engaging with their information and stories, and great at answering any questions the group had.” — Emma Kearst 2023

“Absolutely loved our tour and we're loving Ararat. The guide , not only full of stories but so giving of her time. A perfect person to show us the museum. Thank you a million times for our lovely day out.” — Christine Charles, 2023

The Old Ballarat Gaol

This week I wanted to look at the old Ballarat Gaol. I am sure many people have driven past this intriguing building that is part of the School of Mines campus of Federation University. Have you ever wondered about its history?

The gaol was used as a maximum-security prison for men and women. It was built to replace temporary structures like the prison hulks that were anchored in Port Phillip Bay and the holding yards that were in Ballarat.

In 1857 the Select Committee on Prison Discipline released a report recommending that the prison hulks be replaced with prisons on land. As a result, prisons were constructed in Ararat, Castlemaine, Ballarat and Beechworth. All the prisons built at this time adopted the Pentonville Prison design used in London. This design was based on a central hall with radiating wings of cells from which a single guard could monitor all the cells.

The Ballarat gaol was completed in 1862 with 58 cells. In 1862 a tunnel was added for the safe transfer of prisoners to the adjacent courthouse.

The gaol was closed in 1965 to allow the School of Mines (SMB) to expand its facilities. Some of the gaol buildings were demolished but the gates and walls were retained. These were restored between 1972 and 1974. In 1981 the SMB amenities building was opened and incorporates some features of the gaol wall. Entrance to this building is via the old gaol gates.

Thirteen prisoners were executed within the prison walls; the first in 1864 and the last in 1908. The Register for the Ballarat Gaol’s men and women prisoners between 1855 – 1947 is held by the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) .

One of the men executed was Charles Bushby (alias Charles Baker). You can read here about his case, including how he slept the night before his execution, what he requested for breakfast (a pipe and a cup of tea), and his last words. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6093986

The Public Record Office of Victoria has digitised the Ballarat Prison Registers. Search for Charles Bushby or find another interesting case by clicking the link - https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/justice-crime-and-law/register-male-and-female-prisoners-1855-1947

The Ballarat Prison Register Records were conserved in 2015-2016 by the University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation . 

Simon Jacks Australiana Research Collection Ballarat Research Hub at Eureka (BRHAE)

[email protected]

Ballarat Streets Named After Women

Happy International Women's Day 2024! This post focuses on Ballarat streets named after women and reveals the different and changing ways that society has approached the representation, and under-representation, of women in public spaces.

Ballarat's Boxing Day Fete (1864-1872)

An annual Boxing Day Fete was held in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens from 1864 to 1872 to raise funds for Ballarat’s charities.

The Australian Historical Records Society 1896-1906

The Australian Historical Records Society existed in Ballarat between 1896-1906. It was one of the earliest historical societies in Australia and the forerunner of the current Ballarat Historical Society. 

Federation University Newsroom

Telling the tales from rat city.

4 March 2020

Long-forgotten stories of Ballarat’s dark and bizarre past are being brought to life in an award-winning podcast series featuring the research of a Federation University Australia folklorist and historian.

Tales from Rat City tells the stories from everyday life on the goldfields, a period idealised for the fortunes that were made but a time that was traumatic for thousands of people who had flocked to the region.

The podcasts are produced by Dr David Waldron , from the School of Arts, Katrina Hill and Tom Hodgson, and begin with an episode on spiritualism – a common 1800s social movement with mediums and seances on the goldfields. The many members embraced the progressive social causes that infuriated the church.

From ghost stories to big cats prowling rural Victoria, Dr Waldron’s fascination for urban legends and popular folklore began when he was a student. His PhD thesis became the book, The Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival, published in the United States, and became the catalyst for his research in what were considered fringe and often poorly researched topics.

“I found there was an enormous hunger in the public to have well-researched critical writing in these fields. A lot of my early research was in Britain and one of the things that I found interesting was the way in which people would slip into very broad generalisations, across centuries and even whole cultures,” Dr Waldron said.

“I became interested in the notion of the ghost story, not whether the ghosts are real or not, but rather the way they are a cultural representation of trauma for communities that suffered.”

This included black dog legends in Britain, with much of the literature linking the stories to ancient Celts.

“But when you get into the nuts and bolts of the research, I found the myths were really originating in the English Civil War. The original story I was able to trace back in parish records to 1577, emerging out of a conflict between Protestants and Catholics which people at the time represented in an enormous storm that hit England,” Dr Waldron said.

“The story of the black dog attacking the community became a representation of God's displeasure that Christians were killing their fellow Christians and this became entrenched in them, changing over time in relation to social and cultural transformation. In Bungay, which was a key centre in the industrial revolution with boat building, hemp manufacturing and so on, when it collapsed in the Great Depression, the story was revived again as a way of promoting local tourism and heritage.”

The black dog research then led him to one of the great Australian myths – big cats in the bush – with ‘sightings’ recorded as far back as the gold rush.

As Australians grappled with their environment and introduced species – rabbits, sparrows, foxes and feral pegs – travelling circuses criss-crossed the country with their exotic animal shows. These were often poorly secured.

“People would think well if it happened with the rabbits, what if it happens with something a lot more dangerous? You start finding this whole structure of panic supported by occasional cases where you did have big cats getting loose and the circuses not wanting to tell anyone. This happened at St Arnaud in the 1920s when a puma escaped the Perry Brothers Circus,” Dr Waldron said.

“It became entrenched in the popular psyche, wrestling with problems relating to the environment in terms of us grappling with predators and trying to put European farming systems into the Australian landscape. Again, you get a fringe area but the fringe area which is culturally prominent nonetheless, and have these really interesting stories to tell about our past, our environment and tumultuous issues.” Dr David Waldron

Tales from Rat City was awarded the National Trust People's Choice Award at the Ballarat Heritage Awards in 2019 and has resulted in a series of spin-offs, including a Ballarat jail tour and events during the Ballarat Heritage weekend. Students and alumni take up key roles in the events and the podcasts.

The podcast is named after a line in the Sherlock Holmes story The Boscombe Valley Mystery, where a character’s dying words reveal that ‘a rat’ – a member of a Ballarat gang – was responsible for his shooting. The next chapter will tell the story of Andrew Scott, the bushranger Captain Moonlite.

“We ran a play on ghost hoaxing where we used original transcripts from court records and newspaper articles, and we had a tour with these little activations with actors re-enacting the ghost hoaxing incidents from Ballarat's past as they went through the alleyways behind the Camp St campus,” Dr Waldron said.

“One of the things I strive for is looking at how the research we do can be communicated to the public, and I particularly think with rampant social media disinformation there's a real danger that if we don't engage with the public in a way they can understand, we run the risk of everything from vaccine denial to all kinds of strange urban legends that support racism.

“We need, as academics, to be engaging with the public and look for different mediums to get that information out there. Podcasting is easy to consume and there are a lot of excellent well-researched podcasts out there. This is a great way to bring people on the journey and it also lets us use vehicles like social media to get research out there.”

Research reveals why teachers are leaving 'the best profession in the world'. Here’s what could bring them back

13 March 2024

More than 80 per cent of teachers who have left the profession have retained their teaching registration, giving hope that they may not be permanently lost to education, a new study shows.

Read more >>

Managing diabetes during Ramadan

8 March 2024

Scientific evidence suggests there are benefits of Ramadan to improving physical and mental health by regulating eating and drinking but people with health conditions also need to be cautious.

The AI revolution — balancing power and regulation

21 February 2024

VIDEO  Prof Peter Vamplew is an AI researcher whose work focuses on the technical side of how these powerful and transformative technologies can be made safer and aligned to human needs and ethical values.

Book your visit

Accessibility, discovery centre, lunatic asylum.

Take a guided tour through the cavernous wall and halls of the institution that treated and housed Victoria's mentally ill for over 126 years.

Aradale Asylum was an Australian psychiatric hospital, located in Ararat, a rural city in Victoria, Australia. Now a ghost "town", Aradale was once known as the Ararat Lunatic Asylum.

Aradale and its two sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of "lunatics" in the colony of Victoria. Construction began in 1865 and was opened for patients in 1867. It was closed as an asylum in 1993. At its height, Aradale had up to 1000 patients and is a large complex with up to 70 interesting historic abandoned buildings.

Start typing to search

You can also hit “Enter” on your keyboard to submit your query.

0 What's on

0 everything else, #visitballarat.

Self-guided tours

Explore Ballarat in your own time and at your own pace on a self-guided tour. The history of this great city will blow you away.

Hidden Lanes

Discover secrets of Ballarat on the “City Tales and Hidden Lanes” tour – journeying on foot to uncover intriguing laneways, unique local shops, and stunning...

Ballarat’s Historic Streetscapes Walking Tour

Discover the grand architectural links to Ballarat’s dramatic past with this self-guided streetscapes walking tour.

Unearth the fortunes lavished upon the buildings in Lydiard Street, enjoy the melding of architecture in Camp Street and soak in the history of Sturt Street.

More details

Public Art Walks

With more than 120 artworks to its name, Ballarat is home to one of Australia’s largest and most significant regional public art collections.

The following Public Art Walks were created by the City of Ballarat in 2021:

• Contemporary
• War History
• Sturt Street
• Lake Wendouree

Ballarat Revealed

Ballarat Revealed is a geolocation-based historical storytelling site allowing the user to go on a guided walking tour of the streets of Ballarat’s CBD using a smart phone device.

Experience the cityscape as it was in past centuries through historical images and videos sourced from archives and online.

This tour will take you from the Bridge Mall up a path in the middle of Ballarat’s “grand boulevard”, Sturt Street, and along the footpaths of Lydiard and Doveton streets.

Ballarat Craft Beer Trail

From the growing emergence of micro-brewers to some of Victoria’s best brew-pub experiences, Ballarat is home to the finest brewing stations and handcrafted beer.

Ballarat Botanical Gardens self-guided walking tours

Created by Ballarat Botanical Gardens staff, these themed tours provide visitors with an easy way to explore one of Australia’s most significant cool climate gardens.

Buninyong Botanic Gardens self-guided walking tours

You can now explore the Buninyong Botanic Gardens’ plant collection and history in more detail both online and throughout your visit within the gardens.

Buninyong & surrounds walking tours

Buninyong and surrounds provides many opportunities for walkers of all levels of fitness. Some can be completed in half an hour, others take several hours.

You Might Like

Itineraries.

Free travel guides

So you’re planning a trip to Ballarat but where do you begin? We’ve got you sorted. Map of Ballarat Hit the ground running with this...

• What's on
• Privacy statement
• Terms and conditions

Information Centre

225 sturt street ballarat vic 3350, 1800 44 66 33 | email us.

Across Victoria’s Midwest, we acknowledge that we travel across the ancient landscapes of many First Peoples communities.

These lands have been nurtured and cared for over tens of thousands of years and we respect the work of Traditional Custodians for their ongoing care and protection.

We recognise the past injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this country. As our knowledge grows, we hope that we can learn from their resilience and creativity that has guided them for over 60,000 years.

As we invite people to visit and explore Victoria’s Midwest, we ask that alongside us, you also grow to respect the stories, living culture and connection to Country of the Ancestors and Elders of our First Peoples.

For Ballarat Heritage Weekend - Town Hall After Dark Tour - Click Here!

The Ballarat Ghost Tour of Town Hall After Dark Tour

Quick Details

• Calendar Availability: 28 May 2022
• Hour Glass Duration: 45 mins

Explore the Town Hall and its Strange History after Dark on our Ballarat Tours

The Ballarat Town Hall is not only one of the most iconic structures in Ballarat’s historic architectural landscape, it is also a building steeped in unusual and uncanny events. This is your opportunity to explore this magnificent facility after dark like never before with Ballarat’s expert dark history researcher, Nathaniel Buchanan, creator of the Ballarat Ghost Tour, Ballarat Cemetery Tour and the intimidating Aradale Asylum Ghost Tour.

Immerse yourself in the history and horror with our ghost tours in Ballarat. This spooky after-dark tour in Victoria is a fright to delight every visitor. Book your Ballarat ghost tour online today!

• Chevron down Terms and Conditions

Tickets are non-refundable.

Tickets can only be transferred to another date, name or different product of the same value if rebooked 24 hours prior to booking start time.

No intoxicated people will be admitted. No drinking is permitted on tour. Guide instruction must be followed at all times.

Breaking these terms can result in refusal or removal from tours without refund.

Customers will not hold Eerie Tours liable for any injury or loss of property.

In the event of a coronavirus outbreak, incident or illness, credit notes will be provided.

Total fire ban cancellations – Should a fire danger rating of extreme or catastrophic occur on the day of a scheduled tour, we will issue you with a credit note. Aradale Asylum and Melbourne’s Quarantine Station will close on such days, as per State Government Legislation.

Related Tours

• Hour Glass 1.5 hrs
• Clock 8 - 9:30 pm

Ballarat Ghost Tour

Spend the night in the phenomenal City of Ballarat while exploring the beautiful architecture and early Australian history. Hear dark tales of local haunts and legends.

Ballarat Ghost Tours: Old Cemetery Night Tour

Explore the old Ballarat Cemetery located in the rural city of Australia and hear some disturbing stories dating back to Australia’s Gold Rush Era.