Most ghost experiences in Minneapolis ask you to sit back and listen. The Paranormal Ghost Hunt at the Pillsbury Club asks you to pick up the equipment. According to the booking page, it is “not a tour” but a hands-on investigation inside the historic Pillsbury mansion, where you and your group take the role of investigators.

What actually happens on a ghost hunt at the Pillsbury Club?

Here is what the experience page says you will do during the investigation:

• Use real ghost-hunting equipment, such as EMF readers
• Explore multiple areas of the mansion
• Take part in guided investigation sessions
• Learn techniques used by paranormal investigators
• Experience the building after hours

The page also promises no actors, no staged scares and no scripted moments. That is the key difference from the Club’s other ghost offering, the Candlelight Ghost Trolley Tour, which carries you around the city to its haunted addresses with live narration. The trolley tour tells you the stories. The ghost hunt lets you go looking for your own.

Is the Pillsbury mansion really haunted?

We will leave that for you to judge. The experience page says guests and staff have reported unexplained activity and eerie encounters throughout the building, from dimly lit hallways to hidden rooms. Those are reports, not proof, and nobody can promise you a ghost on any given night. What we can say is that the setting is hard to beat: a National Register mansion finished in 1916, filled with centuries-old English oak, carved stone and ancient stained glass. If you want the documented story behind the house, read our History Journal, which tells how the Pillsbury family built it and who lived there afterward.

Who is a ghost hunt good for?

The page lists ghost enthusiasts of all levels, paranormal fans, thrill seekers, date nights, small groups and the simply curious. A few ideas for who might love it:

• Date nights that want something more interesting than dinner and a movie. (Dinner is easy to add, since the Club has a dining room and bar.)
• Friend groups who like scary stories but would rather take part than watch.
• Halloween-season visitors looking for something different from a haunted house.
• Curious skeptics. If you are not sure you believe, an investigation with equipment and a method is a good way to find out.

How do you book, and how far ahead?

The experience page states that group sizes are restricted because of limited access inside the mansion, and that it often sells out. Tickets are listed starting at $55 per person on the booking page at the time of writing, so confirm the current price and available dates there before you plan around them. Because access is limited, book as early as you can, especially in October. Our guide to how far ahead to book the holiday lights trolley makes the same point for another popular experience: the good dates go first.

The Club itself is a private, members-style venue, and its club rooms page notes that reservations are required in advance. Hours, parking and policies are on the plan your visit page, and we cover the practical side in what to do in the hour before your trolley tour. If you have questions about age guidance or what to wear and bring, ask when you book rather than assuming.

Make a whole night of it

The ghost hunt pairs well with the rest of the Pillsbury Club experience. Come early for a cocktail in the speakeasy-style bar, then investigate. For a bigger haunted weekend, 300 Clifton offers a Dead & Breakfast package for overnight guests, and the Club’s sister company, Minneapolis Trolley Tours, runs the ghost tours. If you are visiting for a month or more, Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished downtown studios. And during daylight hours, the Minneapolis Institute of Art is a short distance away, with free general admission, Tuesday through Sunday.

Ready to investigate? Book the Paranormal Ghost Hunt, or browse everything on the Club’s experiences and tours page.

Keep reading: What Did an Engineer Find Above the Pillsbury Mansion’s Skylight? Tie Rods, a Brick Curb and a Roof Built to Resist Fire