Ararat ghost tour is definitely worthwhile - J Ward was a psychiatric institution in Ararat. J Ward was mainly for the criminally insane. Since the inpatients were transferred to other institutions, J Ward has been opened up for ghost tours. This former "lunatic asylum" is a reminder of the ethical challenges involved in the mental health involved in this forensic mental hospital in Ararat. The ghost tour can be a bit alarming, but it arouses your interest and curiosity; it's definitely worthwhile.

Great night - We had a great group of people and funny, informative and friendly guides. Very entertaining and informative night out.

Worthwile doing whilst in Ararat - Absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend you do this tour as well as Aradale. The history behind J-Ward and the inmates is something we should all learn about. Respect the history for the time it was open.

Sense of suspension and true believer’s were present - We enjoyed learning the very tragic history. Particularly the absurd treatment of the men who were sentenced. The girls who conducted the tour keep close to facts, and had all the tour intrigued with the incidents that have and still occur

Amazing experience - This tour was amazing. So much history. The tour guides were great at recalling the history of the Asylum. Had lots of experiences that I can not explain. Anyone likes history and paranormal experiences, this place is a must.

You could feel the energy... - You could feel the energy through the hole place. Mr butcher in the kitchen was pretty out there. What a great night

J Ward Ghost Tour - A great history lesson about the place and some people that were there, No scary stuff occurred while we were there but still it was a fun night

Fantastic insight to the establishment - It was definitely an experience for the whole family to enjoy. The 2 hours night tour was very well paced for time. Watching the short video of actual inmates truely bought the moment to life. One of my group was fortunate to feel a spirit in the kitchen area.

Interesting and quite humbling from a historical perspective, but no ghosts on hand. - I loved learning about J Ward from a historical perspective. It's history and the role it has played in terms of housing the "criminally insane" is in itself both sad and compelling. I think that the preservation of the buildings, cells and surrounding structures is paramount to Ararat and it represents a key tourist attraction. I also felt that the building itself is both claustrophobic and disturbing, making the additional "ghost related" activities somewhat unnecessary. The use of diving rods and so on, was I felt a little gimicky and really didn't add to the experience at all. The hosts were fantastic, very knowledgeable and told the story beautifully. I also thought that the scariest person there was the lady who held the keys, didn't speak a word all night, just threw out the odd smile but didn't engage with anybody. Could this be the one and only true ghost at J Ward?

Got completely ripped off - Bought tickets, organised accommodation in Ararat, took time off work, drove from Melbourne, turned up early for tour, there was no one there. Tour had been cancelled and we weren’t informed. Really disappointed, rang on return to Melbourne, no one could help, no one would even refund my money!