As Halloween approaches, many are looking for a good scare, and Boston has no shortage of paranormal tours and haunted houses for thrill seekers. However, The Freedom Trail Foundation proves with their autumn Freedom Trail Lantern Tour series that sometimes, the scariest things are grounded in reality.

The lantern tours tell true stories of witches, pirates and criminals who roamed the streets of Boston during the 18th century. Groups set off after dark, led by lantern-bearing “players,” who embody a colonial criminal of their choice.

Emma Wiegand, who has been a “player” with The Freedom Trail Foundation for over a year, leads lantern tours as thief Betty Smith.

“Boston is special because you can get that feeling of physically standing where these events occurred, and it’s even more amazing that a lot of the places are still standing,” Wiegand said.

The lantern tours are a spin-off of the original Freedom Trail tours, which are enjoyed by visitors and locals alike to learn more about the historical sites of the revolution. With the nighttime features and gruesome stories, the lantern tours have become very popular, Wiegand said.

“So far, we’ve seen huge crowds coming out to the lantern tours. For our more popular tour times, we need two guides to split up the crowd, and so far every Lantern Tour has needed two guides,” said Gabe Graetz, a tour guide with The Freedom Trail Foundation who leads lantern tours as conman Dr. Seth Hudson.

Groups visit several different sites, depending on which player guides them. Possible sites include the location of the Boston Massacre, two historic burying grounds and Boston Common.

“We originally planned on going on the classic Freedom Trail tour, but once we found out about the lantern tour, we thought we would much rather do that,” said Darlis Callaway, 55, of San Jose, California. “The nighttime part of it just makes the tour a little more fun and unique.”

Though the tours help crowds get into the Halloween spirit, they also expose a new audience to the history of Boston.

“What’s great about these tours are they span all ages, and they trick people to love history who wouldn’t normally be interested in a historical tour,” Wiegand said. “Not only is the experience great, but at the end of the tour, participants just might realize they learned something along the way.”

With such a rich history, Boston can offer all sorts of stories from the past. Unfortunately, many residents and visitors don’t always know much about the city’s historical tales. Learning the true historical significance of sights that they see on a regular basis can give students a deeper sense of connection to the city. The lantern tours prove to be a way to expose college students to the history of the revolution in a way that appeals to them, Wiegand said.

“The lantern tours appealed more to me due to seasonal appropriateness, but also I think the theme in general is of more interest to younger people,” said Josephine Cuda, a graduate student at Boston College.

The Freedom Trail Foundation aims to “enhance the understanding and appreciation of Boston’s seminal role in American history … and preserve the inspiring touchstones that link us to our heritage,” according to their website.

The lantern tours help the foundation achieve these goals for a younger audience, and just might give tour participants, especially college students, a new perspective on history in general. For many, learning about the abundant Boston history is something that doesn’t have to be solely reading textbooks. The Lantern Tours prove that it can be interactive and interesting — even spooky.

“The more I do this job, the more I realize just how important the study of history is,” Graetz said. “It’s the only way we can avoid making the same mistakes we did before. Being in university is a time where you can explore what your interests are, and taking these tours might cause the realization that history is not just memorizing dry and boring dates.”