Alexandria: Ghost Walking & Pub Crawl with Costumed Guide

4.83

(157 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to get goosebumps before we’d even left the first bar, but that’s exactly what happened at King & Rye. Our guide—decked out in this slightly ridiculous colonial coat (I mean, commitment!)—started off with a story about the Carlyle House that made me glance over my shoulder more than once. The whiskey I bought helped, but honestly, it was the way she lowered her voice for the creepy bits that got under my skin. There’s something about hearing ghost stories right where they supposedly happened that makes you believe them, at least for a minute.

The whole haunted Alexandria booze and boos ghost walking tour felt like wandering through someone else’s memories—half real, half rumor. We ducked into Old Hat Bar next, which had this old wooden smell and low lighting that made everyone look like they belonged in a different century. Someone from our group tried to order in an old-timey accent (it did not go well), and the bartender just grinned and poured another round. Our guide pointed out little details I’d never noticed on past visits—the way some bricks looked scorched near the Union Street Public House, or how people used to sneak down certain alleys when things got rough back in the day.

There was one moment outside a gelato shop (of all places) when she told this sad love story tied to the building—I swear I caught a whiff of vanilla from inside right as she described the “ghostly perfume” people sometimes smell there. Maybe it was just coincidence, but it stuck with me. We ended near the waterfront by Chadwicks; some folks peeled off for food, but I lingered for a second just watching the river lights and thinking about all those stories echoing around Old Town after dark.