Spirits With The Spirits, Haunted Pub Crawl

Flagstaff’s old downtown has plenty of ghost stories, but this tour gives them a useful setting: a walk between historic buildings with a drink in hand. You’ll hear about robberies, murders, suicides, and the troubled people tied to places such as the Weatherford Hotel, Hotel Monte Vista, and the Orpheum Theatre.

I like the mix of local history and bar stops, especially the chance to sit at the Zane Gray Bar and hear the town’s less polished stories. I also like the guide-led format. Steve, one of the named guides, is praised for bringing old tales to life and for knowing Flagstaff’s past well.

The main drawback is that this is a walking tour built around bars, not a broad sightseeing tour. You’ll need to be 21 or older, drinks may cost extra, and the ghost stories can be more entertaining than frightening.

Key points to know before booking

• Three historic downtown pub stops: The route includes the Weatherford Hotel’s Zane Gray Bar and two other historic pubs.
• A 2.5-hour walking route: You begin and end at the south side of Flagstaff’s train station.
• Stories with real local characters: Hear about Dr. Raymond, Marie Walkup, John Weatherford, and other figures linked to Flagstaff’s past.
• A guide with personality: Look for southwestern gothic attire, and note that Steve has been singled out for his storytelling and local history.
• A 21-and-over evening: Bring a passport or ID card, and expect an English-language tour.
• A flexible booking option: You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund and reserve now without paying immediately.

Why Flagstaff’s haunted past works so well on foot

Flagstaff began as a small railroad settlement near Mount Humphreys. Its downtown still holds many of the buildings from that early period, so the stories are tied to actual streets, hotels, theaters, and businesses rather than floating free as general ghost lore.

That matters. A story about a troubled hotel is easier to picture when you are standing outside the building. The walk also gives the tour a steady rhythm: move through town, hear about a place, stop for a drink, then continue to the next chapter.

You’ll be looking at Flagstaff from two angles at once. One is the preserved downtown, with old commercial buildings and the 1926 train depot. The other is the town’s rougher past, shaped by railroad traffic, local crime, sudden death, and people whose lives ended badly.

I like that this format does not require you to spend the whole evening indoors. You get the streets, the buildings, and the bars. The walking also keeps the experience from turning into a simple seated storytelling session.

Still, set your expectations correctly. This is not presented as a serious paranormal investigation, and there is no promise of seeing a ghost. The appeal is the combination of place, history, spooky tradition, and drinks.

Meeting the guide at Flagstaff’s 1926 train depot

The meeting point is on the south side of the train station, on the track side. Look for a guide dressed in southwestern gothic clothing. That detail should make the meeting easier, especially if the station area is busy or several tours are gathering nearby.

The train depot is a sensible starting place. It connects directly to Flagstaff’s railroad beginnings and helps frame the town as a working settlement rather than a resort town built only for sightseeing. You start beside one of the city’s important historic buildings, then walk into the downtown district where many of the stories took place.

Your guide leads the entire route in English. Steve is specifically associated with this experience, and his strongest reported qualities are his storytelling and his grasp of Flagstaff’s past. That is important here. A pub crawl needs a host who can keep the group engaged while moving between ordinary street corners and more atmospheric locations.

The tour ends back at the train station. That makes the route easier to plan, since you do not need to arrange a taxi from an unknown final stop. I would still allow a little extra time after the official end if you plan to continue drinking or eating downtown.

The Weatherford Hotel and the Zane Gray Bar

The Weatherford Hotel is one of the central stops. It sits next to the Orpheum Theatre, and both buildings were created through the vision of John Weatherford. Their connection gives the tour a useful piece of local context: Flagstaff’s entertainment and hotel life developed side by side.

Inside the Weatherford, you’ll visit the historic Zane Gray Bar. This is one of the clearest examples of what makes the crawl different from a standard ghost walk. You are not only hearing that an old building has a reputation. You are stopping for a drink in one of the places tied to the town’s older social life.

The bar stop also provides a break from walking. You can sit, order a drink, and listen while the guide shifts from building history to stranger tales. Since the supplied details do not state that drinks are included in the $50 price, I would plan to pay for beverages separately unless the operator confirms otherwise.

The Weatherford stop should suit you if you like historic interiors and stories with a strong sense of place. It may be less appealing if you want a fast-paced crawl with several drinks at every stop. The focus is on the guide’s stories, not on drinking as much as possible.

The Orpheum Theatre and downtown streets

The Orpheum Theatre is another notable building along the route. You’ll walk past it rather than treat the tour as a theater performance, but its location beside the Weatherford helps explain how these downtown landmarks fit together.

The walk between stops is part of the experience. You move through Flagstaff’s preserved center while hearing about the people who built, worked in, or suffered around these buildings. The guide can point out the settings as the stories unfold, which gives the history a physical anchor.

I find this more useful than a list of disconnected ghost legends. You get a sense of how a small town developed around rail travel, hotels, shops, medical offices, theaters, and bars. Then the darker tales add another layer to those ordinary civic buildings.

The route may also be a good choice if you have only one evening in Flagstaff. It combines a short history lesson, a downtown walk, and several pub visits in one booking. You do not need to spend time researching which old buildings to see on your own.

Keep in mind that the tour lasts about two and a half hours. Wear something suitable for walking and plan for time outdoors between pub stops. The available information does not specify the exact walking distance or group size, so ask the provider if either detail affects your plans.

Dr. Raymond, a town doctor with an unusual story

One of the more distinctive figures connected to the tour is Dr. Raymond, a beloved but eccentric local physician. He built his home and offices on Leroux Street, giving the guide another specific address and character to bring into the story.

This kind of detail adds texture to the experience. Rather than hearing only about anonymous spirits, you encounter people with occupations, homes, reputations, and relationships to the town. Dr. Raymond’s presence also gives the tour a change of pace from hotel and crime stories.

You might find this part especially interesting if you enjoy local personalities. Small-town history often survives through unusual individuals, and an eccentric doctor is easier to remember than a string of dates. The story also shows that the tour is not limited to famous hotels.

Do not expect every stop to have the same level of drama. Some sections may feel more like a history walk with ghostly color added. That variety is useful, though, since a full evening of murder stories could become repetitive.

Hotel Monte Vista and the 1926 train depot

The Hotel Monte Vista and the train depot are both described as supernatural hotspots. They also matter for ordinary historical reasons, which makes them strong subjects for a tour that blends fact and folklore.

The train depot gives you the practical story of Flagstaff’s growth. Railroads helped turn a small settlement into a better-connected town, bringing workers, merchants, visitors, and trouble along with them. The Hotel Monte Vista represents another side of that growth: a place where people stayed, met, worked, and left behind stories.

As you walk near these buildings, the guide can connect their public role with the supernatural reputations that developed later. I like that contrast. A building does not need to look frightening to become part of a ghost story. A hotel or station can feel ordinary in daylight and still carry a long list of sad or unsettling tales.

The depot is also where you begin and finish, so its role bookends the evening. That gives the crawl a clear shape rather than a random series of bar visits.

The Marie Walkup story and the tour’s darker side

The story of Marie Walkup and her murdered children is one of the most serious subjects connected with the crawl. It is set in 1930s Flagstaff and is described as a tragic reminder of how uncertain life could be.

This is not a light ghost story. If you prefer spooky entertainment without violent or sad material, you may find this part difficult. I appreciate that the tour includes difficult local history, but you should know that the evening is not made up only of amusing legends and playful scares.

The story also shows why a guide’s tone matters. Steve has been praised for making both old and more recent ghost stories feel alive, and this kind of subject needs care as well as drama. A good guide should help you understand the setting and period, not treat a family tragedy as a cheap shock.

The tour’s overall style is described as eccentric and entertaining, so expect a mix of seedy tales, dark incidents, and lighter anecdotes. That blend may work better for you than a solemn history lecture, but it also means the mood can shift quickly.

What the three pub stops add to the experience

The three historic downtown pub stops are the practical heart of the crawl. At each one, you have a chance to pause, order a drink, and hear more about Flagstaff’s past. One stop is at the Weatherford’s Zane Gray Bar. The other two are historic downtown pubs, though their names are not specified.

The patio stop is a nice touch. Sitting outside with a cold drink while listening to seedy local tales gives the evening a social feel. You are not rushing from one address to another, and you have time to settle into the stories.

The drinks are not merely a theme. They help explain why the experience is a pub crawl instead of a conventional walking tour. You can use each stop to ask questions, compare the buildings, and decide which stories or locations you want to revisit later.

The $50 price can be reasonable if you value the guide, the research behind the stories, and the chance to visit three historic bars without planning the route yourself. It is less attractive if you mainly want inexpensive drinks or a quick ghost walk. Since the cost of beverages is not specified, add that expense to your budget.

Who will enjoy this Flagstaff ghost tour

I would choose this experience if you like local history with a spooky edge, historic bars, and guided walks through older parts of town. It should suit couples, friends, and solo visitors who enjoy meeting a guide and sharing an evening around stories.

It is also a good fit if you have already seen Flagstaff’s main downtown landmarks and want a different way to understand them. The tour adds names and incidents to buildings you might otherwise simply photograph and pass.

You may want to skip it if you do not drink, dislike bar settings, or have limited mobility for walking between stops. The activity is wheelchair accessible, but the full route still moves between streets and pubs, so confirm any specific access needs before booking.

The tour is strictly for people 21 and older. Bring a passport or ID card, since age verification may be required. Children and younger teens cannot join, even if they do not plan to drink.

Timing, cancellation, and practical planning

The activity lasts about 2.5 hours, with starting times shown according to availability. Because the exact departure time can vary, check the schedule before building dinner or transportation plans around it.

You meet on the south side of the train station, track side, and return there at the end. The guide’s southwestern gothic clothing gives you a visual clue, but arriving a little early is still sensible.

You can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option also helps if your Flagstaff plans are still shifting. These policies are useful for a weather-sensitive walking activity, though they do not remove the need to check the forecast or bring suitable clothing.

Should you book Spirits With The Spirits?

Book it if you want Flagstaff history delivered through ghost stories, old buildings, and three pub stops. The strongest reason to choose it is the guide-led storytelling. Steve’s praised ability to explain the city’s past and bring its ghosts to life is exactly what this format needs.

I would also book if the Weatherford Hotel, Hotel Monte Vista, the Orpheum Theatre, and the old train depot are already on your list. The crawl gives those places context and adds characters such as Dr. Raymond and Marie Walkup to the streets you see.

Skip it if you want a serious paranormal investigation, a quiet museum-style tour, or drinks included in the ticket price. For the right audience, the $50 fee buys a well-shaped evening of history and atmosphere, but you should budget separately for beverages and be ready for some grim stories.

FAQ

How long is the Spirits With The Spirits pub crawl?

The tour lasts about 2.5 hours. Starting times depend on availability when you book.

Where does the tour begin?

Meet your guide on the south side of Flagstaff’s train station, on the track side. Look for a guide wearing southwestern gothic attire.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the train station meeting point.

Is the tour suitable for people under 21?

No. The activity is not suitable for anyone under 21 years old.

Which language is the tour conducted in?

The live guided tour is conducted in English.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. You should still share any specific access needs with the provider before booking.

What should I bring?

Bring a passport or ID card. You should also plan for walking between downtown stops and budget for drinks unless the provider confirms that beverages are included.