Costumed Haunted Pub Walk

Nightly Spirits pours the drinks and tells the ghost stories, and guests reward the formula with a 4.9 average across 338 reviews. Expect about two and a half hours of haunted stops and bar visits. Entry starts at $35.87 per person, and free cancellation comes standard.

Overview

A guide dressed as a flapper or a gangster meets the group inside Glascott's Saloon on North Halsted, and from there the evening turns into a walk through Lincoln Park's drinking spots and their ghost stories. The tour runs about 2 hours 30 minutes, moving between bars and past a few well-known landmarks, with stories of the city's haunted past told along the way. Drinks are not included, so travellers buy their own at each stop.

The route takes in Glascott's Groggery, then passes Lincoln Park and the Biograph Theatre on the way to Lilly's, with a stop at Hook and Ladder and walk-pasts of Oz Park, King of Cups and the Red Lion Pub before finishing at Lilly's Bar on North Lincoln. Guides get frequent praise in reviews for being knowledgeable, funny and good at storytelling, and one traveller reported going back to one of the bars after the tour ended.

The group is capped at 12, a minimum of two adults is needed to book, and the minimum age is 21. One solo traveller on a cross-country train trip booked it alone and had a good time. The listing asks for a moderate level of physical fitness and appropriate clothing, since the tour runs in all conditions.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Glascott's SaloonThe guide meets the group inside the bar at 2158 N Halsted St. Look for the flapper or gangster costume at the front end of the bar.
2. Glascott's GroggeryFirst stop, a saloon, for 25 minutes. Admission is free and drinks are purchased separately.
3. Lincoln Park and Biograph TheatrePassing by or short stops at the park and the theatre while the guide tells stories.
4. Lilly'sA 30-minute stop at the bar. Admission is free, drinks extra. The tour later ends at this bar's North Lincoln address.
5. Hook and LadderA 25-minute stop at the bar. Admission is free and drinks are not included.
6. Oz Park, King of Cups, Red Lion PubPassing by or short stops at these three spots on the walk.
7. End at Lilly's BarThe tour finishes at Lilly's Bar, 2515 N Lincoln Ave, and travellers continue on their own from there.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical things shape the evening, from the walk itself to how the bars handle a group of up to 12.

• Bring ID and money. The minimum age is 21, so carry identification. Alcoholic drinks are not included and must be purchased at each bar, and gratuities are also excluded.
• Comfortable shoes. The tour moves between several bars on foot, so comfortable shoes make sense. The listing asks for a moderate physical fitness level.
• Pace and fitness. The listing asks for a moderate physical fitness level and says the tour is not wheelchair accessible. One reviewer found the 2.5 hours of walking and bar visits easy to manage.
• Group of up to 12. The tour is capped at 12 travellers and needs at least two adults to run. Reviewers describe a friendly, personalised atmosphere, and one reviewer said the group enjoyed each other's company so much they went to eat together afterwards.
• Weather and timing. The tour operates in all weather conditions, so dress appropriately. Poor weather can lead to cancellation, in which case a different date or a full refund is offered.
• Busy first bar. One reviewer found the first bar packed and loud and suggested choosing a quieter bar for that stop. The same reviewer still called the tour very enjoyable with a lot of great history.

Common issues. Drinks and gratuities are not in the price, so budget for a drink at each stop. The tour needs a minimum number of travellers, and if that minimum is not met it can be cancelled, with a different date or experience or a full refund offered. It runs in all weather, and poor-weather cancellations also come with a rebooking or refund option. The walk is not wheelchair accessible, requires moderate fitness, and is limited to travellers 21 and over, with a cap of 12 people per tour. One reviewer found the first bar too crowded and loud, and another suggested asking the bars to give the group easier access to order drinks.

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