Washington DC: Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl

Washington has long mixed power, secrets, and strong drink. This two-hour Ghosts Boos and Booze walk takes you through eight haunted sites, including four old pubs, with stories about Ulysses S. Grant, prohibition-era bootleggers, crooked politicians, and a murder at the National Theatre.

I like the mix of local history and pub time, and I like that the guides bring real personality to the evening. Anton has earned praise for his storytelling, while Dena, EJ, Mary, Tristan, and John have all been singled out for making the walk lively and easy to follow. The main drawback is practical: drinks and food cost extra, and one stop may feel crowded or less welcoming if the bar is busy.

Key Points

• Eight haunted locations: The route includes four pubs plus other historic sites tied to Washington’s darker stories.
• Round Robin and Ulysses S. Grant: Hear the tale of Grant’s ghost and his fondness for brandy at this famous hotel bar.
• National Theatre scandal: Learn about a grisly murder and the building’s unsettling past.
• Four chances to order a drink: Cocktails, mocktails, and food are available for purchase, but nothing is included in the tour price.
• Strong guide-led storytelling: Anton, Dena, EJ, Mary, Tristan, and John have all received praise for their engaging style.
• Rain-or-shine walking: Wear good shoes and dress for the weather. The tour is not designed for people with mobility impairments.

Washington’s ghosts come with a bar tab

This is not a haunted house attraction with actors jumping out at you. It is a guided evening walk through central Washington, where the stories grow from old taverns, grand hotels, theaters, political scandals, and long-running local legends.

The meeting point is the Old Ebbitt Grill at 675 15th Street NW. Look for a guide in a black US Ghost Adventures T-shirt carrying a lantern. That small visual cue matters at a busy downtown restaurant, especially if several groups are gathering nearby.

The price is $30 per person. For two hours of guiding and storytelling, I consider that a fair starting price, especially if you enjoy both history walks and a night out. But keep your total budget in mind. Your drinks, mocktails, food, and tips are not included, so the final cost depends on how much you order at the four pub stops.

The tour is for adults aged 21 and older. You will need comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and a passport or ID card. It runs rain or shine, so a damp evening does not automatically cancel the walk.

Old Ebbitt Grill sets the tone

Old Ebbitt Grill is a fitting place to begin. It places you in the middle of Washington’s old restaurant and political district, close to the White House and several major downtown landmarks.

The opening portion helps establish the theme: in Washington, important business has often been handled over drinks. Presidents, officials, lobbyists, journalists, and whistleblowers have all passed through the city’s bars. The guide uses that setting to connect personal scandals with national events.

The tone is more social than solemn. You may be with couples, friends, birthday groups, or a party celebrating a special occasion. One particularly lively outing was combined with a hen party, which made the evening feel more like a night out than a formal museum tour.

That group element is part of the appeal. The included drinking games give strangers an easy way to talk, and the stories offer plenty of conversation between stops. If you prefer a quiet, tightly controlled historical walk, this may feel a little loose. If you enjoy meeting people over a drink, it should suit you well.

Round Robin and the ghost of Ulysses S. Grant

One of the clearest highlights is Round Robin, where you hear about the ghost of Ulysses S. Grant and his supposed fondness for brandy. The tale works because the setting feels tied to the city’s long relationship with presidents and political power.

You do not receive a brandy as part of the tour price. Instead, you can order a drink for yourself while the guide tells the story. That distinction is worth noting because the promotional language may sound as if a drink is included.

Round Robin also gives the guide a chance to show how a familiar bar can carry several layers of history. You are not only hearing a ghost story. You are hearing about Washington’s political culture, old drinking habits, and the way famous figures remain part of a place long after they are gone.

The experience is best approached with a light touch. No paranormal sighting is promised, and the point is not to prove that Grant is still lingering at the bar. The fun comes from the story, the atmosphere, and the possibility that a creak or cold corner might add a little drama.

Four pubs, four different moods

The tour visits four pubs, and that variety is one of its strongest features. Each stop gives you a new room, a new drink menu, and a different setting for the guide’s stories.

You might order a cocktail, a mocktail, or another drink that catches your eye. Food and drinks are purchased separately, so ask the guide about timing if you need dinner rather than a snack. The supplied details mention appetizers prepared by acclaimed chefs and cocktails from respected bartenders, but you should still treat each stop as a place to order for yourself, not as a provided tasting menu.

One useful point from the experience is that the bar stops are not all arranged as private tour spaces. At least one outing found a few bars too busy and felt that the group was intruding on normal business. That can happen on a Friday or Saturday evening in central Washington.

I would think of the pub visits as ordinary public bar stops with a guide leading the conversation. You may get a seat, or you may spend part of the time standing. You may receive quick service, or you may need patience. The advantage is that you experience the pubs as working places rather than staged attractions. The tradeoff is less control over noise, seating, and attention.

Bootleggers and backroom politics

The stories reach beyond ghosts. You will hear about prohibition-era bootleggers, congressmen who ignored alcohol laws, backroom deals, and scandalous behavior linked to Washington politicians.

This is where the tour offers more value than a standard pub crawl. The drinks provide the social setting, but the guide gives you historical context that you would not get by walking into the bars alone.

The stories also show Washington at its most human. The people involved are not only presidents carved into monuments. They are officials making questionable decisions, powerful figures hiding private habits, and ordinary residents caught in violent events.

The details about the British attack on Washington in 1814 offer a good example of the tour’s historical approach. You may hear the less familiar version of events, including the claim that British forces raided liquor cabinets in the White House before the building was sacked. It is the sort of odd detail that makes a city’s past easier to remember.

Your guide matters a great deal here. Anton has been praised for mixing ghost stories with history and for taking the group to lesser-known places, including the site of Rhodes Tavern. He also has a knack for answering questions that stray from the planned theme. Dena has been praised for her warmth and for adding alternative sites to a first visit to Washington. EJ, Mary, Tristan, and John have also been singled out for clear, entertaining storytelling.

Since guides vary, the exact tone can change from one evening to the next. The common thread is a live English-speaking guide rather than an audio recording.

The National Theatre’s darker story

The National Theatre adds a different mood. Here the focus shifts from amusing political drinking tales to a grisly murder connected with one of Washington’s historic performance venues.

The theater’s story works well in an evening walking tour because it gives the route a change of pace. You move from bars and political gossip to a public building with a darker past. The setting also reminds you that haunted places are not limited to old taverns.

Do not expect a theatrical reenactment or a staged scare. The guide tells the story while you stand or walk near the site. If you are sensitive to violent subjects, this is the section to keep in mind.

The National Theatre stop also shows why the tour is more than a pub crawl. Four bars are part of the route, but the eight total locations give the evening a broader shape. The non-pub stops help connect Washington’s drinking culture with its theaters, hotels, public figures, and urban legends.

Rhodes Tavern and the Demon Cat

The route may also include the site of Rhodes Tavern, an older Washington location that no longer functions as the tavern it once was. That kind of stop is useful because it asks you to picture a vanished building rather than simply walk into a preserved one.

You will also hear about DC’s Demon Cat, one of the city’s stranger legends. A pawprint connected with the tale has become part of the local ghost-story tradition. The story is playful, and it helps keep the evening from becoming too grim.

These stops reward curiosity more than belief. You do not need to accept every haunting as fact. The better question is why the story survived, who told it, and what it reveals about the city.

The tour may also bring you to a rooftop bar near the White House, an unexpected addition that can give the evening a change of scenery. Since the exact bar lineup may vary, do not book this expecting a fixed set of venues with guaranteed rooftop access. Treat it as a possible extra rather than a promise.

What the two hours feel like

Two hours is a good length for this format. You get enough time for several stories and pub stops without committing to an entire night of drinking.

The walking is central to the experience. You move between locations in downtown Washington, so comfortable shoes are essential. The route is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, and the rain-or-shine policy means you should check the forecast before leaving your hotel.

The pace should feel social rather than strenuous, but the details do not specify the total walking distance or the size of every group. If you need frequent seating or have difficulty walking between stops, this is not the right choice.

The tour also prohibits smoking and video recording. Bring identification, and remember that the guide may encourage photographs for ghost-hunting fun, but you should not plan to film the stories or record the entire walk.

Who will enjoy this most

I would recommend this tour to adults who want an easygoing night that combines local history with drinks. It works particularly well for:

• First-time visitors who want stories beyond the usual monuments
• Couples looking for an unusual evening activity
• Small groups celebrating a birthday or hen party
• People who enjoy ghost lore but do not need a guaranteed supernatural encounter
• Solo visitors who like meeting a group through a shared activity
• History fans who prefer bars and streets to formal galleries

It is less suitable if you want a serious architectural tour, a quiet meal, or a fully planned tasting experience. It is also a poor fit if you expect included cocktails, reserved seating, or paranormal proof.

Solo participants can still have a good time. One evening had only one person on the tour, yet the guide continued with the planned stories and pub visits. That suggests the format can work for a single booker, though the social feel will naturally depend on the group size that night.

Is $30 good value?

At $30, the admission covers the guide, the walking tour, visits to eight historic and supposedly haunted locations, and drinking games. For downtown Washington, that is a reasonable fee for two hours of live entertainment.

The value depends on how you use the evening. If you only want a cheap way to get from one bar to another, the price may feel unnecessary. You can order your own drinks without joining a tour.

If you want a guide to connect the bars with presidential lore, prohibition, theater crime, political scandals, Rhodes Tavern, and DC’s Demon Cat, the fee makes more sense. You are paying for the stories and the structure, not for alcohol.

Budget for at least your chosen drinks on top of the $30. Food is optional and also extra. Cocktails can quickly make the night cost more than expected, while mocktails give non-drinkers a way to join the group without alcohol.

My call: book it for stories, not proof

Book this tour if you want a relaxed, social evening built around Washington history, old pubs, and spooky tales. The strongest part is the guides’ storytelling, with Anton, Dena, EJ, Mary, Tristan, and John all bringing their own energy to the route.

Skip it if you need guaranteed seats, included drinks, a fully private group, or a serious investigation of the paranormal. The bars are public businesses, and one may be noisy or crowded.

For most adults who enjoy a little history with their cocktails, the $30 price is fair. Go with comfortable shoes, keep your drink budget separate, and treat the ghosts as a bonus rather than the main event.

FAQ

How much does the Ghosts Boos and Booze tour cost?

The tour costs $30 per person. Food and drinks are not included.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two hours.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet your guide at Old Ebbitt Grill, 675 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001.

How will I recognize the guide?

Your guide will wear a black US Ghost Adventures T-shirt and carry a lantern.

How many haunted places does the tour visit?

The tour visits eight historic, haunted sites, including four pubs.

Are drinks included in the price?

No. Cocktails, mocktails, food, and other drinks are purchased separately.

Is the tour available in English?

Yes. The tour has a live English-speaking guide.

Can people under 21 join?

No. The tour is not suitable for people under 21.

Does the tour run in bad weather?

Yes. It runs rain or shine, so bring weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.