Haunted Pub Crawl

Ghost stories taste better with a local drink. Sitka’s Haunted Pub Crawl mixes Alaska history with three atmospheric bars, old crime tales, and a walk through streets linked to the town’s past. I like the small private format, and I like that the first drink at the Moose Lodge is included. The main drawback is that you need to walk about a half-mile and manage 10 stairs, so this is not a great fit if your stamina or mobility is limited.

You must be at least 21, show valid identification, sign a waiver, and arrive sober. The ghosts may not appear on schedule, but the stories, photographs, old buildings, and conversations with locals give the afternoon real character.

Key points at a glance

• Three historic drinking stops: Visit the Moose Lodge, Pioneer Bar, and Ernie’s Old Time Saloon, with one drink included at the private club.
• A private group experience: Only your own party takes part, making it easier to ask questions and hear the guide.
• Sitka stories beyond the bars: The route includes a Russian Cemetery area, back alleys, Seward Street, and buildings tied to old scandals.
• A late-1800s murder site: Ernie’s Old Time Saloon is connected to an infamous killing and several local ghost stories.
• A walking tour with practical limits: Plan on about a half-mile of casual walking, plus stairs, over roughly two hours.
• Strong marks for the guides: Emily and Dr. Emily Davis are praised for friendly, professional, and well-informed hosting.

Why Sitka’s haunted pub crawl works

Sitka is a good setting for a ghost tour because its past is close at hand. Old bars, cemetery paths, military stories, fishing culture, and narrow side streets all sit within a compact part of town. This outing uses those places as more than backdrops. You hear stories where the events are said to have happened.

At $75 per person, this is not simply a bar tab. The price covers a private two-hour walk, a guide, admission to the Moose Lodge, and the first alcoholic drink there. You also get several stops where the guide connects local characters and old crimes to the buildings around you.

That value will depend on your interests. If you want three drinks and a long evening in bars, you may find the price less appealing. If you want a guided look at Sitka’s past, with drinks folded into the story, it is easier to justify.

The tour begins at 1:00 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall, at 330 Harbor Drive. You sign in there, show identification, and hear the opening haunted tale. The meeting point is also where the walk ends, which keeps the logistics simple.

Harrigan Centennial Hall sets the mood

The opening at Harrigan Centennial Hall lasts about 15 minutes. This is more than a roll call. It gives your guide a chance to explain the tone of the outing and start the first story before you head into town.

Identification is checked here, and you need to be at least 21. Bring a valid ID even if you look well over the age limit. You also need to sign a waiver and must not have consumed alcohol before the tour starts.

That last rule matters. The outing is built around drinking at designated stops, but the experience begins as a walking history tour. Arrive ready to listen and walk, not already halfway through a pub visit.

The Moose Lodge and Sitka’s secret gambling past

The Moose Lodge is the first main stop and lasts about 30 minutes. You enter a private club that once served as a secret gambling hall during Alaska’s early territorial days.

This is where the tour’s history takes a darker turn. The guide tells stories about soldiers who passed through the club and the fate that awaited some of them. The setting helps the tales because you are hearing about a real place with a past tied to risk, money, and rough company.

Your first drink is included in the admission price. That gives the stop extra value, especially if the local drink specialty is part of the presentation. One review specifically praised the mix of town history and local drinks, with a playful reference to Moose Farts for Everyone, so expect the beverage choices or names to have some local personality.

The private-club setting may be one of the strongest parts of the experience. You are not simply standing outside while a guide points at a building. You get inside, hear the story in the place itself, and have time to enjoy the included drink.

Pioneer Bar brings in Sitka’s fishing life

The route then moves toward Pioneer Bar, an established fisherman’s bar. The walk takes you beyond the Russian Cemetery area, adding cemetery stories and local atmosphere between the drinking stops.

Pioneer Bar is covered with hundreds of fishing photographs. Nearly every part of the wall space is filled, giving you plenty to look at while the guide talks about some of Sitka’s more colorful characters.

This stop lasts about 30 minutes, and admission is free. The appeal is less about a formal attraction and more about seeing a working local bar with its own visual record of fishing life. The photographs help you picture the people who shaped the town’s waterfront culture.

You should keep your expectations sensible. This is not a museum display with labels and a carefully arranged exhibit. It is a bar, and the photographs are part of its everyday character. For me, that is the point. The setting feels more local than a polished attraction, though some visitors may prefer a quieter or more structured stop.

The first review of the experience praised the local bars and the extra haunted information added during the walk. That is a useful way to think about Pioneer Bar. The value is not only the drink stop. It is the connection between place, people, and story.

Ernie’s Old Time Saloon and the murder story

Ernie’s Old Time Saloon is the final bar stop and another 30-minute visit. The saloon is linked to an infamous murder from the late 1800s, giving the guide a strong central story to build around.

You can enjoy a crafted cocktail while hearing about the spirits said to frequent the old saloon. The combination is direct and effective: an old drinking place, a real crime from the town’s past, and stories about strange activity afterward.

The wording matters here. This is a ghost-story tour, not a promise that you will see a ghost. One person enjoyed the stories but did not have a supernatural sighting. That is the fair expectation to carry in: you are paying for storytelling and atmosphere, not guaranteed proof of the afterlife.

Ernie’s may be the most theatrical stop because it combines a named crime with cocktails and haunting claims. If you enjoy local scandals, old saloons, and stories that leave room for doubt, you will likely find this part memorable. If you want a serious history lecture with documented evidence for every ghost, the tone may feel too playful.

Seward Street adds the walking history

After the bar stops, your guide leads you through Sitka’s back alleys and along Seward Street. This final 15-minute section points out buildings with haunted connections and tells stories about people who lived and died more than a century ago.

The walk also gives you views around town. That matters because the tour is not confined to interiors. You get a sense of how the streets fit together and how old stories remain attached to ordinary buildings.

The route is manageable for someone with moderate physical fitness, but it is still a walking activity. You should be able to casually cover about a half-mile and handle 10 stairs. The tour provider specifically cautions people with mobility concerns to judge their stamina carefully.

Service animals are allowed, and the meeting point is near public transportation. The activity ends back at Harrigan Centennial Hall, so you do not need to arrange a separate ride from the last stop.

A private tour with a personal feel

Only your group participates in this activity. That is a major advantage if you want to ask questions or prefer not to spend two hours with a large crowd.

A private group also changes the pace. Your guide can spend more time on the stories that interest you, explain local references, and adjust the conversation to the group. The tradeoff is that the experience may feel less like a theatrical performance and more like a personal walk with a local host.

The guides receive some of the strongest praise in the available feedback. Emily is named in one response, while Dr. Emily Davis is named in another. Both comments emphasize a friendly, professional manner and strong command of the town’s history. Another account describes the guide as enthusiastic and good at explaining local drink specialties.

That combination is important. A haunted pub crawl can fall flat if the guide simply recites spooky claims. Here, the praise points to a better balance of history, humor, and personality.

What $75 buys you

The $75 price includes the guided experience, the private-club admission, and the first alcoholic drink at the Moose Lodge. The other bar stops list free admission, though the supplied details do not state that additional drinks are included.

Plan your budget with care. The first drink is covered, but do not assume all drinks at Pioneer Bar or Ernie’s Old Time Saloon are part of the price. If you want cocktails at later stops, ask the guide or venue about the cost.

The two-hour length works well for an afternoon in Sitka. It is long enough to visit several places without taking over the whole day. You can fit it around other plans, but the 1:00 p.m. start is fixed in the supplied details.

The best value comes if you appreciate both parts of the outing: the places and the stories. You get a glimpse of a private club, a fisherman’s bar filled with photographs, and an old saloon tied to a murder tale. A standard bar crawl may offer more drinking time, while a standard walking tour may offer more historical detail. This experience sits between the two.

Who should book it

I would recommend this for adults who enjoy local history with a spooky edge. It suits couples, friends, and private groups who want to see Sitka through its bars rather than only through major daytime sights.

It is also a good choice if you like meeting local characters and seeing how people use historic spaces today. One account especially valued talking with locals and getting a glimpse of life in Alaska. That social side may be as rewarding as the ghost stories.

You should think twice if you dislike alcohol, cannot walk comfortably, or want guaranteed supernatural activity. The tour is built around pubs, drinks, stairs, and storytelling. It is not designed as a seated lecture or a serious paranormal investigation.

Book at least a little ahead if your schedule is fixed. This experience averages 107 days of advance booking, which suggests that popular dates can fill well before your visit. You receive confirmation when booking, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the 1:00 p.m. start time. Cancellations or changes made inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Final call on the Haunted Pub Crawl

Book this tour if you want Sitka history served with local drinks and ghost stories. The private format, the included first drink, the old gambling-hall setting, the fishing photographs, and the murder story at Ernie’s give the afternoon plenty of variety.

Skip it if you want a purely factual history walk, a full evening of drinking, or a guaranteed ghost sighting. For the right audience, this is a personable way to hear about Sitka’s rougher characters and older buildings while seeing real local bars along the way.

FAQ

Where does the Haunted Pub Crawl begin?

It begins at Harrigan Centennial Hall, at 330 Harbor Drive in Sitka, Alaska.

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 1:00 p.m.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours.

Where does the tour finish?

It ends back at Harrigan Centennial Hall, the same place where it begins.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $75 per person.

Is a drink included?

The first alcoholic drink at the Moose Lodge is included in the admission price.

How old must you be to join?

You must be at least 21 years old and have a valid ID.

Do I need to arrive sober?

Yes. You must not have consumed alcohol before the tour begins, and you must sign a waiver.

How much walking is involved?

You should be able to walk about a half-mile casually and go up or down 10 stairs. A moderate level of physical fitness is advised.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the tour are not accepted for a refund.