Denver Haunted Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour – Lower Downtown

Denver’s spooky side comes with a drink in hand on this small-group walking tour of LoDo. Over about two and a half hours, you’ll move through Larimer Square, old red-light district streets, the Oxford Hotel, several historic bars, and Union Station while a costumed guide tells tales of ghosts, brothels, tunnels, and Denver’s rough early years.

I like the mix of history and nightlife, and I like that the group is capped at 10 people. Guides such as Josh, Brynn, Tammy, and Rachel have earned strong praise for lively storytelling and clear local knowledge. The catch is simple: drinks are not included, and the ghost material may feel lighter than what you’d find in an older city with a longer record of supernatural lore.

Key points to know before you go

• The tour visits real historic bars: You’ll see the Oxford Hotel’s Cruise Room, Celtic on Market, and Nola Jane rather than simply hearing about them from the sidewalk.
• The group limit is 10 people: That makes it easier to hear the guide and ask questions.
• You buy your own drinks: Budget extra for beer, cocktails, or other purchases at the stops.
• The stories cover more than ghosts: Expect old Denver scandals, former brothels, red-light district tales, architecture, and a look at the city’s underground past.
• The route ends near Union Station: The finish is a couple of blocks from the starting point, and the guide can walk you back if you ask.
• You must be 21 or older: Bring a valid photo ID. Vertical IDs may not be accepted at every bar.

Why LoDo works so well for a haunted night

Denver’s Lower Downtown, commonly called LoDo, gives this tour a useful advantage: the bars and stories are close together. You are not spending the evening on a bus or waiting for long transfers between scattered sights. Instead, the city becomes the setting, with old brick buildings, busy streets, hotel lobbies, and dark corners doing part of the work.

The subject is not limited to ghost sightings. You’ll also hear about the city’s early vice district, its brothels, its bars, and the people who shaped Denver before the polished downtown of today. That history gives the ghost stories a human edge. The most effective tales are tied to a real room, basement, hotel, or street rather than presented as free-floating campfire fiction.

I would choose this experience for a date night, a small group of friends, or a solo evening when you want an organized way to meet people and see downtown after dark. It is also a good fit if you enjoy history but do not want a formal museum lecture. The drinking is part of the mood, but you do not have to treat the tour as a bar crawl.

Starting at 1400 Market Street

The tour begins at 7:30 p.m. at 1400 Market Street. Since the route uses city sidewalks and includes several indoor stops, arrive ready to walk and keep your identification easy to reach. You will need to be at least 21, and a valid photo ID is required.

The group limit of 10 matters here. A costumed guide can speak to a small circle more naturally than to a crowd of 25 or 30. You can ask about a building, pause for a question, or hear a story delivered in a basement without being pushed to the back.

The route requires a moderate level of fitness. Comfortable shoes are a smart choice, since the evening includes about two and a half hours on foot. Denver weather can shift quickly, and the experience may be canceled in poor conditions, so check the forecast before setting out.

Larimer Square and Denver’s rougher past

Larimer Square gets the first substantial story stop, with about 30 minutes devoted to its buildings and spooky tales. It is an effective opening because the square combines attractive historic architecture with Denver’s less polished past.

From here, the guide brings in the former red-light district. This is one of the more distinctive parts of the experience. You are not just hearing about famous landmarks. You are looking at the streets where Denver’s nightlife, vice, and commerce once overlapped.

The stories can be raunchy and scandalous, so this is not a children’s ghost walk. The tone is generally social and entertaining, but the material deals with brothels, crime, and the more liberated side of early city life. If you prefer strictly polished civic history, this may not be your ideal night. If you like the parts of local history left out of school lessons, the subject matter should hold your attention.

The route also passes near Daniels and Fisher Tower. You may not spend a long period there, but its presence adds another historic landmark to the walk and helps connect the stories to Denver’s older skyline.

The Oxford Hotel and the Cruise Room

The Oxford Hotel is one of the evening’s strongest settings. The route takes you inside the lobby and to the Cruise Room, a famous Art Deco bar with its own history and ghost stories. The stop lasts about 15 minutes, so expect a focused visit rather than a long drinking session.

This is where the tour’s format makes sense. A story told outside a building can be interesting, but hearing about reported activity while standing inside an old hotel gives the material more texture. You get to see the lobby and the bar rather than simply passing the address.

The Cruise Room is also a useful stop for people who appreciate design and atmosphere. The bar itself is part of the attraction, even if you are more interested in architecture than ghosts. You can purchase a drink, but it is not part of the ticket price.

Keep your expectations in check. The tour does not promise a paranormal investigation or guaranteed supernatural activity. You are getting stories, setting, and a guided look at old Denver. That is more enjoyable if you treat the ghost material as local folklore and entertainment rather than proof of the unknown.

Celtic on Market and the basement stories

Celtic on Market receives about 30 minutes, and this is often one of the most memorable stops because the guide takes the group into the basement. A basement is a natural place for ghost stories, but the value here is not only the spooky mood. You are seeing a less public part of a historic drinking establishment while learning about its past.

The bar offers a chance to buy a beer or cocktail and settle in for a longer story segment. Several guides have received praise for making the early days of Denver easy to picture, and this stop appears to be where that strength comes through most clearly.

Josh has been singled out for his humor, pacing, and ability to answer questions. Brynn, also spelled Brin in some accounts, has been praised for animated storytelling and for bringing old Denver’s more scandalous episodes to life. Your guide will vary, but the experience depends heavily on that person’s delivery. A strong storyteller can make a familiar bar feel mysterious. A less engaging presentation could make 30 minutes feel long.

You should also know that the tour pauses at bars, so timing may not be perfectly rigid. If someone buys a drink, the group may spend a few minutes ordering and settling in. That is part of the evening’s social character, but it means you should not expect the pace of a tightly scheduled sightseeing tour.

Nola Jane and two floors of history

Nola Jane is another major stop, with roughly 30 minutes to explore both levels of the historic building. The guide shares stories about ghostly activity while you have time to buy a drink.

This stop gives the evening a different rhythm. Instead of hearing one story and immediately walking on, you have time to look around, listen, and decide if you want something from the bar. The two-level layout also helps the guide talk about how a building’s use and atmosphere can change from floor to floor.

For many people, this will be the point where the tour feels most like a night out. You are not merely being led from one haunted address to another. You are visiting functioning bars in central Denver. That is a strength if you enjoy social tours and want a drink along the way.

It is also the main reason to budget beyond the $37.59 ticket price. Your admission covers the costumed guide, the walking route, the bar visits, and the ghost stories. Alcohol is available for purchase, but no drink is included. One person specifically suggested that at least a first drink would improve the value, and that is a fair point. The tour is reasonably priced for a small group and a 2.5-hour guided evening, but your total cost rises quickly if you buy something at every stop.

Union Station closes the route

The final story stop is Denver Union Station, with about 15 minutes devoted to ghost tales. The station is a practical ending point because it is easy to recognize and close to transit, restaurants, and other downtown options.

The guide points out supernatural stories connected with the station and its surroundings. One useful detail is that the tour can make you notice eerie possibilities in places you might otherwise cross without a thought. The station is a public, active place, so the mood here is less secluded than it is in a basement or hotel bar. That contrast is part of the fun.

The official end point is 1701 Wynkoop Street, a couple of blocks from where you began. If you prefer not to walk back alone, you can ask the guide to accompany the group toward the starting point. Since the tour ends around 10 p.m., you can continue with dinner, another drink, or a straightforward trip back through the downtown area.

How much value do you get for $37.59?

At $37.59 per person, this is not the cheapest way to spend an evening in downtown Denver. You can visit a bar on your own for less. But the price includes a costumed guide, a planned route, local stories, access to several historic bar settings, and the convenience of moving through LoDo with someone who knows how the locations fit together.

The small group improves the value. With no more than 10 people, you are paying for a more personal experience rather than being one face in a large crowd. You also avoid the work of researching old hotels, red-light district sites, and local ghost lore yourself.

The value drops if you expect a drink to be included. It also drops if you want a serious paranormal investigation, a large number of historic landmarks, or detailed architectural commentary at every stop. The route gives more attention to a handful of bars and their stories than to a broad survey of all Denver history.

For me, the fair comparison is a guided evening activity, not a basic bar visit. If you plan to buy two or three drinks anyway, add those costs before deciding. If you are happy to order only one drink or none, the ticket price remains easier to justify.

What the strongest guides add

This tour relies on personality. The best accounts describe guides who are funny, animated, well-informed, and able to bring early Denver to life without making the group feel like a classroom.

Josh has been praised for his storytelling, humor, pacing, and ability to keep people engaged. Tammy has been described as fun and well-informed, while Rachel has received praise for making Denver’s early days vivid. Brynn has been especially effective for visitors interested in the city’s racy past and ghost tales.

You may not get one of those exact guides, so I would not book solely on a name. Still, the repeated praise for the guiding style tells you what the experience aims to be: conversational, theatrical, and social. Ask questions as you walk. The small group makes that easier, and the guides appear to welcome it.

Practical points that can shape your night

Bring a valid photo ID, not just a picture of one. Vertical IDs may not be accepted at every bar, so an alternate form of identification is advisable if you have one.

Wear shoes you can comfortably walk in for two and a half hours. The route is urban and includes several stops, but you should still expect regular time on your feet.

You can use public transportation near the route, and the finish near Union Station makes the end of the evening convenient. Service animals are allowed.

The tour is offered in English. Confirmation arrives at booking, and you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted, and the tour may be rescheduled or refunded if poor weather or low enrollment causes a cancellation.

Who should book this LoDo ghost walk?

I would book it if you like local history served with humor, enjoy historic bars, and want a social evening that is more unusual than a standard pub visit. It suits couples looking for a different date night, friends who want stories with their drinks, and solo visitors who would like a ready-made group.

It is also a good choice for people who have already seen Denver’s main daytime sights. The tour shows you a more scandalous side of the city, including the former red-light district and the places where early Denver’s nightlife played out.

I would hesitate if your main goal is serious ghost hunting. The emphasis is on storytelling, atmosphere, and history, with the bar stops playing a major role. I would also hesitate if you dislike walking, cannot carry valid identification, or want all drinks included in the ticket.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a lively night walk through LoDo, not a formal history seminar or a high-intensity paranormal investigation. The combination of a 10-person limit, historic bars, basement stories, and Union Station makes it a pleasant way to see downtown from a different angle.

At $37.59, it is a fair buy if you value the guide and the access to places you might not explore on your own. Just budget separately for drinks, wear comfortable shoes, and expect the ghosts to share the stage with Denver’s brothels, bars, architecture, and colorful early history.

FAQ

How long is the Denver Haunted Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour?

The tour lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at 1400 Market Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, at 7:30 p.m.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends at 1701 Wynkoop Street near Denver Union Station, a couple of blocks from the starting point. The guide can walk you back toward the start if you request it.

Are drinks included in the ticket price?

No. Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase at the bar stops, but you pay for them separately.

How old do you have to be to join?

You must be at least 21 years old and bring a valid photo ID. Vertical IDs may not be accepted at every bar.

What happens if the tour is canceled because of weather?

If poor weather causes a cancellation, you can choose a different date or receive a full refund. The same options apply if the minimum number of participants is not met.