One of the great things about living in an older city is that there's so much rich history. And, if you're a sucker for fun ghost tours (and beer!) like I am, then the Raleigh Pub Crawl and Haunted Adventure Tour is for you. It certainly was for me!
I've made no secret of the fact that I love Raleigh, but I've lived here for what feels like forever now and don't really know anything about any of the buildings in the city, or any of the haunted legends they say exist here. So, this past Saturday night, my fiance and I headed out to downtown. I was excited! I was also pretty excited that we got to stop at bars along the way. Hey, cut me a break--it was Saturday night and it was a little chilly! You've gotta warm up at some point, right?
The Crawl started at The Mecca, this awesome little restaurant on Martin street that's been owned by one family since the Great Depression. After a drink or two there, we set off with our tour guide, Michael.
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| I made Michael pose with me. He looked imposing for posterity, I guess. He's actually very nice. |
The tour stops in front of the Wake County Courthouse, so that you can hear about the building that used to be across the street. You know: the one where ABC11 is now. It used to be a hotel. A haunted hotel. Oooh, scary, right? Michael tells you the stories there, and then you trek to your first bar, Isaac Hunter's Tavern on Fayetteville Street. You stop, hang out, have some drinks, have a good time. Then, it's off to the Capitol building to hear more scary stuff! They also took a group photo. Some people dressed up. You know, because it was the last weekend before Halloween:
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| I'm sure Tobacco Road Tours doesn't mind me stealing this from their Facebook Page. |
Michael was great, recounting the stories of ghosts appearing in windows, telling you stuff you had no idea that was even a part of our city. For example, did you know that the Capitol building was the last building built before the mechanization era? Meaning, that thing was put together by hand. Piece by piece. What a pain the neck that must have been, but I digress.
From there, you head to a house on New Bern Place. Again, scary stories of peg-leg ghosts coming up the servant's steps. I also learned that that house is one of the oldest in Raleigh. See? I've lived here forever now and I had no idea. I felt like I was getting an education as well as having a night out. Plus, the tour apparently stops at my regular bar: Landmark.
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| Yep, that's the back of my head as I patiently wait for Michael to tell me about faces appearing in lights at the bar I regularly patronize. Now, I really need a beer, because that is scary, man! |
The Haunted Pub Crawl isn't just a Halloween thing: Tobacco Road Tours runs them year round. It's only $20 and you get to learn all about your city--Durham has one, too. Did you know Moore Square in Raleigh used to be the site for public executions? Fun stuff--and I learned that fact on a pub crawl!
I highly recommend taking one of these silly, fun tours. Whether you hit the pub crawl, or just the regular Haunted Adventure, it's fun getting out and getting to know your city. Check Tobacco Road Tours out here; they don't just do haunted stuff, but other cool tours including a Tobacco Empire tour in Durham. For the money, it's a great night out: educational, but really fun. Plus, if you're us, you get to end up at your regular bar, too.
Alli
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