Flagstaff Underground: Wild West Stories, Plus a Basement or Two
A guide walks downtown Flagstaff's saloon, jail and hotel stories, with a basement stop or two along the way.
Flagstaff Underground is a walking tour of downtown Flagstaff's Wild West and Route 66 past, run by a local company of the same name. The name suggests tunnels. The operator's own tour page says that here, "underground" means the stories that rarely get told.
Reviewers who bring up the below-ground part describe the same thing: most of the walk is on downtown sidewalks, with a basement or two along the route.
Tickets are USD 35 per person, and the tour is for ages 16 and up. One booking takes up to 10 people, a shared group tops out at 20, and confirmation is instant. Booking closes an hour before the start.
The tour holds 4.8 from 74 reviews.
Flagstaff UndergroundA guided walk through downtown Flagstaff's Wild West and Route 66 history, with a basement stop along the way.www.viator.comWhat Sits Below Street Level
Guests' accounts of the underground part line up closely. A July 2025 review describes 20 minutes in the basement of the coffee shop where the group met, then 75 minutes through downtown, then a short visit to the basement of an old morgue. A June 2025 review describes a basement that was once part of a system of steam tunnels under Flagstaff. An August 2026 review says the tunnels themselves appear to have been closed off.
One reviewer warns of broken glass underground, another of stairs and rough areas, and several suggest closed-toe shoes. The operator asks for closed-toe shoes as well, and says the route goes up and down stairs.
Saloons, a Jail and Two Old Hotels
The listing's route starts at the Senate Saloon, one of early Flagstaff's rough saloons, then moves on to an underground bowling alley, the town's old jail, its haunted hotels and the old downtown hospital. The Senate Saloon was Sandy Donahue's, in the brick building he put up in 1888 at 22 E Route 66, where Firecreek Coffee is today. The listing does not name the hotels. Downtown has two from that era a block apart: the Weatherford, which opened on New Year's Day 1900, and the Hotel Monte Vista, built in 1927. The operator's photos of this tour show a guide talking at the intersection across from the Monte Vista.
One guest describes walking into an upscale clothing store and finding the remnants of the first jail. Another lists speakeasies, brothels, saloons and morgues among the stories, and a third wished for less paranormal material and more straight history.
Who Leads the Walk
Recent reviews name two guides. Scott, whom one guest identifies as the owner, comes up most often, usually as Great Scott, and another guest learned he is a school teacher. Jessie leads other departures.
The guiding is in English. A 2025 review notes Scott wears a headset that carries his voice to the whole group, and reviewers report groups of 9 and of about 12.
Before You Book
- Runs: 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday on this booking page; every Saturday and Sunday shows as sold out through September 2027
- Length: about 90 minutes per the operator (75 on the booking page)
- Ages: 16 and up, everyone at USD 35
- Group: up to 10 per booking, up to 20 on a shared tour
- Included: all fees and taxes, and an English-speaking guide
- Not included: food, drinks and transportation
- The booking page marks it not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health or pregnant travelers, and asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness; the operator's site mentions only the stairs
- Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund
📍 The operator's tour page puts the meeting point inside Yogært, 3 E Aspen Ave, under the pink soft-serve sign on the Aspen Avenue sidewalk. The booking page still gives Firecreek Coffee at 22 E Route 66, one block south. Go to Yogært first, the address the operator lists today.
- Arrive: 10 minutes before the 4:30 PM start
- Getting there: no pickup; the booking page notes public transportation nearby
- Wear: closed-toe shoes, and dress for the weather