From Celtic's Basement to Union Station, Denver's Ghosts Over Drinks
A costumed guide walks you through Lower Downtown's old bars, from a pub basement to the Oxford Hotel and Union Station.
Nightly Spirits runs this walk in its hometown. Its Denver page says the city has been the company's headquarters since 2014, and it calls this Lower Downtown route its flagship. A guide dressed for the Old West leads the group between historic bars, tells the ghost stories and city history tied to each one, and leaves time to order a drink at the stops.
This listing sells it on Friday and Saturday nights only, with a single 7:30 PM start. Plan on two to two and a half hours. The listing says 2.5, and the operator's FAQ puts its pub crawls at 2 to 2.5.
One booking covers up to six travelers, and every one of them has to be 21 or older. The price pays for the guide and the stories. Drinks and the guide's tip are paid for separately.
Denver Haunted Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour - Lower DowntownAbout 2.5 hours on foot through Lower Downtown with a costumed guide. Valid photo ID required at the bars; drinks are not included.www.viator.comIt Starts in a Pub Basement
The meeting point is also the first stop. The listing says the group begins by exploring Celtic on Market and its history, and that guests are taken down to the basement for stories. One traveler wrote, "Downstairs at the Celtic is very Creepy." Celtic is a two-floor Irish pub, and its own site traces it back to an original home on Blake Street.
Between there and the finish, the listing names a handful of places. Larimer Square gets about half an hour of spooky stories. At the Oxford Hotel, guests see the lobby and the Cruise Room bar and hear about its ghosts. Nola Jane, a bar on Market Street, is where the listing says you explore both levels and have time to order.
Larimer Square was the first historic district designated by Denver's Landmark Preservation Commission, in 1971. The Oxford opened in 1891, and the Colorado Encyclopedia calls it the city's oldest surviving hotel. The hotel's own history says its Art Deco Cruise Room came with a 1930s remodel, and that Denverites enjoyed the repeal of Prohibition there. Its website also names Room 320 as the center of one of its most infamous ghost stories.
The Night Ends Near Union Station
The listing tells ghost stories at Union Station and ends the tour a couple of blocks from the start, near the station. One traveler wrote in 2021 that the 2.5-hour experience "concludes inside the Union Station." If your car or hotel is back by Celtic, the listing says the guide can walk guests back to the starting point on request.
Along the way the group passes near the Daniels and Fisher Tower, and the listing describes part of Lower Downtown as a historic former red-light district, taken in for its sites and architecture. Travelers bring that stretch up often. One asked, "Who knew there were so many brothels in Denver?"
History Colorado says Market Street, once named Holladay Street, was where Denver's vice district, known as The Row, ran most openly. It also notes that the Daniels and Fisher Tower, finished in 1911, ranked third among the nation's tallest buildings when it went up. Union Station's own history page dates its granite Beaux-Arts hall to 1914 and the building's reopening as a shopping and dining destination to 2014, a century later.
Everyone Needs ID, Even Non-Drinkers
Every guest has to be 21 or older with a valid photo ID, and the operator's FAQ says that applies to guests who will not drink, because the bars are 21+. The same FAQ says many bars check at the door and may refuse entry without ID, and that bartenders decide whether to serve you. The listing adds that vertical IDs may not be accepted in every bar, so bring a second form of identification.
Drinks are not part of the ticket. You buy them at each stop, and the operator says nobody has to drink to enjoy the night. The guide's tip is not included either.
About a Mile, With Two Changes of Floor
The operator's FAQ puts its pub crawls at roughly a mile at an easy pace with four stops, and the listing asks for at least a moderate level of fitness. Travelers describe a night spent mostly indoors. One wrote, "Not too much walking between bars either!" Another said the group "stayed inside the pubs more than expected," which suited a very cold night.
Two stops change floors: the listing takes guests down to Celtic's basement and through both levels of Nola Jane. Neither the listing nor the operator's FAQ and pub-crawl page say anything about step-free access, so anyone who needs it should ask the operator before booking. The walk runs rain or shine, and the operator says it will contact you if it has to cancel for weather.
📍 Celtic on Market, 1400 Market St, Denver. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before 7:30 PM to check in, because the guide holds the group for only five minutes. The guide, dressed as a Saloon Madam or a Western Sheriff, waits at a table inside near the front entrance. If you run late, the listing says the group waits by the upstairs bar for up to five minutes, then goes downstairs for about 20 minutes, and staff can point you there. After that, call the operator, who will try to catch you up.
The listing refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start, and nothing after that. It also lets the operator cancel for bad weather or too few travelers. Bring the ID, wear shoes for a mile of downtown sidewalk, and save some nerve for Union Station.