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Offered languages
- English
Ale & Apparitions connects Williamsburg’s haunted history to the places where the city still gathers after dark. Beginning in Merchants Square and moving into the William & Mary nightlife district, this pub crawl blends local bars with stories of theater folklore, institutional confinement, wartime occupation, destructive fires, disturbed burials, and campus legends. It is not just a historic ghost tour with a drink stop added in — it follows the line between old Williamsburg and modern college-town nightlife, showing how the city’s past still lingers around the places people meet, drink, talk, and trade stories today.
This experience blends ghost stories, colonial history, tavern culture, and a fun night out for adults. Guests will hear about the people who filled Williamsburg’s evenings, the legends that grew around its taverns, and why some believe echoes of those nights still linger.
Guests must be age 21+ and bring valid government-issued photo ID.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet at the Williamsburg Farmers Market sign directly across Duke of Gloucester Street from the Kimball Theatre. Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time and look for your Ghost City Tours Ambassador near the meeting location.
The tour will conclude in this area.
Itinerary
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1Kimball Theatre
Begin near the Kimball Theatre, a Williamsburg landmark connected to twentieth-century entertainment, Merchants Square, and one of the area’s best-known ghost stories. Guests will hear about the theater’s backstage folklore, including reports of a mysterious man in blue seen moving through hidden areas before disappearing. This stop sets the tone for a haunted pub crawl where old stories still linger around the places Williamsburg gathers after dark.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Public Hospital Museum
At the Public Hospital Site, guests will hear the history of the first public institution in British North America created specifically for the care of people experiencing mental illness. This stop explores the complicated legacy of confinement, early medical treatment, isolation, and reported hauntings tied to a place where patients were often misunderstood. Stories are shared from outside; this tour does not enter the historic site.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Wren Building
The Wren Building and nearby College Corner bring the tour into William & Mary’s haunted campus history. Guests will hear stories tied to one of the oldest college buildings in the country, including destructive fires, wartime use, disturbed burials beneath the chapel, unexplained footsteps, and reports of figures seen in or near the building after dark. This stop adds campus legends and historic atmosphere before the crawl continues into Williamsburg’s college-town nightlife.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
The President’s House adds another layer of William & Mary history to the tour, connecting the route to war, occupation, fire, and displacement. Guests will hear how the house served as a private residence, British headquarters during the Revolutionary War, a hospital for wounded French officers, and later a Union headquarters during the Civil War. Stories are shared from the approved public gathering area near Richmond Road and North Boundary Street; this tour does not enter the house or university property.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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