Ghosts and Spirits of St Augustine Pub Crawl Tour

St. Augustine’s ghosts come with a moving seat. This $39 tour pairs an open-cabin electric cart with spooky stories, historic sites, and a first beer at Ancient City Brewing. I like the small maximum of 10 people, and I like that a certified guide does the driving, letting you cover far more of town than a walking ghost tour. The main tradeoff is simple: you must climb on and off the cart, and the experience is built around atmosphere and storytelling rather than documented proof of the supernatural.

I also like the mix of history and nightlife. You hear about fires, military hospitals, cemeteries, yellow fever, and ghost ships, then pause at a pub for a drink. Guide Chance receives especially warm praise for his humor, energy, and ability to keep a group involved. The limited public feedback gives the tour a 3.7 rating from three posted ratings, so I would book it for a lively evening ride, not as a guarantee of paranormal activity.

Key points to know before booking

• The electric cart expands the route: You can reach Flagler College, the Bridge of Lions area, Castillo de San Marcos, the City Gates, and Tolomato Cemetery without walking the entire Old City.
• Your first beer is included: The tour begins with a draft at Ancient City Brewing near the Plaza de la Constitución.
• Chance is a major part of the appeal: His humor and ability to handle group banter receive the strongest praise in the available feedback.
• The group stays small: The maximum is 10 people, which should make it easier to hear the guide and ask questions.
• Several stops combine history with ghost lore: Former hotels, a burned church site, a military hospital, a fort, city gates, and a cemetery all play a role.
• Plan for a short evening outing: The tour begins at 7:30 p.m., lasts about 90 minutes, and returns to the starting point.

Why the cart changes the St. Augustine ghost tour

Many ghost tours in St. Augustine depend on walking through the historic center. That can be pleasant, but it limits how much ground you cover in one evening. This tour uses an open-cabin electric vehicle, so you can ride between several parts of town while listening to the guide.

That makes the experience a good choice if you want ghost stories but do not want a long walk. You still need to climb one step on and off the cart, so this is not entirely stationary. Still, it removes much of the distance between the main sites.

The open design matters. You should have a better sense of the streets and buildings around you than you would inside a closed vehicle. At the same time, traffic noise, weather, and the passing city can compete with the storytelling. Sit where you can hear the guide clearly, especially if your group fills all 10 places.

The tour begins at 38 Cathedral Place beside the Plaza de la Constitución at 7:30 p.m. It ends back at that same meeting point. Allow a little extra time to find the starting location, since the first part of the tour crosses the street to the brewery.

Ancient City Brewing and the Plaza de la Constitución

The evening starts with a short introduction at the Plaza. You then cross the street to Ancient City Brewing for your first draft, included in the $39 price.

This opening works well because it gives you time to settle in before the cart ride begins. You get a local beer, meet the guide, and hear the first part of the ghostly setup in a social setting rather than being rushed directly into a dark tale.

After the beer, you return to the Plaza and board the cart. The plaza itself then becomes part of the story, connecting the modern evening out with St. Augustine’s long Spanish and colonial past.

The stop lasts about 20 minutes, including the introduction and brewery visit. The tour includes alcoholic beverages and beer, but only the first beer is specifically identified as included. You should expect to pay for drinks after that unless the guide explains otherwise.

Flagler College and the grand hotel era

The cart next passes Flagler College, formerly the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Your guide shares stories connected with the occult side of Henry Flagler’s era, when the building served as a grand hotel.

This is one of the more atmospheric sections of the tour. Flagler College is visually impressive, and hearing darker stories about its former hotel life gives the building a different mood after sunset. You do not appear to receive a full interior visit, so think of this as an exterior drive-by with narration rather than a campus tour.

The route also passes the former Alcazar, the Murat House, and St. Francis Inn. These sites help broaden the story beyond a single famous building. You see how ghost lore is spread through several historic properties in the Old City.

The stop is listed at about 10 minutes. That short timing means the guide needs to keep the story moving. If you want detailed architectural information about Flagler College or the Alcazar, a daytime visit would be better. Here, the focus is on mood, unusual stories, and the connection between old buildings and reported hauntings.

The former Surprise Store and the burned church site

The cart then heads toward the former Surprise Store near the municipal marina and the Bridge of Lions. You enter the former store, which is described as the site of the first Catholic church in the United States before it burned in 1702.

That detail gives this stop real weight. The story is not just about a spooky building. It connects fire, religious history, burial grounds, and the physical layers beneath the modern city. The nearby Spanish Military Hospital adds another unsettling thread, since the block is associated with human remains and centuries of illness and death.

You can choose between two bars at this location. The stop offers another chance to buy a drink and hear more about what is described as one of the Old City’s most active paranormal sites.

The full stop lasts about 25 minutes, making it one of the longer pauses. That is useful because you have time to step inside, get a drink, and listen without the guide trying to tell everything from the moving cart.

This is also where the pub crawl part becomes most visible. If you want a traditional ghost walk with no bar stops, this tour may feel too social. If you like combining local drinks with eerie stories, the balance is a strong point.

Castillo de San Marcos and stories of disease

From the waterfront area, the cart proceeds north along Menendez Avenue to Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. The fort is the oldest masonry fort built in the United States, and its thick walls make a natural setting for stories about war, death, and unexplained activity.

The guide covers ghost ships and the yellow fever outbreak that killed one-third of the population in 1821. That historical context gives the supernatural stories a more serious foundation. You are not only hearing about mysterious sightings. You are also hearing about a place shaped by military conflict, disease, and loss.

The stop lasts about 10 minutes, so the fort visit is viewed from outside rather than treated as a full monument tour. The timing is enough for a focused explanation, but not enough for a detailed history lesson or interior exploration.

I would consider this stop a highlight for first-time visitors to St. Augustine because the fort is one of the city’s key sights. If you want to explore Castillo de San Marcos properly, plan a separate daytime visit. The evening tour gives you atmosphere and stories, not admission or an extended examination of the fort.

The City Gates and Tolomato Cemetery

The route continues toward the City Gates, which are known for orbs appearing in photographs. This is the point to have your camera ready, though the tour does not promise that you will capture anything unusual.

The gates are a quick but memorable part of the route because they mark an old entrance into the city. Their connection with reported orbs adds a simple activity for the group. You can take pictures, compare results, and let the guide explain the local stories.

The tour then reaches Tolomato Cemetery, described as the oldest planned cemetery in the United States. Cemeteries are familiar settings for ghost tours, but this one fits the broader themes of the evening: illness, burial, military life, religion, and the many people who shaped St. Augustine before modern development.

The cemetery portion is listed at about 20 minutes, followed by a visit to the White Lion Bar, described as one of the city’s most haunted bars. That gives the final part of the tour a clear rhythm: a quiet site with a serious mood, followed by a drink and more storytelling.

Because the exact timing between the City Gates and Tolomato Cemetery is not spelled out, you should view those locations as part of the final section of the route rather than separate long stops. The available schedule also labels some of these points unevenly, so the guide’s running order may vary.

What the guide adds to the experience

The guide can make or break a ghost tour. In this case, Chance receives the clearest praise. His strengths are humor, energy, and the ability to keep a group engaged even when people are joking around.

That matters on a pub crawl. A group having drinks can become lively, and a guide who cannot control the pace may lose the story. Chance is described as keeping up with group banter while still holding everyone’s attention.

You should expect a mix of historical explanation, ghost lore, and entertainment. The tour is not presented as a scholarly investigation, and there is no promise of equipment, experiments, or verified paranormal evidence. You are paying for access to several locations, a local guide, transport between sites, and a first beer.

The small group limit helps here. With no more than 10 people, you should have a better chance of hearing the stories and staying connected to the guide. Larger groups can call the operator, but the supplied information does not specify how larger bookings are handled.

Is $39 a fair price?

At $39 per person, the value depends on how you compare it with other St. Augustine evening activities. The price includes the guide, the electric cart, and the first beer. It also covers a route that would take more effort to complete on foot.

I consider that fair for someone who wants a compact introduction to several haunted locations. You get about 90 minutes of entertainment, a designated driver, and transportation around the historic center. The cart is particularly useful if you want to avoid a long walk or are trying to fit another evening activity into your schedule.

The value is weaker if you are mainly looking for a serious history tour, a long cemetery visit, or a paranormal investigation. The stops are short, and several locations are viewed from outside. Drinks at the later bars are not identified as included, so budget for those separately.

The first beer helps the price, but the real value comes from the route and the guide. A strong storyteller can turn a short stop at a familiar building into a memorable part of your evening. A less engaging guide would leave the tour feeling like a quick drive past landmarks.

Weather, access, and booking details

The tour requires good weather because you ride in an open-cabin electric vehicle. If poor weather causes a cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the 7:30 p.m. start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund. The tour also requires a minimum number of participants, and a cancellation for that reason brings the choice of another date or experience, or a full refund.

You must be able to climb one step on and off the cart. Service animals are allowed, and the activity is near public transportation. The information says most people can participate, but it does not provide detailed vehicle measurements or a full accessibility assessment. If you have mobility concerns, call St Augustine Land and Sea Tours before booking.

Confirmation is provided when you book, and the tour returns to the starting point. That makes it easy to arrange dinner, a hotel walk, or another activity nearby afterward, though you should allow a little flexibility since the duration is approximate.

Who should book this St. Augustine pub crawl?

I would choose this tour if you want a relaxed introduction to St. Augustine’s haunted side without spending the whole night on foot. It suits couples, small groups of friends, and first-time visitors who enjoy history but also want a drink and a few laughs.

It is also a good fit if you like guided storytelling more than formal museum interpretation. The route gives you a quick look at major sites, then adds the unusual details that are easy to miss during a daytime stroll.

I would hesitate if you dislike alcohol-centered activities, need a fully accessible vehicle, or want proof-based paranormal research. The tour is designed as an entertaining ghost story evening. Its success depends heavily on the guide’s delivery, the weather, and the mood of the group.

Should you book it?

Book it if you want to cover more ground than a walking ghost tour, enjoy local pubs, and prefer a guide with a sense of humor. Chance appears to be a strong reason to expect an engaging evening, and the small group size adds comfort.

Skip it if you want a long, quiet exploration of each historic site. For the best value, treat the tour as a lively introduction to St. Augustine after dark, then return to the fort, cemetery, or Flagler College area separately if one place catches your interest.

FAQ

Where does the Ghosts and Spirits of St Augustine Pub Crawl Tour begin?

It begins at 38 Cathedral Place in St. Augustine, Florida, at the Plaza de la Constitución.

What time does the tour start?

The scheduled start time is 7:30 p.m.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Where does the tour end?

It ends back at the original meeting point.

Is a beer included in the tour price?

Yes. Your first beer at Ancient City Brewing is included.

Are additional drinks included?

The tour includes alcoholic beverages and beer, but only the first beer is specifically identified as included. You should plan to pay for later drinks unless the operator says otherwise.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum is 10 participants. Larger groups should contact the operator directly.

Do you have to walk during the tour?

The tour uses an open-cabin electric vehicle to reduce walking, but you will cross the street at the Plaza and climb one step on and off the cart.

Is the tour accessible to service animals?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

You will be offered a different date or a full refund if poor weather causes the tour to be canceled.

Can you cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You must cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund.