St. Paul Secret Stories Bar Crawl – Hidden Tales & History

St. Paul’s quiet image hides a rowdier past. On this three-hour crawl, you follow stories of bootleggers, gangsters, corrupt officials, and secret deals into the city’s historic bars. The tales of John Dillinger and Machine Gun Kelly give the walk its hook, but the local political intrigue may be even more interesting.

I like the mix of walking and drinking, since the bars give the history a real setting instead of treating it like a lecture. I also like the guides’ flexibility. Dan tailored one tour to a guest’s interests, while Camille earned high praise for her command of St. Paul’s bar history.

The main drawback is the limited amount of hard logistics about the exact stops. The route can include places such as Waldmann Brewery, but your experience may vary, and only one drink is included. Bring extra money if you want to sample more than the included beverage.

Key points to know before you book

• John Dillinger and Chicago gangsters: Hear how notorious criminals used St. Paul as a place to hide from the law.
• Waldmann Brewery may be a highlight: This historic beer stop has been singled out as an especially enjoyable part of the experience.
• One drink is included: Additional cocktails, beers, and brewery pours cost extra.
• Meet outside Cossetta’s: Look for the guide in blue, and do not go inside the restaurant to find the group.
• Afternoon timing suits a first evening out: The crawl usually runs in the afternoon and lasts three hours.
• Adults only: Every participant must be at least 21 and should carry a passport or ID card.

St. Paul’s underworld begins outside Cossetta’s

Your meeting point is outside Cossetta’s restaurant in downtown St. Paul. Look for your guide wearing blue. This detail matters, since the instructions specifically say not to go inside the restaurant, and a busy food hall is not the place to wander around searching for a group.

The tour is conducted in English, with a live local guide. Camille, Dan, and Collin have led this experience, and each brings a slightly different strength. Camille is praised for her command of local bars and St. Paul history. Dan has a friendly manner and can shape the discussion around your interests. Collin is known for keeping the tone informed and fun.

You should arrive ready to walk between bars. Comfortable shoes are listed as essential, and that is sensible advice for a three-hour route through historic downtown districts. The experience is wheelchair accessible, although the individual layout of old bars can vary.

The crawl is for people 21 and older. Bring a passport or ID card, plus cash. Even if you plan to pay by card, cash is useful for incidental purchases or a small tip.

Why St. Paul makes a good crime-history setting

The appeal here is not simply a list of famous criminals. The tour presents St. Paul as a place where law enforcement, politics, local business, and organized crime could overlap.

The city had a reputation as a useful refuge for criminals from Chicago and elsewhere. That makes the stories about Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, and the Barker Gang more than random name-dropping. You get a sense of why people on the run might have found St. Paul useful, and how the city’s official systems could sometimes work alongside unofficial arrangements.

The stories also reach back to Pig’s Eye Parrant, the bootlegger often linked with St. Paul’s early identity. His name helps connect the city’s older origins with the later Prohibition-era tales. You are not just hearing about one notorious decade. You are following a long-running local habit of keeping certain deals quiet.

The tour also points to underground tunnel systems used by Chicago criminals to evade the law. These stories are a good reason to take the walk instead of booking a standard bar sampler. The buildings and streets become part of the evidence, or at least the setting, for the stories being told.

Keep your expectations in check, though. This is a storytelling tour in working bars, not a formal museum visit or an archaeological expedition underground. The supplied details do not promise access to every tunnel or a tour of every hidden passage. You hear about the systems and their role in the city’s criminal lore.

Historic bars turn the stories into real places

The best feature of the crawl is its setting. A story about bootlegging has more force when you are sitting in an old bar rather than standing on a modern street with nothing to look at.

The route visits handpicked historic bars in downtown St. Paul. Each one is presented as a place with its own past, including tales of criminals, political arrangements, and neighborhood legends. The guide’s job is to connect the room in front of you with the city that existed before today’s craft-beer scene.

Waldmann Brewery has been a particular highlight. One account describes the brewery as excellent and worth the stop, which makes sense for anyone who likes historic drinking places with a strong sense of place. You may find that this is the most satisfying part of the crawl if you care as much about atmosphere and beer as you do about gangsters.

A former Schmidt brewery site was also suggested as a worthwhile place for a drink and more local storytelling. It is important not to treat that as a guaranteed stop on every departure. Instead, see it as a useful idea for extending your own St. Paul history tour after the crawl, if the route or your schedule allows.

The exact bar sequence is not provided, so do not book this expecting a fixed pub list. The value is in the guide’s interpretation of the places you visit. That flexibility can be a strength, especially when Dan adjusts the conversation to suit your interests, but it makes the experience less predictable than a brewery tour with a published tasting schedule.

What you actually drink during the three hours

The price includes one complimentary drink en route. That is a helpful start, but it does not cover the full cost of a night out. Additional drinks are available for purchase, so budget for them if you want premium beer, a craft cocktail, or a second round at one of the bars.

The experience mentions access to craft cocktails and premium beers at St. Paul breweries. That gives the crawl more range than a standard history walk, but it does not mean a full tasting menu is included. You should think of the $79 price as paying mainly for the guided route, local stories, and access to historic bars, with one drink added to the package.

I would compare the cost with two separate outings: a guided city walk and a three-hour bar evening. If you already planned to visit several bars and would otherwise pay for a local guide, the price can make sense. If you only want cheap drinks, it is not a bargain.

The best approach is to treat the drink as part of the setting, not the main product. The stories are what make the stop worth your time. You can always order another beverage, but you cannot easily recreate a guide’s explanation of how a particular bar fits into St. Paul’s past.

The guides shape the experience

This crawl depends heavily on the person holding the group together. The guide must explain complicated local stories without turning the afternoon into a dry history class.

That is why the names attached to the tour matter. Camille has been praised for knowing both St. Paul’s history and its bars. Dan is especially useful if you have a specific interest, since he has tailored the tour around a participant’s questions. Collin has been described as both informed and entertaining.

You should feel free to ask about the parts that interest you most. Ask about the tunnels if you like criminal escape stories. Ask about corrupt officials if political history catches your attention. Ask about the bars themselves if you care about architecture, brewing, or neighborhood change.

The strongest version of this tour will be conversational. You are walking, ordering a drink, and hearing stories in places where people still gather. That format gives the guide room to respond to your questions in a way a recorded audio tour cannot.

What the afternoon pace feels like

Three hours is long enough to build a proper narrative but short enough to fit into a day of sightseeing. The tour is usually available in the afternoon, making it a practical choice before dinner or an evening event.

You will walk between downtown stops, listen to the guide, and have time for drinks. Do not expect to sit in one bar for the entire afternoon. The point is to connect several places and districts, so wear shoes you can manage comfortably for the full route.

The afternoon start also affects the mood. You are likely to see St. Paul in its regular working-day rhythm rather than as a late-night bar district. That suits the history. The tour is about how ordinary streets and businesses can carry less ordinary stories.

At the same time, bar conditions are not fully within the tour company’s control. Noise, seating, and crowd levels may affect how clearly you hear the guide. The supplied information does not give a group size, so you should not assume an intimate private tour.

Is the $79 price fair?

At $79 per person, this is a midrange experience rather than a casual pub walk. The price is easiest to justify if you value three things: a guide with local context, entry to several historic drinking places, and a focused theme that you would have trouble researching on your own.

The single included drink helps, but it is not the main value. You are paying for the route and the storytelling. Stories about Dillinger, the Barker Gang, Machine Gun Kelly, Pig’s Eye Parrant, political corruption, and underground escape routes create a more distinctive afternoon than simply visiting breweries on your own.

The value is also stronger if you are new to St. Paul. A guide can point out the connections between downtown bars, old criminal networks, and local power structures. Without that context, you might enjoy the buildings and beverages but miss why they matter.

The price may feel high if you have already spent time researching St. Paul’s Prohibition history or prefer to choose your own bars. It may also disappoint you if you expect every drink to be covered. Plan for extra spending, especially if premium beer or cocktails are part of your idea of a proper crawl.

Who will enjoy this bar crawl most

I would recommend this experience to adults who enjoy local history with a little grit. It suits people who want more than polished landmarks and are happy to hear about corruption, hideouts, bootleggers, and unofficial deals.

It is also a good fit for beer and cocktail fans who like a story with their drink. The breweries and historic bars give you something tangible to enjoy, while the guide provides the context.

This may not be the right choice for anyone seeking a quiet museum-style tour. You are in bars, and the subject matter includes organized crime and corruption. Families with children cannot join because the minimum age is 21.

You should also skip it if walking between several downtown stops would be difficult for you. The activity is wheelchair accessible, but older bar buildings may still have different layouts. Ask the operator about the specific route if you need details beyond the general accessibility statement.

Practical details that make the day easier

Book with the 24-hour cancellation window in mind. You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying immediately.

Bring a passport or ID card. The age requirement is strict at 21 and older, and a proper identification document is the safest choice.

Wear comfortable shoes and carry cash. You will have one included drink, but extra beverages are not covered. Cash also gives you a simple way to handle small purchases without interrupting the group.

Meet outside Cossetta’s, not inside. Look for the guide in blue. That small bit of preparation can prevent a frustrating start.

Should you book the St. Paul Secret Stories Bar Crawl?

Book it if you want St. Paul history presented through real bars, local personalities, and criminal tales that standard sightseeing often leaves out. The strongest reasons are the focused subject, the chance to visit places such as Waldmann Brewery, and guides such as Camille and Dan who can make the stories personal and responsive.

Think twice if you want a fixed list of venues, several included drinks, or a low-cost pub crawl. The exact stops are not fully specified, and $79 covers only one drink.

For the right audience, this is a smart way to spend an afternoon in St. Paul. You get a walk, a drink, and a collection of stories about the city’s less respectable side. Just budget for extras, wear good shoes, and arrive outside Cossetta’s ready to look past the polite surface.

FAQ

How long does the St. Paul Secret Stories Bar Crawl last?

The experience lasts three hours and is usually available in the afternoon.

Where do I meet the guide?

Meet the guide in blue outside Cossetta’s restaurant. Do not go inside the restaurant to find the group.

What drink is included?

One complimentary drink is included during the route. Additional drinks are available for purchase.

Is the tour conducted in English?

Yes. The tour has a live English-speaking guide.

Can people under 21 join?

No. The experience is not suitable for anyone under 21.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. A reserve-now, pay-later option is also available.