Haunted Underground Shanghai Tunnel Tour with Brewery Tastings

Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels are less a vast underground maze than a compact, atmospheric remnant beneath Old Town Pizza & Brewing. You’ll hear about crimping, forced labor, violence, and the ghost said to be named Nina, then return upstairs for beer. I like the unusual pairing of serious Portland history with a relaxed brewery finish. I also like that guides such as Skippy, Natasha, Doug, and Kaitlin bring noticeably different personalities to the storytelling.

The main drawback is expectation. If you want a long ghost hunt through miles of untouched passageways, this may feel small and more historical than haunted. The route includes tight stairs, low obstacles, pipes, and uneven dirt floors, so sneakers matter and anyone with mobility limits should skip it.

Key points to know before you book

• The underground area is compact: You visit remaining rooms and passageways beneath the Old Town building, not an enormous tunnel network.
• History comes first: The tour covers crimping, forced recruitment for ships, working conditions, violence, and Portland’s rough waterfront past.
• Nina supplies the spooky thread: Ghost stories are part of the experience, but paranormal content is not the whole tour.
• Beer is built into the price: You receive three tasters and one full pint of Old Town’s award-winning beer.
• The terrain is demanding: Expect narrow doorways, stairs, pipes, low areas, and uneven floors.
• Adults are the main audience: Most departures require you to be at least 21, with limited exceptions for the 2pm and 3pm tours.

Starting beneath Old Town Pizza & Brewing

You meet at Old Town Pizza & Brewing, at 226 NW Davis Street, in Portland’s central Old Town district. The meeting point is easy to pair with a meal, and I’d arrive early if you want pizza before the tour rather than trying to squeeze it in afterward.

The building matters here. You are not being driven to a remote attraction or handed a headset in a museum gallery. The tour begins in an operating pizza restaurant and brewery, then heads below the same historic Old Town setting. That gives the experience a casual, local feel, though it also means you should pay attention to the exact meeting instructions and arrive on time.

The tour lasts about 90 minutes and has a maximum group size of 15 people. That is small enough for a guide to keep the group together in tight spaces. It also means late arrivals can be disruptive, and the operator does not refund late guests or same-day cancellations.

Guides have a strong effect on this experience. Skippy is described as lively and entertaining, while Doug is praised for making the history easy to follow. Natasha and Kaitlin are also noted for strong storytelling and local context. The tone can range from theatrical and spooky to more serious and fact-focused, so your experience may depend partly on who leads the departure.

What the Shanghai Tunnels actually feel like

I would set your expectations before you go: this is not a long underground walk through a perfectly preserved network. The accessible area is a remaining section beneath the building, with underground rooms and connecting spaces tied to Portland’s old waterfront life.

That smaller scale is not automatically a weakness. It lets the guide stop and explain what you are seeing instead of rushing through a long route. You get time to connect the rooms, the building above, and Portland’s past as a rough port city near the Willamette River.

The passageways are dark and confined. You will climb stairs, move around pipes, duck beneath obstacles, and walk across uneven dirt floors. Some doorways are narrow. I would wear closed-toe shoes with good grip and leave high heels at the hotel.

The physical layout also affects the mood. You may find the setting eerie because it feels cramped and unfinished rather than polished. Props and staged details may be used to help tell the stories, so visitors looking for untouched archaeology should keep their expectations modest.

Portland’s dark waterfront story

The strongest part of the tour is often the history. The term Shanghai Tunnels refers to a system of underground spaces associated with Portland’s waterfront businesses and the practice of crimping.

Crimping involved recruiting, tricking, or forcibly taking people for work aboard ships. The men targeted were often vulnerable, intoxicated, or in debt. Once aboard, they could be trapped in harsh maritime labor with little practical way to leave. The tour addresses this practice directly rather than turning the entire subject into a spooky joke.

You will also hear about drugs, sexual exploitation, violence, death, and human trafficking. These are not light Halloween topics. I appreciate the warning because it helps families and mixed-age groups decide if the material is suitable before booking.

The best guides give this past weight while keeping the group engaged. Doug, Natasha, Skippy, and Kaitlin have each been singled out for making difficult material understandable and entertaining without losing the thread of the story. That balance is important. The tour works better when the humor supports the history instead of replacing it.

You may leave with a better sense of how Portland’s Old Town district developed, how businesses connected with the river, and why underground spaces were useful. The tour does not offer a full academic study of nineteenth-century Portland, but it provides an accessible introduction with a memorable setting.

The ghost of Nina and the spooky side

Nina is the tour’s recurring ghost story. You will hear about the resident spirit and reported encounters connected with the underground rooms. The guide may use atmosphere, timing, and the confined setting to make those stories land.

I would describe the paranormal material as a side of the tour, not its entire purpose. Some departures feel more like a history lesson with a few ghost stories. If you want nonstop hauntings, supernatural evidence, or a long investigation with special equipment, this is probably not the right pick.

That said, the limited ghost content can be a strength for people who want a bit of fear without giving up context. You can enjoy the stories as folklore, take them seriously, or simply appreciate how they add mood to the old rooms. The experience does not require you to believe in ghosts.

Guide style matters especially here. One guide may lean into theatrical jokes and spooky presentation. Another may spend more time on the historical record and treat Nina as an entertaining local legend. If you want a more serious tone, listen closely at the start and settle into the guide’s approach.

Three tasters and a full pint upstairs

The beer portion comes after the underground walk, back at Old Town Pizza & Brewing. The package includes three beer tastings and one full pint of Old Town’s award-winning beer.

This is more than a small add-on for anyone who enjoys local brewing. It gives you a chance to sit with the group, compare flavors, and finish the experience in a warm, social setting after the dark rooms below. One especially unusual option mentioned during the experience is a candy cap mushroom beer, which may appeal to adventurous drinkers.

You should not treat the tasting as a full brewery tour. The focus is the Shanghai Tunnel visit, and the beer is the finale. Also, the sample portions are small. The advertised package includes three tasters, but one account described only two small pours, around a quarter cup each. If the beer component is the main reason you are booking, confirm the current tasting format before paying.

The full pint improves the value. At $48 per person, you are paying for a 90-minute guided experience, exclusive access to the underground area, the history presentation, the ghost stories, three samples, and a full beer. The price is reasonable for a niche Portland activity, especially if you value the setting and the food-and-drink finish.

I would eat before or after the tour if you have time. Old Town Pizza & Brewing is part of the appeal, and the pizza receives frequent praise. Check the closing time for late departures, though. An evening tour may finish too close to closing for a relaxed meal afterward.

Who will enjoy this unusual Portland tour

This tour suits adults who like local history with a spooky edge. I would recommend it to couples looking for an unusual date-night activity, solo visitors who enjoy guided storytelling, and friends who want something different from a standard brewery visit.

It also works for people who prefer a compact attraction. You do not need to devote half a day to it. The tour takes about an hour and a half and ends where it began, making it easy to fit into a day in central Portland.

Families need to read the age rules carefully. Babies, infants, and children under 12 are not allowed. Most tours are for people 21 and older, although the 2pm and 3pm departures allow teenagers. The supplied information is not fully uniform about the exact age policy for every departure, so check the chosen time before booking.

I would not recommend it for anyone with mobility problems, a fear of cramped spaces, or difficulty climbing stairs. The route is not described as accessible. You must manage stairs, narrow doorways, low pipes, obstacles, and uneven floors.

The content also rules out some younger groups and sensitive audiences. Expect mention of sexual content, drug use, forced labor, human trafficking, violence, and death. This is not a gentle family ghost story.

Is the $48 price a good deal?

I think the value depends on what you want from the afternoon. If you want a long, authentic tunnel expedition, the price may disappoint because the accessible underground area is limited. Several aspects are presented through stories and props, and the route is a small remaining section rather than a huge network.

If you enjoy guided history, the price makes more sense. You receive access that is not part of an ordinary Old Town walk, a local account of crimping and waterfront life, ghost stories about Nina, and a beer finish. The group limit of 15 also helps keep the presentation personal in cramped rooms.

The pint adds real value, while the tasters are more of a bonus. I would think of the package as a history and atmosphere tour with beer included, not as a brewery tasting with a short tunnel stop.

The 4.3 rating from 405 reviews suggests a solid but not flawless experience. The most consistent praise goes to the guides, especially their storytelling, humor, and ability to explain Portland’s difficult past. The most common criticism is that the tour feels more historical than haunted, with some people finding the underground area too short or too staged.

That split is useful. It tells me this is best booked by someone who can enjoy both interpretations. If you need the ghost stories to be the main event, you may leave underwhelmed. If you like history first and atmosphere second, the tour offers a fair package.

Timing, cancellation, and practical planning

Book ahead if your schedule is fixed. The experience is often reserved about 12 days in advance, and the small maximum group size can limit last-minute choices.

Arrive early at the Old Town meeting point. There are no refunds for late arrivals, and same-day cancellations do not receive a refund. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Any changes made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted.

The tour requires good weather, and the operator may cancel if conditions are poor or if the minimum number of participants is not met. In those cases, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Public transportation is nearby. Since the tour ends at the starting point, you do not need to plan a return transfer. I would keep the rest of your evening flexible if you want pizza and beer afterward, particularly for a late departure.

My recommendation for booking

Book this tour if you want Portland history in an unusual setting, enjoy a little ghost lore, and like ending with local beer. Go in expecting a compact underground area, not miles of tunnels. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, arrive early, and be ready for difficult subject matter.

Skip it if your priority is a serious paranormal investigation, a long underground route, or an accessible attraction. For the right person, the mix of crimping stories, Nina’s ghostly presence, old rooms, and a pint at the end makes this a memorable addition to a Portland visit. For everyone else, the limited tunnel space and uneven balance between history and hauntings may not justify the price.

FAQ

How long does the Shanghai Tunnel tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, including the underground visit and the beer tasting.

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins at Old Town Pizza & Brewing, located at 226 NW Davis Street in Portland, Oregon.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the Old Town Pizza & Brewing meeting point.

Is beer included in the tour price?

Yes. The package includes three beer tasters and one full pint of Old Town’s award-winning beer.

Do I have to be 21 or older?

Most tours require participants to be at least 21. Teenagers are permitted on the 2pm and 3pm tours. Babies, infants, and children under 12 are not allowed.

Is the tour suitable for someone with mobility issues?

No. The route includes narrow stairs and doorways, pipes, low obstacles, and uneven dirt floors. A moderate level of physical fitness is required.

What kind of subjects are discussed?

The tour includes historical references to sexual content, drug use, human trafficking, violence, forced labor, and death. It also includes ghost stories about Nina.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the tour, late arrivals, and same-day cancellations are not refunded.