Got to do the original tour for my birthday on Saturday. Chris was our guide, which I was super happy about, cause I have watched SO many of his YouTube videos, and even used it as a source in a paper I wrote. He was just as awesome as on his videos, very funny and genuine. The tour was fantastic, I am absolutely going to do all the other tours now. The story of the reoccurring murder had me hooked. It was super spooky to be guided through Tacoma by lamp light. Our group was fun and I even had other birthday buddies who celebrated with this spooky tour. So don't wait, go book, like right now. It's worth every penny. read more

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We did two walking tours with Anna because the first one was so good! She is super friendly, funny, and knew all the local history and legends. You can really tell she loves what she does. Highly recommend if you want a fun and memorable way to explore the area! read more

I went on my first Pretty Gritty Tour a little while back. There are ghost tours and historical tours for Tacoma and a whole other section for tours in the Tri-Cities in southern Washington. I went on a lantern tour at Fort Steilacoom Park which is located next to Western State Mental Hospital in Lakewood. There is a ton of history in this park and the hospital once owned the land. So there are old barns here and a cemetery of patients that died as well as ruins of other structured here. We went through here around Halloween time so best get reservations in as they fill fast and they don't offer many of them. We went by lantern in the dark to the cemetery and learned about some of the patients that lie resting here and then what went on in the ruins when the hospital had the land. It was definitely creepy and grim but fascinating as you learned a lot of history from the guide. When we went here it was raining a lot and that really added to the creepy vibe which was a nice addition to the experience but glad I had an umbrella with me! Looking forward to doing more of these tours in the future. I really liked this particular tour and would love to do a ghost tour sometime. read more

I learned interesting history about the City of Olympia and learned that many of the historical buildings are haunted. The curator was very knowledgeable and entertaining. read more

My org booked Chris for a tour of downtown Tacoma. We focus on equitable economic development and I was so happy with the rich history and thoughtfulness of the tour. Would highly recommend a custom tour or whatever tour they are offering!! Everyone had extremely positive things to say and was a highlight of the whole trip for some. read more

Wonderful sweets tour. Cute, good time length. Mix of light rail and walking. Guide was great and knowledgeable. Very easy going and friendly. I discovered new places that I will go back to for sweets, shopping and eats. Would definitely go again for a different tour. read more

Took my husband on a date to the Haunted Lantern Fort Steilacoom Tour and it did not disappoint! I take my dogs to Fort Steilacoom often and my kids grew up playing on the Castle playground and I can't count how many sporting events I've been to on the grounds, not realizing the historical and sinister background of the grounds themselves. This tour was enlightening and amazing at the same time. The hour and a half or 2 hours flew by! Now when I go to the park I think about the history and have a little bit of somber feel. I look for the ghosts too. I attended the earlier of the 2 showings and want to go again, but in the darker hours with my teens. To me, twilight was scary-enough, but for them, they will prefer the dark with the Haunted Lantern Tour. If you're new to the area, or a local like my husband, you might have heard some of the lore, but GO! Book your tour as it's a fun event and experience!! It left me wanting more tours via Pretty Gritty Tours as the guide is great! I'd seen him on TikTok and then followed him, and I highly recommend! read more

Our tour guide tonight for the old town ghost tour was an amazing story teller and was super nice! Fun experience!! read more

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Honestly the best led tours I've ever attended. Chris is super informed, and a great story teller. I toured Stadium high and was touched in the foyer by a ghost. The tour of Haunted Tacoma was equally terrific. I've got tickets to haunted Olympia on my calendar. I think they should offer a punch card! read more

Fantastic tour of Stadium High School by Chris! So many fun facts about the building's history, design and resident ghosts You get to see the entire building from sub basement tunnels to the very top top attic. We will definitely look for more tours in Tacoma (especially with Chris). Side note: while there are elevators, some areas would be difficult for anyone with mobility issues and this isn't a tour for young children. read more

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I have been following these guys on Facebook since the beginning and have been wanting to do the ghost tour at the high school. My husband always called me crazy. Finally, one day we stopped to look at stadium high school and he mentioned how neat it would be to go inside. Well, dear, you can go on a tour... fast forward 6 months turns out he had been looking into tours for a few months. Finally tonight we went. The tour was amazing! We loved how engaging it was from beginning to end. I would definitely go again someday and highly recommend this to any and all! The amount of history is incredible! We will be doing other tours in the future! read more

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Signed up for the first tour of the sweets tour in Tacoma. It. Was. Awesome. I have only been in Tacoma for a year and when I saw this pop up in my news feed I had to go. Pros-the tour guide was awesome, kept the group going and excited for the next stop. Had a lot of fascinating information and was also up for learning things from members of the group The samples you are given at the locations were delicious and not just some bite. We had full cupcakes that were devine! Easy parking at the Tacoma dome with free riding on the transit system. Easy off and on riding and the walk itself was very pleasant. Seriously, the tour guide was awesome, super warm and friendly. Didn't seem to be just going through the motions but seemed like he was really enjoying his job. He also recommend other tours by this same company which made me more likely to do another tour. The best stop, although it was the smallest stop was the brown and Haley factory. It had the most background and the host there was also very warm. It is a small location and you don't have much time (or space) to watch the movie they play inside but I am more likely to go back to watch it now (and buy lots and lots of chocolate) Cons Not many, only 4 Bring a water. You are doing a lot of walking and a lot of sampling. It is hot and you will need to quench your thirst.... especially after your cupcake. The last stop was a bust. It was at the ocd shop and it felt really out of place. It was just a big downer for the ending. More odds and ends shop then really having much to do with candy. Almost felt like I was being asked to buy clothes over candy/sweets. I would have rather started with that and ended at brown and Haley. It would have been nice to go to a doughnut shop. Exchange the ocd company for that if possible. Bring a spare bag to buy and bring back all of the goodies! Tacoma charges for bags now and trust me, you will want to buy some cupcakes and lots of chocolates. Can't wait to book my next tour!! read more

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The Stadium High School Tour was great. We have lived here in Tacoma for five years and it was our first time in the inside of this magnificent landmark. Pros: lots of history mixed with current info. Use of elevators vs. needing to walk all the stairs, access to unusual areas of the campus, relaxed pace, great guides. Cons: parking and the meeting location were intuitive for us since it was at the High School, but if we weren't local it may have been somewhat confusing. read more

Pretty Gritty Tours - Walking Tours Near Me

The ONLY way to see Tacoma. We took the Saturday night Ghost Tour at 8:45p tour with Chris. He was patient, knowledgeable and presented the history and tour so naturally without making it feel rehearsed. It was seamless. The booking process was a piece of cake, and they make it easy day of by not requiring physical tickets. Directions were explicitly made on where to meet and we felt prepared for our journey. The only extra thing I think would've been useful is recommended parking places near the meeting spots. I had no idea the immense amount of knowledge and accolades that came along with this tour and their guides. So completely professional and entertaining. It felt super effortless and casual. No weird theatrics, no cringey awkwardness or over-rehearsed voices or jokes. Chris is such a great member of this team. We'll be sure to tour with him and Pretty Gritty again! read more

This tour was so fun and interesting that we barely noticed how cold it was. I really enjoyed the history and the walking tour. And...there was just enough creepiness to make it a great ghost tour. read more

I've always wanted to see inside Stadium High School. After seeing the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" then learning the school was real & in Tacoma, I had to go see the inside. Our tour guide was fun & a good story teller. Neat to see what real classrooms look like nowadays too! Some parts were kinda creepy & so fun to see the tunnel, the boiler room & the attic. read more

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Just took the Pretty Gritty Ghost Tour in downtown, and it was fantastic. Paul really knows the unseemly underbelly of our fair city. He is a class act, a definite inspector of specters. So go, get out and enjoy our little talked about Tacoma history. And ask for Paul! read more

Off night I think. No doubt these tours are usually awesome, but we got what I think was a brand new tour guide. She's clearly has potential to be an excellent guide, but boy does she need more practice. She was not engaging, did not interact well with the crowd, and after the 1000th "Umm", I couldn't take it anymore....amidst the pouring rain, I covertly hustled back to my minivan and drove straight home. It's unfortunate, because there is so much potential there, and Tacoma really does have a very rich and interesting history. You could probably just ditch the "booze" part, two four ounce beer samples in a crowded venue was kind of a waste. I enjoy Mcmennimans, but Mother of Pearl, that place was packed to the gills and I was starting to get claustrophobic. Wow!! Please don't take this the wrong way, but our guide probably needs a bit more supervision next time. Recommendations for improvement: 1. Complete mastery of all facts/stories/details. Felt like you had crammed the night before. Make it come alive! 2. More audience interaction (ham it up!), you clearly are comfortable in front of folks. Have some fun with it. 3. The "umms" just have to be extinguished from your repertoire. Have someone install an electrical shock system on your person and administer "shock therapy" to cauterize that particular brain circuit if all else fails. Can't stress this enough, the hesitation markers/linguistic fillers are a show stopper. Nuff said. read more

This is hands down one of the best tours Hubby and I have been on. Our tour guide Chris was so enthusiastic about all the murders and mayhem that continue to haunt Whiskey Row in Tacoma. We met at McMenamins Elk Temple, went down past the Secret Bar into the basement (one of them), stopped to have a drink (or 3) at a different hidden gift shop, and went on to walk the streets of Tacoma. We stopped in front of various buildings and our guide regaled us with the wonderful misfortunes that befell each of them. The tour was very informative regarding the events that continue to feed Tacoma's haunted history. Besides McMenamins we didn't go inside any other buildings, but frankly, after the stories he told about them, we didn't really want to. Hubby and I definitely recommend taking the Boos and Booze tour! Make sure to check the weather as you'll be outside for most of the tour. read more

Our tour guides at Stadium High School were beyond amazing! The structure and flow of the tour kept the energy up, fun and interesting. There was the perfect mix of history, fun facts and spookiness. The amount we were able to see and how much each tour guide knew was so impressive. I would absolutely recommend. read more

Pretty Gritty Tours - Walking Tours Near Me

Just took the Stadium High School tour last night. The female tour guide (I think her name is Anna) was so entertaining, and knowledgeable about the school. This tour is not for people with limited mobility though. Lots of hallways, stairways to traverse (although there is an elevator), and you even get to see the basement and huge attic! Even if you're not from Tacoma, this tour has something for everyone. The architecture of the school is top notch. I would definitely take another one of their tours. read more

Stadium High School tour blew me away! So much incredible history, and such a well-guided tour. Couldn't recommend this highly enough! From the sub-basements to the 4-story attic, this tour is worth every penny. read more

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my brother & Sister in law had done a old town tour with them and loved it, so my wife and I were excited when they invited us to the Stadium High school Tour. And... the guides Paul and Chris didn't disappoint!! It was an hour and 45 min of fun. They were friendly, knowledgeable, funny, and you could tell they loved their job! we can't wait to book another tour with them, but this time I won't forget to get cash out so I can tip them at the end, they deserved every bit of it! Sorry guys, I'll get you next time! X2 read more

The tours are amazing. So much history was learned. We did the Stadium high school tour. Paul was our guide and he took us all around the school. We were able to go up in the attic and go down to the pool. Definitely gonna be going on more of Pretty Gritty Tours! read more

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Thanks to Pretty Gritty Tours for helping me check off something from my bucket list! I went to the 20 year anniversary of 10 Things I Hate About You - Stadium High School tour and movie. I've lived in the area for almost a decade and everytime I drive by the school I tell myself "One day I'll tour that school!" Life gets in the way and I never got around to it but I'm a 10 Things I Hate About You fan and the anniversary event was the perfect excuse to finally make that tour happen! Customer service was amazing from ticket purchase to security helping everyone leave the parking garages safely. Tour guides and mc at the field were witty. I can't say enough good things about my experience. Bravo! read more

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Went on Boos and Booze last night, this was my first ghost tour and I didn't know what to expect. Had an excellent time, learned so much surprisingly history about Tacoma and Seattle even as a native Seattleite. Chris' storytelling skills was truly exceptional, kept me engaged the whole time. Looking forward to coming back soon for the Stadium High School tour. read more

I took my mom on the Stadium High School tour - what an amazing experience! It was a privilege to explore this historic stunner from the depths of the steam tunnels to the peaks of its attic. Our guide was knowledgeable and an effective storyteller. We didn't see any ghosts this time, but the EMF detected something... I can't wait to go on another tour! read more

Wow, just wow! The Stadium High School ended 10 minutes ago and I'm still stoked! I graduated in '88 and thought I knew it all - nope! It was a gift from my sister in law for my wife and I, and her husband (class is of '92). Our guide was amazing, I think it was Chris. If it's not Chris, I am so sorry because he was amazing... I fully recommend the company, especially the Stadium High tour. Thank you for a great time and bringing back beautiful memories! read more

I've done 2 tours with Pretty Gritty Tours (the Ghost Stories and Stadium High) and I have had a fantastic time. The tour guides are charismatic, kind and knowledgeable about the history of Tacoma. Even though I don't believe in ghosts, I had chills run down my spine from the stories mix with real historical facts. Definitely signing up for more. read more

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Went on a tour of Stadium High last night. With Pretty gritty tours. So much fun....if you are ever looking for a something fun to do unique to Tacoma...Pretty Gritty Tours has amazingly fun tours! read more

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Well organized, Riveting stories, Great atmosphere, We are currently booking more tours read more

Tacoma, WAKE UP! You are missing out , on finding out why Tacoma is more interesting than Seattle or other Washington Towns. We have a great tour guide business right here in town. The tour guide owns the business, and he is entertaining and actually has researched the subjects. He will come prepared with factual info, show pictures, and make it a fun way to learn about Tacoma. If we don't support these businesses, how can they thrive? Do you know anything about the history of the buildings on 6th Ave? the North End? Maybe you know about the Art Murals on buildings in Downtown? Details about Stadium high? So many really interesting tours. Look up the offerings on Pretty Gritty Tours. Chris is a Travel pro-----literally. He and his wife used to be traveling journalists,. Check out the calendar, the tours are priced reasonably. The Stadium High School tour is only offered in the summers, so sign up, there is only a few date in August left read more

We actually learned a lot about Tacoma. Our guides kept three generations entertained, answered all of our not always on task questions and we look forward to participating in some up coming tours. Give them a try! read more

Very interesting tour. Guide was funny and knowledgeable. You should be aware that there is lots of walking in the bowels of the rooms so much ducking and bending. Not sure it was really necessary to see all that. I would have been happier seeing the football field, which we did not, and just soaking up the moonlight. Thought for another tour... read more

We did the Stadium High tour and it was a great mix of fun and informative, as well as a great chance to see some hidden spots in an amazing old historic building. I'm really excited these guys are doing this in Tacoma - the town is full of cool old structures and neighborhoods that have a lot of history and they're doing an awesome job of making sure it doesn't get lost! Will totally sign up for more of their tours. read more

Loved our tour. Small group, thank you (#coronavirus) but that was fine for us. 3 of us were Tacoma natives, the other 5+ were tourists- and I know we all learned a lot. Our guide, Paul, was wonderful. He answered any and all questions, thoroughly. We've been sitting at home looking up all the new stories we learned about. Plus the buildings we walked by, are places we've been driving by for most of our lives.. and never knew the history. We look forward to doing a boos and booze tour later this year. Thank you! read more

Absolutely amazing tour of Stadium High School! Our guide was so informative and friendly and FUN! The three levels of the attic were very interesting due to the signatures of students since the school opened in 1906. I highly recommend this tour. :-) read more

I took a tour of Olympia. Pretty Gritty tours has very fun and engaging with knowledgeable guides. I would totally go on another tour!

I learned about the Coffee and Chocolate Tour while randomly searching for something to do on Facebook. I'm so glad that I encountered this event! The tour was well led in spite of some recently closed coffee junctures, but our guide was well-informed and very poised. He made everyone feel comfortable exploring Tacoma's coffee culture. The cupping experience blew me away! It was so interesting taking part in the methods that coffee buyers use to determine quality, authenticity and the potential of coffee. It was a beautiful and elegantly intimate time. I would recommend anyone to take part in Pretty Gritty Tours. read more

Great tour with awesome tour guides that are well educated on the history of Tacoma. My kids loved the experience and their tour guides who made them feel very comfortable. read more

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