I took a haunted brewery tour in Tempe & it was the perfect spooky season activity
Looking for a unique way to get into scary season? Consider taking the Four Peaks Haunted Brewery Tour at its Tempe location.
You wouldn’t know it from the outdoor temperatures, but spooky season is upon us. If you’re searching for a way to get into the spirit of the scariest time of year, consider taking a haunted brewery tour at Four Peaks Brewery’s flagship Tempe location (1340 East 8th Street). Four Peaks has hosted these tours since 2019. Following a pause during the pandemic, the tours resumed and have become an annual program.
On our special media preview of this tour, we had a great time learning about the location that Four Peaks—Arizona’s oldest and largest brewery—calls home, as do some of the spirits that reportedly reside there.
What inspired the tour
“To be totally honest, we decided to do it because we all love Halloween. We’re just super Halloween nerds,” says Four Peaks Pub Events Manager, Carter Nacke. He also led the tour I took. “We’re trying to think of a way to make something fun and seasonal, because obviously Pumpkin Porter is the best-selling seasonal in the state.”
What did they come up with? Putting a spin on the traditional brewery tours with a haunted one. A script was written and then scrapped. Next, the team sat down with the head brewer, who came up with the idea of compiling stories from the staff over the past two decades.
“Ever since we’ve been talking about it, we get more experiences because people are a little more open to it, and they’re a little bit paying a little more attention when they’re in the back,” says Nacke. “I’ll get a phone call. Someone’s like, ‘Hey, man, I was just in the back and like, you know, I heard a little girl giggling, or I saw someone running around back there.’ I’m like, Yeah, man, welcome to Four Peaks. When we’re back here, breaking down, the odds of us experiencing something are definitely not zero.”
After people are hired, they’re told the brewery may be haunted. Did the brewery have a reputation for being haunted before the tours started? Yes.
“People who worked here knew there was some weird stuff that happened,” says Nacke. “Because we launched the tours, we really kind of solidified our reputation as being haunted and historic.”
What else put this spot on the haunted map? Four Peaks appeared on an episode of the TV show “Ghost Adventures.” People have flown in from across the country to check out Four Peaks due to that show.
What you need to know
If you want to take this tour, you’ll have to book soon. It’s only offered from now until Oct. 29, Sundays through Wednesdays. Tours are held at 7 and 8:30 p.m. each night. Tour tickets cost $40 each, which includes not only the tour but also an exclusive T-shirt and a 32-ounce crowler of Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter. All guests must be 21 or older. Tour-goers must wear flat, closed-toe shoes. Four Peaks asks that customers not touch anything. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite using this link.
Parking at the Tempe location is somewhat limited. You’ll want to arrive early to snag a spot on the street or in the back of the brewery. You can also park in a nearby shopping center and walk over, which is what I did.
What the haunted brewery tour was like
After meeting up with a tour guide (ours donned a black top hat and a fancy coat) in the brewery’s gift shop, you’ll be led into the back of the brewery. A projection proclaiming “Haunted Brewery Tour” appeared on a large black curtain. Nacke led the tour.
He started by having everyone sign a liability waiver (naturally), and we were all given mini flashlights. Then, he pointed out a book with photos of the creamery dating back to 1892.
In the brew house, where Four Peaks’ beloved beer was being brewed before our eyes, the ceilings were tall, and the area was dark and creepy. Signs of the building’s age were everywhere. Nacke told a story about how sometimes the brewers will set a wrench down only to find that it’s been moved. What is the most common sound they hear? Someone using tools and hammering a nail into the brick walls.
Learn more about the building’s history
The building in which Four Peaks is housed has a fascinating history, which our guide recapped. The brewery is housed in a 130-year-old space that was previously occupied by a creamery and ice factory. In fact, the building is listed on the National Historic Registry. There’s a plaque outside that reads, “Borden Milk Co. Creamery and Ice Factory. Built 1892.”
According to the City of Tempe’s website, the creamery and ice factory was one of the largest employers in Tempe (even though it only employed about 50 people) and is also “an excellent example of the Mission Revival style popular in early 20th century.” The business made condensed milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream before ceasing operations in 1953.
The building also has an interesting role in music recording history. According to Four Peaks’ website, the space also hosted Uranus Recording. Acclaimed Arizona artists like Stevie Nicks and The Gin Blossoms both recorded in this place, which was handed over to Four Peaks in 2015. The owners leased the space in 1995, and the brewery opened to the public in 1997. Four Peaks has been there ever since.
“When we moved in. It was really weird, because it looked like a lot of the tenants had just left things behind, important things, things you don’t just rush out, unless you may be a little bit spooked,” said Nacke.
According to Nacke, the land that we were all standing on was once occupied by Indigenous people. Allegedly, two separate burial sites were also discovered around the brewery. The Four Peaks construction crews, thankfully, did not find any bodies when they were working. But plenty of Four Peaks workers have had all kinds of spooky experiences.
“All of our stories have been experienced by multiple people or corroborated by some sort of audio or video evidence,” he says.
On the table in front of him were EMF detectors, devices that measure electromagnetic frequency radiation levels and may detect the presence of spirits. There were also dowsing rods, L-shaped tools used to detect ghosts. To use them, you hold the rod straight out and then ask a question. If the rods cross, it’s a sign that a ghost is answering.
The tour took us through various rooms of the brewery located just beyond the bustling restaurant. The Four Peaks staff had decorated the space with spooky lights, fake cobwebs, and left out a few creepy dolls, toys, and an Ouija board on the floor. They even had a few masked staff members “surprise” the tour-goers.
It was an altogether creepy site. The space was also pretty much entirely dark. We were near fermenters, barrels, and canning equipment. Tour goers should definitely mind their footing, as sometimes the floor slopes unexpectedly.
The most paranormally active site? A room called 120, which refers to the age of the fermenters that were once in the room. Now, a ghost cat that was accidentally killed by a falling truss inhabits the space.
The final room of the tour was once occupied by a photographer and is named after him. The windows facing 8th Street supply an abundance of light in the space. A manager and a server once heard someone knocking on a door, but they could not see who it was.
Meet the ghosts of Four Peaks Brewery
As in many haunted spots, a colorful cast of characters inhabits the walls. For example, a little girl who is “very, very creepy,” according to Nacke, is sometimes seen and heard. Nacke told us he heard her giggling for the first time a few days prior.
Located in the back alley of the brewery was once a rail line that connected to Mesa, the creamery, and downtown Phoenix. In May of 1898, three men in a horse-drawn wagon were attempting to cross the railroad tracks when they collided with the train. Two of the men perished in the crash. All sustained injuries. The remains of George Dean—who was ripped in half—were found in what is now the brewer’s office. On quiet days, it’s said that you can hear the sound of a train rolling or even the screams of the three men.
A newspaper article about the incident was on display. I appreciated the dedication to historical accuracy.
The best-known spirit is Victor Vogel. The ghost of the old man told a story to a Four Peaks staff member about how he was cleaning a tank, and a massive blade started to turn. The staff member looked away, and when he looked back again, the man was gone. Vogel served as the creamery manager in the 1930s and 1940s and passed away in Tempe in 1972. People on the Haunted Brewery Tour have spotted a man in a white dress shirt. What did Vogel wear on the job? A white dress shirt.
A little girl ghost lurks in the corner of the old barrel room. The toys you see in the above photo were left out for her.
Brew up a spooky experience
Above all, I had a great time on the Four Peaks Haunted Brewery Tour. It was both historical and creative, and I appreciated the tour guide’s sense of humor.
If you’re searching for a way to get into the spirit of Halloween (with a beer in hand), this brewery tour is a great way to kick off the spooky season.
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