Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl Shared Tour in Charleston

Meet your guide and set off on a tour that discusses some of the most notorious criminal cases in SC history, from piracy to famous highway robberies to the brutal homicide of a local newspaper editor, in full view of witnesses. This tour mixes unforgettable, grisly tales with an exploration of Charleston’s most satiating cocktails.

What pushes a man to the point of murder? Is the killer’s past primarily responsible for his evil deeds, or does some innate impulse sit latent in him like a lion crouched and waiting for the right trigger to spring forth? Like Norman Bates said, “We all go a little mad sometimes.” But is that true?

Beneath Charleston’s stately Old Exchange lies a dark and chilling past. The Provost Dungeon once held pirates, smugglers, and colonial criminals, including members of Blackbeard’s crew and other infamous outlaws of the high seas. Shackled in damp, shadowy cells, prisoners awaited justice—or the gallows. Today, the dungeon stands as a haunting reminder of Charleston’s gritty underworld, where crime, punishment, and piracy collided beneath the city’s elegant surface.

Once a hidden speakeasy during Prohibition, The Blind Tiger in Charleston earned its name from the era’s secret bars and the lawbreakers who ran them. Behind its historic walls, whispers of bootlegging, bribery, and backroom deals still linger. Today, it’s a popular tavern with a rich—and rowdy—past, where crime and cocktails once flowed hand in hand. Step inside and sip where Charleston’s outlaws once defied the law, one drink at a time.