Shaker’s Cigar Bar boasts delicious food, a sordid history and- as all the employees attest to- a ghostly cast of characters that have “haunted” the historic bar and cigar shoppe’s grounds since the late 1800’s. If you’re there for a drink or one of their famous ghost tours, Shakers is sure to give you a unique glimpse of Milwaukee’s underbelly during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Grab a drink in Shaker’s ornate,Victorian-style bar or take one of the two ghost tours which takes the patron on and around the basement, bar and apartment complexes above the Walker’s Point multi-level building.  Shaker’s is widely known as “Milwaukee’s Haunted Bar,” for good reason; a cornucopia of illegal dealings (including grave digging, rape, murder, prostitution, drugs and unclaimed human remains) all play their part in the bar’s chronology, and is articulated through lots of “sightings” and anecdotes from simpler (albeit WAY more violent) times.

The Ghost Tours may be what bring tourists in to Shaker’s, but the copious amount of ghost stories and employee haunted testimonials aren’t what makes this bar a fun destination. The impressively well-preserved grounds and the thorough exploration of Milwaukee’s criminal identity are what makes the Ghost Tours a good time/ an abridged journey through Milwaukee’s history.  Shaker’s incredibly well-researched instances of mob dealings (the bar was owned by Al Capone) and unsolved mysteries (they uncovered a murdered prostitute’s bones on premises) are extremely enjoyable to pay witness to.