The Rum Runners Tour
The Rum Runners Tour
5
Cultural Tours • Distillery Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Day Trips
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About
Prohibition was a wild,hysterical age filled with glamour & excitement difficult to match in history. It spawned the birth of speakeasies, flapper girls and blind pigs. Gangsters fought to secure a share of the illegal liquor business and mobsters like Al Capone relied on Windsor as the main supplier. The Rum Runners Tour take you back in time to that infamous period known as "The Roaring 20's."
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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(12 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
285 reviews
Excellent
245
Very good
37
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Gerry and Mary
London, Canada5 contributions
Jun 2022
We highly recommend this tour! Different actors/characters who board the bus and you meet along the way, portray in an informative and humorous way, what life was like during the prohibition days. Once back at the "speakeasy" hall, we enjoyed a delicious lunch while listening to a band play music from the era. The actors put on a show after lunch that was full of music, LOTS and LOTS of laughs and singing. If you live in the Windsor area or are just visiting, we highly recommend this tour! We are looking forward to doing more tours and may even do this one again! We had so much fun!
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda I
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Friends
Learning about the history of prohibition and the rum runners, specifically between Windsor in Canada and Detroit in the United States. We also learned that alcohol during prohibition was moved throughout the United States from an entry point from Windsor and into Detroit.
Afterward a hearty lunch was served Accompanied by Music appropriate to the time and with continuing entertainment that was so funny that it brought tears. Absolutely great actors on the bus representing historical events, perfectly cast for their roles and honestly interpreted. Captivating.
Afterward a hearty lunch was served Accompanied by Music appropriate to the time and with continuing entertainment that was so funny that it brought tears. Absolutely great actors on the bus representing historical events, perfectly cast for their roles and honestly interpreted. Captivating.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bïll Ç
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Family
I went on a great Canadian bus tour of Peele island and one of the best parts of the whole trip was the rum runners tour! The actors were fantastic! So interactive, passionate, and convincing. They all told entertaining and realistic stories that captured the soul of the rum runners time. They handed out newspapers set in the decade of prohibition and told fascinating bits of history while we toured historic sites where main events of the prohibition took place. We ate inside of the rock cafe which was staged to look like a vintage speakeasy. The food was incredible and there was live music entertainment and actors pretending to be flappers.
Written August 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave and Angel
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Couples
We had such a good time on this tour. The actors are funny, stuck to the "script", but aren't afraid to ad lib and respond to the audience. They were all very well versed in the local colourful history. Bertha was the best, she engaged the crowd and, we laughed so hard. The lunch was served and was huge, and delicious. We had pasta, chicken, veggies, potatoes, salad and pudding. If you're planning on being in Windsor, you should make a point of making a reservation with Rum Runners Tours.
Written June 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Birder_123
Brampton, Canada6 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
What a tour, from the gents who are the rum runners to the ladies at the speak easy they sure put on a show. You are given a glimpse into the life of Windsor during the 1920's when rum and beer flowed freely to Detroit. You are made to feel like you are right there enjoying yourself at the speak easy where they put on a fantastic show of music, laughs and singing. I haven't laughed as much in a long time. It was great.
Written June 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the fantastic review. We're happy you enjoyed yourself. It's our mission to make learning history as fun as possible.
Written September 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kay P
Windsor, Canada7 contributions
Jul 2022
I have always wanted to go on a full Rum Runner tour. My daughter took me for my birthday. Having lived in Windsor most of my life I learned many interesting facts about places I have seen many times without knowing the historical aspects. The actors and actresses were amazing. The tour ended with a magnificent meal and some more stories. I had seen the performance before but the whole tour added so much more to it. I highly recommend it to anyone along with their haunted tour or the French Connection tour which explores the area’s rich French history.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie O
Windsor, Canada3 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
Our party of 4 had a great time on the tour today. It was information and entertaining. The cast was great. We had so many laughs!
My only feedback would be a better bus/sound system.
The food was delicious. They were very helpful with dietary needs. The final venue was lovely.
My only feedback would be a better bus/sound system.
The food was delicious. They were very helpful with dietary needs. The final venue was lovely.
Written June 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara M
Trophy Club, TX8 contributions
Aug 2023 • Business
A very informative and entertaining history of the whiskey runners in Canada during prohibition. The tour ends at a speakeasy owned by Bertha who is beyond amazing. She had me in tears of laughter. What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon! All the actors are so engaging and clearly love what they do. So glad live theatre has returned..: highly recommend!!
Written August 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate your review of our tour. Thank you for taking the time to write this. We are very happy that live theatre has returned as well!!!
Written September 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rob S
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Friends
Absolutely a great excursion.. Learned all about the says of the rum runners.. From the first person introduced to us, right up to the final actor, it kept us all glued to our seats.. This is a great tour, and the actors are all highly skilled.. Comedy at it's best.. and seriousness as well..
Written September 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so very much for the review. It means a lot to the cast working hard to bring you a world-class experience. We're glad you had a great time.
Written September 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ron L
Chatham, Canada21 contributions
Jun 2022
This was a great tour. You spend 2 hours touring Old Walkerville (where the liqour barons build some beatiful estates) and Old Sandwich town (wher a lot of the liquor was run across the river to the U.S.), then back to the 'Speakeasy' where you are served lunch and entertained by a trio and 1920's era music. All and All a wonderful experience. I hope they get their other tours - 'French Connection' and 'Spirits of Windsor' going again soon, we will be first in line. If not we may go back and take the Rum Runners tour again just for the enterainment.
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What are the 'stage' names of these characters: the policeman, and the temperance lady. I did the tour early October and enjoyed it a lot. Now I'd like to have the names of these 2 as I scrapbook my photos with info I find.
We just refer to them as the Cop and the Temperance Lady.
Kathryn102
Willow Grove, PA91 contributions
Sounds like fun! Is this appropriate for a 14 and 11 year old? Thanks! And if so, are there child prices?
Trudy G
Niagara Falls, Canada36 contributions
There actually was a boy, somewhere in the 11-14 years old age group, accompanied by his dad on the trip and the actors were very careful in their language but did apologize on a couple of occasions. I would probably not have taken my 11 year old son, but would have considered it when he was 14. To the best of my knowledge there is only one price for tickets but check their web site.
Marta T
Bogota, Colombia
Quiero saber si tienen guías en español? Gracias
No, I'm sorry but all our tours are done in English.
Nicole S
Sterling Heights, MI2 contributions
Do you do tours in late October? If so when do tickets become available? Thank you
Our season normally runs from late April until mid November. We hope, in the next couple of weeks to have tour dates posted for October and November.
53pelicans
Hartford, CT41 contributions
Can you accommodate a motorized scooter that can disassemble into 4 pieces. The occupant has some mobility to climb several steps.
Rum Runners Tour
Windsor, Canada3 contributions
The trolley bus that we use has three steps to get in and out. There is no storage compartment under the bus so we use one of the bench seats inside to store walkers or wheel chairs. The venues we visit have ramps and in one case an elevator but The Canadian Club Brand Centre which is one of the stops on the tour, is a Heritage Building and does not have accessibility. There are numerous stairs to access the building and more stairs inside to access the upper floor and the basement. Most of our passengers with walking difficulty are able to tour the main floor, then wait for the rest of the group.
Alan M
Kitchener, Canada47 contributions
A group of us want to take the tour but we are all between the ages of 30-40 and all guys. Will this be an appropriate tour? From the pictures it looks like mostly seniors. Are we able to purchase additional samples of whiskey or other drinks throughout the tour?
Rum Runners Tour
Windsor, Canada3 contributions
Hi Alan
Most of our passengers are seniors but we do have people of all ages that experience our tour. It's an educational tour filled with laughter and entertainment and although the theme is alcohol, it would not be considered a drinking tour. Alcoholic beverages are limited to some sampling at Canadian Club and the restaurant we visit for lunch is Licensed.
2Carolyn
London, Canada3 contributions
Does this function happen on weekends and weekdays?
Do you pre book or just show up?
What are the adult costs and is there a senior discount?
Rum Runners Tour
Windsor, Canada3 contributions
Thank you for your interest in The Rum Runners Tour. The tour takes place on both weekdays and weekends.. If you visit our web site you will see a page of tour dates. These are upcoming dates that are open to the public. You can book online or by phoning 519-990-5379. The price is $75.00 tax included for the five hour tour with a buffet lunch and a whiskey sampling. We also do private tours for groups of 30 or more.
donna b
Thamesford, Canada
i want to come and do the rum runners tour. I live just outside of London Ontario and was wondering if you know of a tour bus coming to do this tour from the London /Ingersoll area in the near future. if so, could you let me know and I could book a ride on the bus tour.
thank you,
donna
Rum Runners Tour
Windsor, Canada3 contributions
Hi Donna
Thank you for your interest in The Rum Runners Tour. Great Canadian Holidays, located in Kitchener will be coming several times. I'm quite sure they pick up passengers in the London area. Their number is 519-896-8687.
cuddaqueen
Ohio121 contributions
Is the $75.00 CN or USD? Thank you!
Mark C
Burlington, Canada8 contributions
Canadian. It's in Canada.