Dinner
Beer & Walk-In at Max's
Drop-in craft beer bar with one of Baltimore's deepest tap lists. Frequent ghost-tour stop, with tours typically starting nearby at Broadway Square.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Haunted Dining / Bar
Max's Taphouse
A Fells Point beer bar opened in 1986 in a 19th-century building previously used as a restaurant, boardinghouse, brothel, and reputed chicken slaughterhouse — with paranormal lore including a basement headless-chicken apparition.
737 South Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231
Research updated June 2026
Age
21+
Cost
$$
Bar pricing; one of Baltimore's largest beer selections.
Access
Limited Access
Historic Fells Point building with split levels
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1986 · Fell's Point Historic District contributing structure · Major Baltimore craft beer bar since 1986
Max's Taphouse occupies a 19th-century brick building at the corner of Lancaster Street and South Broadway in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood. The bar opened in 1986 and developed into one of the largest craft-beer destinations in the Mid-Atlantic, with an extensive tap list and bottle program.
The building's pre-Max's history is, per local tour-operator accounts and oral tradition, layered: a restaurant, a boardinghouse, a reputed 19th-century brothel, and a chicken slaughterhouse. The slaughterhouse claim is repeated consistently across paranormal-tourism sources but lacks rigorous primary-source documentation in the materials available; it is best treated as Fells Point oral tradition rather than firmly documented business history.
The bar sits in the Fell's Point Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Max's hosts regular beer events including the Belgian Beer Fest and serves as an anchor venue for Fells Point's bar district. It is a frequent starting or stopping point for Baltimore Ghost Tours and US Ghost Adventures' walks.
Sources
- https://maxs.com/
- https://www.hauntedbarguide.com/maxs-taphouse-baltimore-maryland/
- https://usghostadventures.com/baltimore-ghost-tour/maxs-taphouse/
- https://www.hauntscout.com/places/united-states/maryland/baltimore/maxs-taphouse/
- https://www.amazon.com/Baltimores-Harbor-Haunts-Stories-Schiffer/dp/0764323040
- https://books.google.com/books/about/Baltimore_s_Harbor_Haunts.html?id=qhac5KPXWd8C
Apparitional animalApparitionsObject manipulation
Max's Taphouse's paranormal lore is unusual in that it leans on the building's industrial past more than on individual named ghosts. The most distinctive reported phenomenon is the appearance of a headless chicken in the basement — described by staff and guides as a residual echo of the building's reputed period as a chicken slaughterhouse. According to Haunted Bar Guide and US Ghost Adventures, the chicken-apparition reports have appeared in multiple Fells Point ghost-tour itineraries.
On the upper floors, paranormal-tourism sources describe a 'woman in white' figure who has reportedly startled visitors and staff. Other reports include a male figure described as walking through or disappearing into a wall, and bottles seen flying across the bar or floating in the air. These phenomena are reported as occurring intermittently and informally rather than during scheduled investigations.
The Fells Point haunting tradition at Max's — including the slaughterhouse-era chicken apparition and the woman in white — is documented in Baltimore's Harbor Haunts: True Ghost Stories by Melissa Rowell and Amy Lynwander (Schiffer Books, 2005), a published regional ghost compendium covering 37 hauntings across Baltimore's harbor neighborhoods. Rowell and Lynwander researched the stories by interviewing residents and bar owners and combing through library archives before first presenting their findings on the Original Fell's Point Ghost Walk Tour in October 2001. Max's Taphouse is included in the Fells Point coverage and is the departure point for the tour.
Notable Entities
Basement headless-chicken apparitionUpper-floor woman in white
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Walking Tour Booking Required
US Ghost Adventures Baltimore Tour Stop
Max's is featured on US Ghost Adventures' Baltimore ghost tour and other Fells Point paranormal walks, which use the bar as a starting or stopping point and recount the building's slaughterhouse-era lore.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
- 1.maxs.com
- 2.hauntedbarguide.com/maxs-taphouse-baltimore-maryland
- 3.usghostadventures.com/baltimore-ghost-tour/maxs-taphouse
- 4.hauntscout.com/places/united-states/maryland/baltimore/maxs-taphouse
- 5.amazon.com/Baltimores-Harbor-Haunts-Stories-Schiffer/dp/0764323040
- 6.books.google.com/books/about/Baltimore_s_Harbor_Haunts.html?id=qhac5KPXWd8C
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Max's Taphouse family-friendly?
21+ bar. Ghost lore including a 'headless chicken' apparition tied to former slaughterhouse use is suitable for adult ghost-tour audiences only. Overall family fit: Low.
How much does it cost to visit Max's Taphouse?
Bar pricing; one of Baltimore's largest beer selections.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Max's Taphouse wheelchair accessible?
Max's Taphouse has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Historic Fells Point building with split levels.