Explore Portland’s infamous Shanghai Tunnels said to house kidnapped victims during the early 1900s.

Credit: Old Town Brewing

Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels

Explore the city’s infamous catacombs — and draw your own conclusions.

Updated Mar. 12, 2026 4 min read Old Town Chinatown

Maya Seaman

Maya Seaman is a SoCal-born writer who traded palm trees for pines when she moved to Portland in 2010. Read More

In the late 19th century, when Portland’s bars stretched entire city blocks, and the waterfront was a bustling hub for international maritime trade, a lonely logger might get more than he bargained for at his local tavern — like a one-way trip to the open seas.

Editor’s note: Travel Portland acknowledges the inherent racism of the term “Shanghai” to refer to the practice of kidnapping and enslaving laborers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We use the word here because it is the most widely searched term on the topic, and we want to connect visitors with accurate information.

stairs leading to underground Portland — Descend beneath the streets of Old Town Chinatown to learn the lore of the Shanghai tunnels.

The Legend of the Shanghai Tunnels

Beneath Old Town Chinatown, Portland’s original downtown, in the so-called Shanghai tunnels, truth mingles with myth. Local lore says that a labyrinth of interconnected basements, makeshift rooms and low-ceilinged tunnels reached the waterfront in the 1890s. Allegedly, this made it easy to sneak illegal goods, including opium and Prohibition-era alcohol — or kidnapped victims — onto waiting ships.

Questions About the Shanghai Tunnels

Can I tour the Shanghai tunnels?

The Shanghai tunnels are not to be explored alone, as many are unsafe or lead nowhere. Historical cave-ins and recent access changes mean the only way to see the tunnels is by taking a Haunted Shanghai Tunnel Tour underneath Old Town Pizza & Brewing.

How much does a Shanghai tunnel tour cost?

The 90-minute adults-only tour of the Shanghai tunnels costs $38 per person and includes beer samples and a pint at Old Town Brewing.

Where can I buy tickets for a tour of the Shanghai tunnels?

Tickets can be purchased at the Shanghai Tunnels Tour website.

What are the Shanghai tunnels?

The Shanghai tunnels were a series of interconnected basements, makeshift rooms and low-ceilinged tunnels under Portland beneath the area known today as Old Town Chinatown.

Where are the Shanghai tunnels?

The accessible portion of the Shanghai tunnels exists beneath Old Town Pizza & Brewing. The original connected network is said to have spanned much of Portland’s Old Town Chinatown neighborhood up to the docks of the Willamette River.

What were the Shanghai tunnels used for?

The tunnels under Portland allowed for easy transportation of goods (and, according to local legends, people) to and from the river to local businesses, avoiding streetcars, traffic and mud.

When were the Shanghai tunnels built and used?

The Shanghai tunnels were used from the mid-19th century through the early 1940s, when they were closed during World War II.

Are the Shanghai tunnels still used?

Most of the tunnels were sealed during World War II, so today, the remnants of the original Shanghai tunnels are used mainly for storage under buildings or as a tourist attraction for people to explore. Some trapdoors, which people supposedly dropped through, are still functional in Old Town Chinatown bars.

Where does the term “shanghaied” come from?

Historically, “shanghaiing” or “crimping” was the practice of kidnapping men and selling them as slaves to ship captains in need of crew. It was said to be common during the 1890s. Many believe the tunnels under Portland were used for this purpose, though there is no hard proof.

The legends originated in 1933 when writer Stewart Holbrook began publishing newspaper articles about 1890s Portland in the Sunday Oregonian. In these colorful tales, a sailor might begin drinking at Erickson’s Saloon — which featured a bar that was 684 feet (208 m) long — and wake up the next day onboard a ship on his way out to sea.

In the 1970s, Portland historian Michael P. Jones took an interest in the Shanghai tunnels. Jones began offering tours along with terrifying stories of forced prostitution, murder, ruined lives, and the underground catacombs that facilitated it all — and a classic weird Portland legend was born. Around the time of Jones’ passing in March 2020, his nonprofit, the Cascade Geographic Society, lost access to its tunnel tours due to changes in property ownership and the expiration of informal agreements.

The truth of the Shanghai tales is hotly debated. Many of the tunnels are currently inaccessible or collapsed, and little to no evidence exists to support these rumors. Still, it’s a great spooky story for those seeking tales of the macabre and a fun experience for first-time Portland visitors or people exploring the city on foot.

neon sign for Old Town Pizza hangs outside a building — Old Town Pizza sits in what was the Merchant Hotel in an area of Portland that used to be called the Old North End.

Shanghai Tunnel Walking Tour

Visitors wanting to learn more about the Portland underground can decide for themselves whether or not the legends are true by visiting a small section of the infamous tunnels with the Haunted Shanghai Tunnel Tour. The 90-minute tour begins at Old Town Pizza & Brewing in what was once the lobby of the luxurious Merchant Hotel, built in 1880 and reportedly one of the most haunted places in Portland.

a dark brick-walled hallway leading to a wooden stairway rising to a trapdoor — It’s not hard to imagine criminals dropping through hidden trapdoors to dodge the law.

an antique couch and wooden coffee table in a brick walled room — A place rich in history is not without its ghosts — will you see Portland's most famous phantom on your tour?

a wooden door opens to a crumbling brick entrance in an underground tunnel — Areas of Old Town Chinatown and downtown Portland are said to be connected by underground tunnels.

a dusty antique organ sitting in a brick-walled hallway — Tour the heart of the legendary Shanghai tunnels and explore Portland's dark underground on a tour at Old Town Pizza & Brewing.

empty chairs surrounding a wooden table in a dusty brick=walled room — The Shanghai tunnels tell a story of Portland's shady past.

people leaving the back of a brick building through an open metal gate — Take a tour below Old Town Pizza and learn about Portland's history.

Despite lore about tunnels that extend for miles beneath the city, the tour doesn’t go much farther than the shadowy basement of the building. Short brick passageways stop abruptly, though you can peek at long stretches of cobwebbed paths extending into the darkness.

From there, it’s up to your imagination, though it’s easy to picture gambling dens, criminals dropping through a hidden trapdoor to dodge the law, and more illicit deeds. After your tour, which includes a beer tasting and a local pint (including options for gluten-free cider), grab a slice of pizza upstairs at Old Town Pizza & Brewing. (You may find yourself seated next to the venue’s resident ghost, “Nina.”)

Exploring the Neighborhood

True or not, touring the tunnels makes for a great story — and a great starting point for exploring the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood and learning more about Portland history.

The Haunted Shanghai Tunnel Tour is only a block away from Lan Su Chinese Garden, an authentic Ming Dynasty-style garden built by Suzhou artisans. From there, it’s just a cross-walk to the legendary drag institution, Darcelle XV Showplace. Two blocks to the east, the Japanese American Historical Plaza overlooks the Willamette River.

You can also pay a visit to Goodies Snack Shop, which offers grab-and-go snacks and beverages and Asian pantry staples, and try a pastry and coffee at the nearby The Society Cafe. Or grab a bike at Cycle Portland Bike Tours & Rentals and explore more of the city and its many colorful tales at your own pace.

Halloween, History, Tours & Itineraries, Weird