We Did Not Set Out to Build Flagstaff's Most Reviewed Tour Company
We set out to tell stories that deserved to be told.
The Story Behind the Stories
Freaky Foot Tours started in 2015 with less than $150, a handful of stories, and a belief that Flagstaff deserved a tour company that treated its history with the depth it earned. No franchise template. No corporate script. Just two people who loved this town and knew how to tell a story.
Ten years later, FFT operates in three Arizona cities with nearly 1,000 verified reviews and a 4.9-star average. The company grew entirely through word of mouth and organic reviews. No paid ads, ever. The product is the marketing.
When Route 66 turned 100, the team saw a story that nobody was telling the way it deserved. The road that built Flagstaff. The road that still runs through the middle of town. A century of history, hiding in plain sight on a street people drive every day.
Most tour companies would look at Route 66 and see a photo op. We looked at it and saw a century of stories that nobody was telling. So we told them.
Meet Your Guides
Mike Miller
Storyteller with a knack for making history feel personal.
"Mike was a terrific guide and we enjoyed learning more about Flagstaff's Route 66 history."Julia S, TripAdvisor (Route 66 tour)
Steve Benning
Brings the characters of Route 66 to life with humor and heart.
"Steven is extremely knowledgeable, and an excellent storyteller."Tracy B, TripAdvisor
Jamey Hasapis
Deep researcher who finds the stories nobody else tells.
"We really enjoyed his stories and personality. The tour was neat."Regan, Google
Why This Tour Exists
Most Route 66 content is surface-level: a photo with a vintage filter, a list of "must-see" stops pulled from the same five blog posts. We wanted to go deeper. Original research by a published historian. 16 verified stops. Months of archival work.
This tour was developed by Susan Johnson, a published historian who spent months in archives, walked the route dozens of times, and uncovered stories that do not appear in any guidebook or app. It was funded by a $4,250 grant from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona.
Our Approach
The Research
Published historian Susan Johnson spent months in archives, walking the route, and digging into the stories most people drive past. Every story verified through primary sources.
The Guides
Trained storytellers, not script-readers. Every guide goes through FFT's training program to learn the stories, the pacing, and the art of making history feel personal.
The Experience
90 minutes. 16 stops. Both the 1926 original alignment and the 1934 reroute. You do not just learn about Route 66. You walk it.
By the Numbers
What Makes Us Different
- Every tour is backed by original archival research, not recycled Wikipedia content.
- Guides are trained storytellers who know Flagstaff personally.
- The company has never relied on paid ads. Nearly 1,000 organic reviews prove the experience.
- Part of a connected ecosystem: history tours, ghost tours, pub crawls, merch.
- Grant-funded by the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona.
The Freaky Foot Tours Family
History by day, haunts by night.
Walk Flagstaff's Route 66 history in the afternoon, then come back for the ghost tour after dark.
Flagstaff Ghost Tour →Explore all Flagstaff tours.
Haunted history, pub crawls, mural tours, and more. Ten years of storytelling in three Arizona cities.
Freaky Foot Tours →Take Route 66 home with you.
Route 66 stickers, t-shirts, and Arizona-inspired gear from the Weird and Wild West collection.
Weird & Wild West →The Stories Are Better in Person
Ten years of storytelling. Three cities. One thousand reviews. And now, Route 66 turns 100.
As Seen In