Sorry for the late reply! I'm guessing by now you've already figured out what you want to do, but to answer your question:
There's a few options for compacting: the plate compactor (push mower size), the tamping rammer (like a jackhammer), and the hand compactor (a pole with a square plate on...
Yep, crusher run is just ground up rock, the sharp kind, but comes in different sizes (think gravel driveway). We have very clayey soil in my area, and compact the 1" sized CR into the soil in horse barns to help with drainage and to "solidify" the dirt in the stalls so they're not squishy with...