We’ve all been asked the classic childhood question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Adults love this question. Most kids say a firefighter, a doctor, a pilot…
But as a child of the 80s, my career ambitions were entirely consumed by the supernatural. I was certain that I would grow up one day, strap on a proton pack, and save the city from a Class 5 full-roaming vapor. (A direct result of highly targeted marketing campaigns, I'm sure.) The toys in my room would prove this to be true.
The Kenner Ghostbusters Ghost Zapper Projector and Reel Toy (1984)
A tiny projector that beamed Slimer and other ghosts right onto your wall. It was the best.
Now, I don’t know if it’s this walk down memory lane or the 100° weather we’ve been having in San Diego that’s making it feel like actual Hell, but it seems like the perfect time to talk about my recent hunt for the paranormal.
It is October, after all.
And since US Ghost Adventures kindly invited me out to test-drive their Sinister Shadows of San Diego Ghost Tour, I figured it was about time I brave the supernatural.
SO, WHAT DOES A THURSDAY NIGHT WITH US GHOST ADVENTURES LOOK LIKE?
You meet your guide in front of the Balboa Theatre. They are holding a lantern. Because of course they are.
From there, you embark on a flat, 1-mile walk through the Gaslamp District where your tour guide highlights accounts of paranormal activity mixed with small bites of history. It takes about an hour.
An important thing to note: this is strictly an outside walking tour. If you’re picturing yourself stepping inside historic buildings with an EMF meter (which you can rent), and scanning the space for spirits like Egon Spengler (I may have psyched myself up for this), it’s best to gently set those expectations aside.
With that in mind, back to the tour!
Follow the light.
LISTEN, YOU SMELL SOMETHING?
I won't give away all the tour's secrets as half the fun of booking one of these things is to experience it for yourself. But the route hits some major landmarks downtown.
You’ll walk past historic spots like the Horton Grand Hotel, a beautiful piece of Victorian architecture built in 1886. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is said to be haunted by Roger Whittaker, a 19th-century gambler. If you’re feeling brave, you can even book a stay in Room 309, the site where he was murdered.
The corner 3rd floor room is “the room”.
Do these places just add random decor to exaggerate the haunted vibe?
This mirror feels less like a genuine historic relic and more like something off the shelf at Spirit Halloween. According to our guide, a previous tour guest snapped a photo and saw a mysterious figure reflecting in this glass, so obviously, I had to try. As you can see I got nothing, though standing at the right angle one could see their own reflection. I’m not calling the lady’s bluff but I think you can see what I’m getting at…
Our guide in front of the Davis-Horton House.
Kitty-corner from the hotel sits the historic Davis-Horton House. Built in 1850, it’s downtown San Diego’s oldest surviving structure. People have reported seeing shadowy figures and a ghostly woman dressed in Victorian attire gazing out from the second-story windows. I’d never heard this story, and will look for this whenever I walk past this house now. I’ll be sure to update if I ever come across a sighting.
Unexplainable lights have also been said to occur after the museum hours on the second floor...
A couple of blocks away, the tour stops at the Prohibition Lounge, a modern-day speakeasy operating out of a former city morgue. If you’re lucky you might be able to grab a quick peek inside. (We did) The bar itself has a stylish, 1920’s vibe that’s not at all spooky, though I imagine closing the place down alone at 2AM tells a completely different story.
The final stop on my short list of highlights brings us to the Yuma Building, located in the heart of San Diego's former red-light district. Back then, the Stingaree District as it was called, was a gritty, wild west landscape sprawling with saloons, illegal gambling halls, and brothels run by guys like Wyatt Earp, maybe you've heard of him?
Constructed in the 1880s, the Yuma Building originally operated as a prominent brothel and was the first establishment shut down when authorities launched the Stingaree Raid in 1912. Naturally, the tour’s ghost stories claim the upper floors are still haunted by the women who worked the rooms back then.
I AIN’T AFRAID OF NO GHOST (MOSTLY BECAUSE I DIDN’T SEE ONE)
If you believe a one-hour tour is going to put you face-to-face with a poltergeist, that’s a delusion only slightly worse than Hollywood's attempts to reboot the Ghostbusters franchise. Not that I wasn’t hopeful, though. Maybe downtown San Diego is simply too loud for the afterlife, or maybe they only come out after 2AM, once the bars close and the streets are quiet. Still, the neighborhood legends are entertaining enough to fill the void, giving you plenty of eerie history even if the spirits themselves are a no-show.
If you’re curious about the experience, I can save you a couple of bucks! ✨
Head over to US Ghost Adventures and use promo code ROADSIDE10 at checkout for 10% off your booking.
