Adventure Traveler Stories

Building 1801: The haunted army hospital in the Presidio, San Francisco.

I recently discovered that the site of the Zodiac killer’s last confirmed victim is in an area fairly close to my current residence in San Francisco. The unknown serial killer terrorized the city in the late 1960’s and claimed his last known victim on the corner of Washington and Cherry in Presidio Heights. In the spirit of Halloween (and because of my own morbid curiosity), I drove to the intersection on a foggy, moonlit night. Although nothing suspicious could be found in this sleepy area of the city, I began to research other haunted locations as autumn descended on the city. Constantly shrouded in fog and full of unique nooks and crannies, there is no greater location to spend a spooky fall night.

Although San Francisco is littered with ghostly abandoned buildings, old churches, and sprawling graveyards, there are a few notable spooky locations worth visiting (aside from Alcatraz). Along the eastern shore of the city, Point Lobos houses the remnants of the Sutro Baths, a once grand locale from the gilded era of San Francisco. Built by Adolf Sutro, a German-born engineering immigrant who became incessantly wealthy by designing a much safer way to mine for silver, the baths were popular until they burned to the ground in 1966 under suspicious circumstances. Nothing is left of this unique landmark except for a low stone wall and some twisted steel supports. In order to get the full effect of this haunted landmark, bring a candle and light it at the end of the underground tunnel ruins. The ghosts that haunt this area will throw it in the water on especially foggy evenings.

From here, head to the abandoned Army Hospital on Park Presidio. This dilapidated building, complete with boarded windows, chain link fences, and overgrown trees, has an eerie feeling as soon as you approach it. The large complex contains old medical equipment left to rust and surgical tables that still have IV tubes surrounding them. It is said that deceased soldiers haunt the halls and white orbs show up in photographs taken here. Be wary of this location, though, as police regularly patrol the area and pass out hefty fines for trespassing.

Another spooky location to visit is the Cameron House on Sacramento Street in Chinatown. This location, now converted to a church, once housed Chinese immigrants seeking refuge from prostitution. As the story goes, Lady Cameron, the owner of the house, sealed off the basement in order to conceal the women from police. Only a small entrance led to and from the basement. One fateful day, Cameron House caught fire killing everyone contained in the locked basement. It is unclear whether the fire was accidental or set by angry locals. Charms adorn the sealed doors to the basement, said to keep the spirits from escaping.

This All Hallows Eve, wander through the streets of your hometown and think about the history, the haunts and the happenings around every corner.

It’s no secret that my goal in life is to see a ghost. This endeavor has led me to some of the creepiest locations in the world in search of the paranormal. It is for this reason that I am a champion of ghost tours and graveyards. Full of history, graveyards are one of the most honest and interesting locations a traveler can venture. I understand that some people are squeamish amongst the dead; however, there are few places that encompass such a wealth of local history. From the tattered and dilapidated headstones of the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague to the regal mausoleums of the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, each location has something to offer.

The Père Lachaise Cemetery is arguably the most famous graveyard in the world, housing such powerhouse corpses as Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde. With its wide cobblestone paths and WWII monuments, there are few places in the world that compare to the peacefulness here. The Old Jewish Cemetery, in contrast, is filled with over 12,000 headstones stuck into the ground every which way in an attempt to conserve space. This jungle of stone and dirt is a unique experience for its lack of design and order.

Although the Père Lachaise provides detailed maps of the gravesites, most cemeteries do not. Therefore, another efficient way to see graveyards (and, in my opinion, much more entertaining) is to take a ghost tour of a particular place. I recently read an article in NatGeo about York, England – said to be the most haunted city the world. With the wealth of bloody history here, it’s no surprise that souls of the dead wander the streets.

During my time abroad, I’ve taken ghost tours almost everywhere I’ve traveled. This accounts to more than eight across three continents (and still no ghosts, unfortunately). The most disturbing experience, and by default the most interesting, would have to be the night tour of Port Arthur Prison in Tasmania, Australia. With a foggy and jagged coastline as the backdrop, a rich and gruesome past to recount, and nothing more than lanterns leading the way, this tour was plenty frightening without the ghosts.

Even if you aren’t jonesing for a spirit sighting, wandering around a local graveyard still tops the list as one of the best ways to learn about an area, get away from the main sights, and get some solace in otherwise crowded places.