San Diego Ghosts: Gaslamp Haunted Tour

Bask in the glorious and gory nightly horrors waiting for you inside San Diego’s infamous Gaslamp District. Step out of the sun and into the night to meet the spirits of the city’s past.

Join San Diego Ghosts to venture through the salacious history of San Diego’s famous entertainment district and the tormented souls forever stuck there. Book your San Diego walking ghost tour tonight for a haunting experience you’ll never forget.

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Book Your San Diego Ghost Tour Tonight!

A tour guide holding a lanternHaunted Building San Diego

San Diego Ghosts: Gaslamp Haunted Tour

Our walking ghost tour of San Diego takes you to the most haunted locations to learn about the historical and real stories behind their terrifying hauntings. Learn the tragic tales and mishaps that created the ripe world of ghostly intrigue that swirls around the iconic California city today. Want to learn more about San Diego’s haunted history? Add the extended tour to get all the eerie experiences together in one night.

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Meeting Location: The Balboa Theatre in Horton Plaza Park at 868 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

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Starting Time: Ghost tours are held nightly at 8 PM, rain or shine!

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Pet Policy: Pets are welcomed!

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Alcohol Policy: No Drinking Permitted

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Adults Only: No

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Where to Meet, Park, and Directions

The Balboa Theatre in Horton Plaza Park at 868 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

We recommend parking near the Balboa Theatre. To see options, click below. Use parkme.com for more parking locations.

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Reshma Zachariah

Five Stars

Really cute historical tour of downtown San Diego! I currently live in San Diego and learnt a lot of new stuff I didn't know before this tour, and I t...

10.12.24

Simon Chambers

Five Stars

Our tour guide Fernando was very good, he showed amazing historical knowledge and told all the stories perfectly. He answered all the questions we ask...

09.12.24

Scott Strong

Five Stars

Great scary stories & amazing host! Thank you

09.08.24

Read All Reviews

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Tour Preview: Where You’ll Go

Horton Grand Hotel

One of the oldest and most haunted hotels in San Diego, the Horton Grand Hotel is full of gamblers, outlaws, and murderous criminals. Room 309 is a hotspot of activity, with flickering lights and a mischievous spirit tormenting guests late into the night.

William Heath Davis House

A museum dedicated to the 19th-century history of the Gaslamp District, the William Heath Davis House is so haunted by the victims of Yellow Fever that staff members have contracted mysterious illnesses within its walls.

Prohibition Lounge

The former San Diego morgue has been transformed into a chic 1920s-themed bar. Since its construction, the Prohibition Lounge has been a place where things often go wrong for unexplainable reasons.

The Hauntings of San Diego

The “birthplace of California” has a turbulent history that traces its roots to the foundation of the state’s oldest city. Due to the raucous nature of the people who founded it, hauntings here occur at a level unheard of anywhere else in California. Looking into the hazy nighttime atmosphere of the Gaslamp District, a neighborhood infested with these irregular entities, is like taking a step back in time. The Victorian gas lamps, from which the district derives its name, almost act like flames, and the ghosts are their moths.

 

San Diego was founded in 1769 and has been distraught with violence and bloodshed since. However, the city’s seediest area did not develop until 1867. The modern-day Gaslamp District was partly a pit of pestilence and prostitution known as “Stingree.” Here, under the dim flicker of the night, between the luxurious hotels and Victorian mansions, death and chaos reigned supreme.

 

Great lawmakers and outlaws like Wyatt Earp made their way to San Diego at the end of the 19th century. Local rumors say that their gambling days never ended. Although Stingree didn’t last forever, the grand theatres, hotels, and the phantoms that watch over these sinful streets remain behind. Remnants of the Gaslamp district’s past are lurking everywhere you look.

 

The Most Haunted Places in San Diego, CA

 

Many stories of unexplained activity in San Diego revolve around the Whaley House. Once the site of hangings and terrible, life-ending accidents, this house is one of the most haunted in the entire United States. The El Camp Santo Cemetery is the second oldest cemetery in San Diego and is full of apparitions and strange electrical malfunctions.

 

The Robinson-Rose House, a replica of a 19th-century home that burned down, is said to be the forever home of the important judge who once lived here. Even the far reaches of America’s Finest City are plagued with unearthly activity. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse sits at the very edge of the city. It hosts several otherworldly events, including a low demonic moaning and heavy fog.

Reasons to Take the San Diego Ghost Tour

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You’ve already hit the beach

It’s true: San Diego is known for its sun-kissed beaches, which is exactly why it’s such a sought-after vacation destinat ... ion. But after splashing around in the ocean and burying your feet in the sand, you may be ready to switch things up. Join San Diego Ghosts on a curated one-hour tour around downtown San Diego, and experience a different side of the city that only few know. Skip the sunburn and visit places like the Gaslamp District’s Yuma Building, which acts as a strange meeting place of real-life crime and otherworldly, paranormal activity. There’s so much more to this one-of-a-kind city than its waterfront access, and your party is sure to never forget this unique, spooky experience.

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You want to experience a different side of San Diego

Do you want to travel like a local, but still want to visit the top sites San Diego has to offer? Look no further than a walk ... ing tour with San Diego Ghosts. Through this hair-rising journey, you’ll be able to explore some of the city’s most prominent locales, such as the 150-year-old Davis-Horton House. Here, you’ll learn about both its fascinating history as a makeshift World War II hospital, in addition to learning about its ghostly resident….a Victorian-era woman who’s been known to pace outside of the upstairs nursery at night. Hear the chilling tales that have been passed down by San Diego locals for generations, and make one-of-a-kind memories you and your family will never forget.

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You’re tired of watching documentaries

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the world of streaming, but don’t you want to experience the bone-chilling sights and soun ... ds of San Diego’s most haunted destinations for yourself? Log off of Netflix and set down the TV remote to see some of SoCal’s most terrifying locales in-person with a tour from San Diego Ghosts. Follow us on a hair-raising adventure around the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter, known for its seedy history as the city’s former Red Light District. Stop by the infamous Yuma Building, an old brothel that was raided by law enforcement officers in the early 20th century as part of an attempt to weed out prostitution in the area. Today, strange phantoms have been seen roaming the building, perhaps, the ghosts of long-dead women of the night who spent their lives here prior to the Stingaree Raid of 1912.

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You’re a history buff who wants to learn more about San Diego’s ghostly residents

San Diego has a lot to offer in the way of history. From the centuries-old pueblas of Old Town to the brick-paved sidewalks o ... f the Gaslamp, this city is oozing with years’ worth of fascinating tales and legends. But do you know about the lesser-known side of San Diego history? Ghost stories are often a direct reflection of different time periods, and can give us detailed, first-person accounts of what it was truly like to live in a certain era. And in many cases, life was far from easy. Follow along on a one-hour curated walking tour of downtown San Diego, and learn all about prominent historical figures like Captain Alfred Henry Wilcox, a wealthy real estate mogul who’s rumored to still wander the Yuma Building from beyond the grave. Who knows? You might just learn something new.

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You know all about San Diego’s Navy history…kind of

You’ve already explored the USS Midway, the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Point Loma, and have even snapped a picture next ... to the iconic “kissing sailor” statue. So what’s next? Expand your knowledge and understanding of Navy culture by diving into the strange and inexplicable with a tour from San Diego Ghosts. Learn about the cursed remnants of World War II, which can be seen and experienced inside of the notoriously haunted Balboa Theater. This historic building was once used as a makeshift barracks for the US Navy during the war, and is rumored to have a mysteriously dark energy. Do the spirits of long-departed sailors still roam these darkened corridors to this day? Come see for yourself.

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You and your friends want a spooky outing

It’s not difficult to find a good scare in San Diego. If you and your party are looking to explore the city after the sun g ... oes down, follow us on a curated ghost tour around the historic Gaslamp Quarter and prepare to hear hair-raising stories about San Diego’s tormented past. Explore a cursed side of this SoCal metropolis, and hear authentic accounts of past and present-day hauntings. It’s sure to be a refreshing and memorable switch-up from your normal vacation routine, and will certainly send a shiver up your spine.

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A tour guide holding a lantern

San Diego Ghosts: Gaslamp Haunted Tour

Join a chilling, historic trek through the haunted history of the Gaslamp District.

Meeting LocationTour Meeting Location: All tours meet outside the Balboa Theatre in Horton Plaza Park at 868 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101.

Tour TimeTour Times: Daily at 8PM

Tour LengthTour Length: Approximately 1 hour

Tour WeatherGhost tours are held nightly, rain or shine!

A tour guide pointing at a building

Old Cali and the War for the West: Gaslamp District Experience

Join a tour that brings to life the city’s former red-light district characterized by drinking, gambling, and pleasure of all kinds. Discover the historic buildings that once functioned as saloons, gaming halls, opium dens, and brothels, and take in the impressive array of architecture with a side of spicy anecdotes during this walking tour.

Meeting LocationTour Meeting Location: Meet your tour guide at the Gaslamp Quarter Sign, at 199 5th Avenue in San Diego.

Tour TimeTour Times: Daily at 2PM

Tour LengthTour Length: Approximately 2 hours

Tour WeatherGhost tours are held nightly, rain or shine!

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