It's that time of year, when the goblins and witches and vampires make a visit to your neighborhood. Maybe these are just kids dressed up in costumes but maybe, depending on where you live, maybe they are the real deal! We all know at least ONE haunted spot in San Francisco, do we not? There are plenty of stories of ghosts and unexplainable paranormal activity hailing from The Haight and unsolved mysteries and supernatural happenings dating far back into San Francisco Chinatown's history. There are the well known (and well experienced) hauntings of the Queen Anne and Palace hotels and then, there is Alcatraz (take the tour at night, try it, just once).
Of all the tours offered by San Francisco City Guides, there is one that is not to be missed. It's only offered once a year, on a very special, very scary night ... Halloween !! The "Ghost Walk at City Hall" tour sounds terrifyingly good ! You will take a walk through the haunted hallowed corridors of our beloved City Hall and hear all kinds of ghostly facts about the building and the spooky streets surrounding it. For example, did you know that the ground beneath Civic Center Plaza was once home to the city's largest cemetery (it was moved to Colma during construction of City Hall)? Leave your fear at the front door. If you want to find out more, join the tour and ask the tour's very knowledgeable guide, Rob Spoor.
If the possibility of a Poltergeist-esque experience is too much for you, come toward the light, Carol Ann, bring me the tennis ball marked ... oh, uh sorry about that, I meant to say -- then take a stroll down Fair Oaks between 25th and 24th in Noe Valley where the residents have their own version of Fright Night (aka All Hallow's Eve) planned for passers-by.
SF City Guides is a non-profit organization with trained volunteers who lead *free* history and architectural walking tours in San Francisco. They are sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library-- could they be any cooler ? I don't think so.
