San Diego Gaslamp Ghost Tour: True Crime Stories at 30+ Sites

The only downtown ghost tour that actually enters the buildings where the hauntings happen.

A walking ghost tour through San Diego's Gaslamp District with a live English-speaking guide, covering over 30 locations and true crime stories tied to the area's history of gunslingers, brothels, serial killers and active hauntings. You enter two buildings on the tour (the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House and a famously haunted hotel), which competing tours cannot access. The tour lasts two hours and includes historically accurate storytelling from trained guides. Children under 10 are not recommended.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Downtown San Diegopassing by
2. Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House20m · entry included

Explore Gaslamp Ghost Tour Downtown

• Visit over 30 ghostly locations
• Learn about Wyatt Earp's history
• See San Diego’s Bizarre Zoo downtown
• Explore an active haunted hotel lobby and bar
• Watch videos of haunted rooms 209 and 309
• Visit the historic hospital house with ghost stories

The experience

The Gaslamp District's downtown core holds more than a century of dark history, and this tour walks you through over 30 locations tied to it. You'll learn where Wyatt Earp gambled and drank, hear about San Diego's two serial killers, discover a German spy hideout, and stand in front of the sites where murders happened and ghosts are still reported. The guide is a trained storyteller who knows the neighborhood's actual past, not a corporation reading from a script. You move at a brisk pace with breaks at each location, so bring walking shoes and plan on two hours.

What separates this tour from others is the access: you actually enter the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House, a former hospital where guests have reported being pushed by unseen hands and catching mysterious shapes on camera. You also get close to the famously haunted hotel's rooms 309 and 209, where visitors experience cold chills and glowing orbs: the guide shows you videos of the rooms themselves and shares the stories tied to them. Most other tours stop outside these buildings and point. You walk inside.

The tour covers the bizarre and obscure: a musician who committed suicide twice, the location of the downtown Death Zone, the secrets of the Glass Marble Exchange, and the Raids of the Stingaree. You'll also learn about canine celebrities and the active haunted sites ghost hunters consider the most active in San Diego. The stories are tied to real people and real crimes, not invented for effect. Use the bathroom before you start: public restrooms are scarce in the area.

What’s included

• A two-hour walking tour through over 30 locations in downtown San Diego.
• entry to the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House.
• access to a famously haunted hotel with video footage of its active rooms.
• historically accurate ghost stories and true crime accounts.
• a live English-speaking guide trained in storytelling.
• breaks at each location.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 18:00 and 19:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 54 years) · Senior (55 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 9 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and delivers the stories as a trained storyteller, so you follow the narrative comfortably even if you're not familiar with San Diego's history: the guide fills in the context. The two-hour walking pace with breaks works for most fitness levels, though the brisk movement and scarce bathrooms mean it suits travelers who can walk steadily for stretches and plan ahead.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (2 to 9 years); Infant (under 2): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What kind of stories does the guide tell on the San Diego Gaslamp ghost tour?

The guide covers true crime and dark history: serial killers, gunslingers, brothels, murders, hauntings and the bizarre history of the neighborhood. You'll learn about Wyatt Earp, a German spy hideout, the Stingaree raids, and specific locations where deaths occurred and ghosts are still reported by visitors.

Can I actually go inside buildings on the Gaslamp ghost tour, or do we just walk past them?

You enter two buildings: the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House, a former hospital with reported paranormal activity, and you get access to a famously haunted hotel where you'll hear stories of rooms 309 and 209 and see video footage of them. Most other downtown tours cannot enter these locations.

How long does the San Diego Gaslamp ghost tour take?

The tour lasts two hours and covers over 30 locations at a brisk walking pace with breaks at each stop. You'll need comfortable walking shoes and should use the bathroom beforehand, as public restrooms are extremely scarce in the area.

What is the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House, and why is it part of the tour?

The Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House is a former hospital where people came to die, with a dramatic history tied to San Diego's past. Guests have reported mysterious activity there (being pushed by unseen hands and catching strange shapes on camera), and you enter it during the tour to hear the stories and experience the location firsthand.

Does the tour include jump scares or actors jumping out at you?

No. The tour relies on historically accurate storytelling and the actual locations, not theatrical effects or surprise scares. The guide shares true crime stories and ghost accounts tied to real people and real events in the Gaslamp District.