Ghosts & Gravestones San Diego: Old Town Ghost Tour Review (+ Alternatives)

Do you believe in ghosts?

San Diego is known for its magnificent beaches, picture-perfect weather, and amazing things to see and explore. But America’s Finest City also has a darker, ominous side, renowned for its ghostly happenings. If you are interested in the mystic and ghostly stories of San Diego, I highly recommend you go on this Old Town Ghost Tour: Ghosts and Gravestones.

Mysterious occurrences, murders, untimely deaths, and disturbed cemetery plots. It’s no wonder the spirits can’t rest. Ghosts, however, don’t celebrate holidays. So Halloween and Day of the Dead aren’t the only times you can experience strange manifestations.

Also read:
Most haunted places in San Diego
Ultimate Old Town Guide
The Whaley House Story
Most Haunted Hotels in San Diego
Halloween in San Diego

Ghosts and Gravestone Tour – Old Town Ghost Tour

Wanting to know more about San Diego’s ghastly (or ghostly) history, we booked a 1.5-hour Ghosts & Gravestones Old Town Ghost Tour that introduced us to Old Town’s most notorious haunts. Led by an expert guide, we traveled back in time to learn the historical events contributing to a host of strange occurrences and paranormal activities that have happened here and continue even to this day.

Our guide donned black pants, a torn white shirt with religious talismans, a black vest and hat, and carried a shovel. He introduced Old Town’s dark history before we headed to our first stop.

El Campo Santo Cemetery Old Town

El Campo Santo Cemetery is home to numerous paranormal occurrences. Built in 1849, the graveyard was used until 1897. Though 477 bodies are buried here, unfortunately not all retained their tombs. Grave markers on the sidewalk and street across from the cemetery mark burial sites now outside the cemetery walls. Until 1894, a streetcar line and road were literally built through the original graveyard boundaries. Who would find peace with that?

Our guide shared tales of several of the unsavory characters of Old Town’s rough-and-tumble past. Their apparitions are often seen in the cemetery. A man in 19th-century garb is said to float above the ground.  It’s reported that alarms from cars parked on the street graves often go off despite no one being near the vehicle. 

The Whaley House

Just a few blocks from the cemetery, the Whaley House is not only one of the most historic landmarks in the city, but it is also San Diego’s most haunted. Built on the site of former gallows, it has even been dubbed “the most haunted house in America” by Time Magazine and the Travel Channel’s America’s Most Haunted. One of the executed was James “Yankee Jim” Robinson. Sentenced to death by hanging, this tall outlaw was slowly strangled to death in a botched execution.

Thomas Whaley purchased the reputedly cursed property in 1852. Though he personally witnessed Robinson’s execution and others on-site, he was determined to build his house here. Soon after the family moved in, they began hearing heavy footsteps and experienced other strange occurrences. Tragedy after tragedy ensued. The Whaleyes’ infant son died of Scarlet Fever, and their daughter fatally shot herself in the chest after a failed marriage. For the full story, read our Whaley House article.

Paranormal activity in the home has continued over the years. Workers and visitors alike have seen former inhabitants of Whaley House numerous times. Lights turn off and on at will, lamps sway for no reason, and baby cries and footsteps are often heard. 

The tour visits the courtyard and grounds and never goes inside. If you want to go inside, I recommend this evening tour of the Whaley House.

Pioneer Park Old Town

Hopping on a black ghost-mobile trolley, we then headed to Pioneer Park, aka Graveyard Park.  Lanterns in hand, we strolled past massive trees along the grounds to a series of gravestones near a wooded area.

Originally called Calvary Cemetery, the 19^th century Catholic burial ground fell into disuse and disrepair over the years. In 1968, the land was donated to the city for a community park. As if the 4,000-plus dead buried here never existed, their headstones were removed and thrown into a ditch. A group in the 80s recovered some of the tombstones and placed them in the park as a remembrance. Later, a large in-ground memorial was added, listing the names of the many deceased still resting here. But are they still resting?

During the day, the park is perfect for picnics. But in the stillness of the night, strange things happen here. The spirit of a woman wanders the grounds, confused and disoriented. Orbs have been captured in photos. Residents report flashes of light floating in the park, and radios turn on in the middle of the night. Electromagnetic readers brought in by paranormal experts and ghost hunters literally spike off the charts.

As we headed back to Old Town, we all agreed that whether you believe in ghosts or not, the tour is an absolute must-do. For visitors, the previously unknown history of the area is fascinating. And guides do an incredible job of setting the mood and telling the tales of occurrences beyond the grave.

Reservations for this Old Town ghost tour are required, with a restricted number of tour participants. This is a walking tour, and the tour may not be suitable for children under 13. Click here to reserve your tickets for this awesome Old Town ghost tour.

Old Town Ghost Tour Alternatives

Old Town Ghost Tours FAQs

Old Town Ghost Tour was written by Noreen Kompanik for SanDiegoExplorer.

Old Town Ghost Tour – Pin for later:

Last Updated on September 22, 2026 by Maria Haase

The post Ghosts & Gravestones San Diego: Old Town Ghost Tour Review (+ Alternatives) appeared first on San Diego Explorer.