Craft Atmospheric Horror in San Francisco, California

Every crooked street leads somewhere cursed

A cute trolley ghost riding a haunted rail in San Francisco, California

Fog drapes the hills of San Francisco, California like a shroud, softening the city’s edges while hiding its secrets. Known for its cable cars and colorful row houses, this coastal hub also carries a haunted pulse beneath its steep streets and seaside cliffs.

From vanished prisoners on Alcatraz Island to whispers heard near the ruins of Sutro Baths, San Francisco offers more than postcard views. For horror writers, it’s a city where beauty and unease move side by side, where the fog doesn’t just roll in, it listens.

5 Fog-Drenched Haunts from San Francisco

  • The Queen Anne Hotel, once a Victorian-era girls' school, is said to be haunted by the ghost of its former headmistress. Guests in Room 410 often report their blankets being tucked around them or belongings gently moved overnight.

  • Beneath the streets of the Presidio, old military tunnels still exist, many of which are sealed off. Urban explorers have claimed to hear marching boots echo through the concrete and smell gunpowder with no visible source.

  • Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park is home to the legend of the "White Lady," a woman said to have drowned while searching for her missing child. Sightings of her ghost walking the edge of the water have been reported for over a century.

  • Portsmouth Square, now a busy public plaza in Chinatown, sits atop what was once a Gold Rush-era burial ground. Locals speak of cold gusts, flickering lights, and shadowy figures passing silently through the night.

  • Near the Cliff House, the remains of a long-lost shipwreck sometimes appear at low tide. Beachgoers have reported hearing ship bells and cries for help carried in on the wind, even when the shore is empty.

A photo of the haunted Queen Anne hotel in San Francisco, California

Explore the Haunted Corners of San Francisco

San Francisco may be famous for its fog and charm, but its haunted past still lingers in hidden corners and iconic sites.

San Francisco Horror Writing Prompts

  • While exploring the ruins of the Sutro Baths at low tide, your protagonist discovers a stone staircase beneath the waterline. When they descend, the tide doesn't follow, and the air gets warmer the deeper they go.

  • During a foggy morning in the Presidio, your character finds dozens of black umbrellas stabbed into the ground like gravemarkers, each one dripping with red wax. A sign nearby reads, Forecast: Closure.

  • At a Chinatown herbal shop, your character buys a preserved root said to cure “night hunger.” That evening, they wake to find bite marks on the floorboards and muddy handprints on the ceiling.

  • While staying at a small inn near Fisherman’s Wharf, your character wakes to the smell of boiling saltwater. The bathtub is filled with crabs, all dead, except one, which is clawing a message into the porcelain wall.

  • While hiking Twin Peaks at night, your protagonist finds a circle of people staring at the fog. As the clouds part, everyone starts pointing toward the city lights below, whispering in unison, That’s where it ends.

  • Your character takes the elevator in the Transamerica Pyramid and hits “Lobby,” but the buttons change mid-ride. When the doors open, they step into an underground platform where trains arrive with no doors, only a wide, empty mouth.

What Sinister Stories and Sights Await Writers in San Francisco?

  • Alcatraz is considered one of the most haunted sites in the U.S. Visitors report footsteps, screams, and cell doors slamming shut, especially in Cell Block D.

  • Yes. The Lady in White is said to wander near Stow Lake, searching for her lost child. Her ghost allegedly appears near the water at night.

  • Try staying at The Queen Anne Hotel, once a girls’ boarding school. Guests report a protective ghost that tucks in blankets and moves objects gently.

  • Lands End Trail and the foggy steps near Coit Tower are strangely quiet after dusk. Many writers use the shadows and shifting mist as story fuel.

  • Yes. Hitchcock’s Vertigo and The Fog were filmed here, and local legends have inspired countless short stories and supernatural thrillers.

  • Try the Sutro Baths ruins or the Presidio’s old military buildings. Both offer ocean views, isolation, and a whiff of decay, perfect for drafting something eerie.

Beneath the Fog, the Past Still Breathes

Move beyond San Francisco and uncover more dark travel spots or enter The Horror Hub for story tools soaked in mystery.

Previous

San Diego, California
Next

San Jose, California