Online Ghost Tour Coming to Stockton?

Yes, an online ghost tour could be coming to Stockton, California, in October, according to Recordnet.com.  The Downtown Stockton Alliance  recently unveiled a free self-guided online historical walking tour. The plan is to release a spookier version to coincide with Halloween.

Walk with Weber

Captain Charles M. Weber founded Stockton in 1849. The tour is called “Walk with Weber” in honor of him.

It includes 24 videos with descriptions, 23 of which are about tour locations plus an introduction.

Manuel Laguna, a retired downtown tour guide, narrates the tour, which is accessible on either smartphones or computers. (The intention is for people to access the tour on their smartphones as they walk around, but I accessed it via my laptop.)

The Locations

“Walk with Weber” starts at what is now called the B&M Building. According to the tour, it was built on the site of the Hotel Mexico, “a hotel that was rumored to be the center for corrupt politicians and Confederate sympathizers.” (I’m thinking that sounds like a great spot for ghost stories.)

Before it became the B&M Building, it was called the Philadelphia House, which became the Breidenbach Hotel in 1912, and then the Bridge & Mason house in 1925. It later was known as the B&M Bar or B&M Liquors. (So, yep, spirits did dwell there –or at least were once served there). This is the current home of Visit Stockton and the Downtown Stockton Alliance. So it makes for a natural starting point!

Other locations include:

• St. John’s Episcopal Church
• City Hall
• Fox California Theater
• Saint Mary’s Church
• Mansion House
• Masonic Temple
• Turn Verein
• Hotel Stockton

Just to name some of them. Like I mentioned above, there are 23 locations total.

Haunted Places Sneak Peek?

Based on another Recordnet.com story that came up when I Googled “Stockton” and “haunted places,” Manuel Laguna not only conducted historic tours of the city, but also ghost tours. A few of the locations in the “Walk with Weber” tour were also mentioned in the article about Laguna’s ghost tour.

Allegedly a ghost nicknamed Lydia haunts the B&M Building. But people have also reported smelling perfume and cigar smoke when there shouldn’t be any, have heard phantom piano music playing, and have also heard the sound of footsteps on empty floors.

Ghosts from people who were killed during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (which claimed 700 lives in Stockton) are thought to haunt the Mansion House.

And what would a city be without a haunted theater or hotel?

Is it past theater goers with an affinity for the building, or former vaudeville performers haunting the Fox California Theater? Maybe a combo of both? Not sure, but staff and visitors alike have reported ghost stories in the theater.

Apparently it wasn’t uncommon for guests of the Hotel Stockton (which no longer serves as a hotel) to report cold spots on the third floor, phantom footsteps in the fourth floor hallways, and music, dancing and partying coming from what was once the ballroom on the sixth floor. (It appears the hotel now serves as housing for fixed and low-income residents. Wonder if any have experienced paranormal activity?)

Take the Tour

If you ever find yourself in Stockton, you can “Walk with Weber” here: https://www.downtownstockton.org/walking-tour/

I’m sure it makes it even more interesting to learn about the sites as you’re standing in front of them, but you can even enjoy learning about the city’s history from the comfort of your own home. I did.