If you know even a little about San Francisco, there is no doubt that you’ve heard some pretty surreal and unbelievable urban legends about living in this city. Here are some of the eeriest and unexplainable San Francisco urban legends that we know you won’t forget anytime soon. Let’s see what these legends are about now:
- The Lady of Stow Lake
Patrick G/Flickr One of the biggest legends involves Golden Gate Park, specifically Stow Lake. The Lady of Stow Lake Legend is about a woman, who drowned in Stow Lake, after her toddler son fell overboard during a boat ride. The legend is essentially a ghost story that has inspired locals to visit Stow Lake after dark to see the woman in white, with spotty success. Have you seen this lady of Stow Lake?
- Dogs outnumber children in San Francisco
Joanne Cheung/Flickr This is a San Francisco urban legend that is true. Recent statistics don’t dispute this —- There are an estimated over 120,000 dogs in San Francisco, and the numbers are a bit lower in terms of the number of children, estimated to be around 113,000. That’s a lot of little legs running around the city by the bay!
- Alcatraz Prison is haunted
Jitze Couperus/Flickr The urban legends and stories surrounding Alcatraz are abundant. There have been stories of guards frightened from cold spots, nauseating smells, and a “presence” with red eyes that would chase them down the corridors. Are these true? Let’s just say this an urban legend with many angles.
- Golden Gate Park Ghost
Anthony G. Reyes/Flickr This is an urban legend that will spook most anyone. Apparently, if you drive to Golden Gate Park at night with your headlights off, a police officer will pull you over and give you a ticket. However, when you file the ticket, it shows that the cop doesn’t exist. Creepy? Yes.
- The “Sleeping Lady” of Mount Tamalpais
/:\ Road Warrior /:/Flickr Mount Tamalpais was home to Coastal Indian tribes for thousands of years, and was called “The Sleeping Maiden” for the Indian Princess asleep at the top of the mountain. This myth is debatable because others have claimed it has origins to a 19th-century romance written about Mt. Tamalpais. Hmmm.
- Chinatown Tunnels
Hillary Smith/Flickr The legend of secret tunnels under Chinatown has some factual basis. There may be a network of secret tunnels under Chinatown, which may have led to underground gambling and opium rings at one time. We need to dig deeper to see the truth of those claims.
- Sutro Forest Suicides
Harminder Dhesi/Flickr This legend began between 1899 and 1908 when several bodies were found in Sutro forest. The dense foliage of Sutro made suicide more discreet, so suicides increased. There are stories of un-recovered bodies, but if you believe these myths then the souls of these bodies will continue. Whatever way you look at this myth, it is eerie and mystifying.
- Sutro Bath Sacrifices
John Graham/Flickr This may be linked to notorious figure Anton LaVey and his Church of Satan, which was located near the Sutro Baths. Some rumors claim there have been human sacrifices performed at Sutro Baths. This is an urban legend full of a lot of unanswered questions.
Do you know of any other interesting San Francisco urban legends? We would love to learn about what you “know” in the comments section below. Eerie pics are also welcome!
Patrick G/Flickr
One of the biggest legends involves Golden Gate Park, specifically Stow Lake. The Lady of Stow Lake Legend is about a woman, who drowned in Stow Lake, after her toddler son fell overboard during a boat ride. The legend is essentially a ghost story that has inspired locals to visit Stow Lake after dark to see the woman in white, with spotty success. Have you seen this lady of Stow Lake?
Joanne Cheung/Flickr
This is a San Francisco urban legend that is true. Recent statistics don’t dispute this —- There are an estimated over 120,000 dogs in San Francisco, and the numbers are a bit lower in terms of the number of children, estimated to be around 113,000. That’s a lot of little legs running around the city by the bay!
Jitze Couperus/Flickr
The urban legends and stories surrounding Alcatraz are abundant. There have been stories of guards frightened from cold spots, nauseating smells, and a “presence” with red eyes that would chase them down the corridors. Are these true? Let’s just say this an urban legend with many angles.
Anthony G. Reyes/Flickr
This is an urban legend that will spook most anyone. Apparently, if you drive to Golden Gate Park at night with your headlights off, a police officer will pull you over and give you a ticket. However, when you file the ticket, it shows that the cop doesn’t exist. Creepy? Yes.
/:\ Road Warrior /:/Flickr
Mount Tamalpais was home to Coastal Indian tribes for thousands of years, and was called “The Sleeping Maiden” for the Indian Princess asleep at the top of the mountain. This myth is debatable because others have claimed it has origins to a 19th-century romance written about Mt. Tamalpais. Hmmm.
Hillary Smith/Flickr
The legend of secret tunnels under Chinatown has some factual basis. There may be a network of secret tunnels under Chinatown, which may have led to underground gambling and opium rings at one time. We need to dig deeper to see the truth of those claims.
Harminder Dhesi/Flickr
This legend began between 1899 and 1908 when several bodies were found in Sutro forest. The dense foliage of Sutro made suicide more discreet, so suicides increased. There are stories of un-recovered bodies, but if you believe these myths then the souls of these bodies will continue. Whatever way you look at this myth, it is eerie and mystifying.
John Graham/Flickr
This may be linked to notorious figure Anton LaVey and his Church of Satan, which was located near the Sutro Baths. Some rumors claim there have been human sacrifices performed at Sutro Baths. This is an urban legend full of a lot of unanswered questions.
For more facts and figures and great things to see, do, and enjoy here, you can visit the San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau website, as well as the official city guide Facebook page.
Also, if you’re curious about odd and fascinating attractions in this beautiful, world-renown city by the bay, then check out The One Place In San Francisco That Looks Like Something From Middle Earth.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Out and About in San Francisco December 24, 2022 Lysa Allman-Baldwin What are some other unknown things about San Francisco? In a city this diverse and historic, there are almost as many things widely recognized about it, as those that would be listed as “unknown things about San Francisco.” Among them is that the Summer of Love started here, the cable cars are classified as one-of-a-kind National Historical Monuments, and the Chinese fortune cookie was invented here, just to name a few. What can you do in Golden Gate Park? There is a long list of things you can do in Golden Gate Park because it is massive, spanning approximately 1,017 acres. Try a few of these things to see, do, and enjoy there. for starters:
10 amazing lakes The Conservatory of Flowers The Dutch Windmill The California Academy of Sciences
Where are the best places to eat in San Francisco? The best places to eat in San Francisco are literally everywhere! This is a foodie town and because so many distinctive cultures live there you can find gastronomic adventures from literally every corner of the globe. You really cannot get a bad meal so it just comes down to what you have a taste for at any given time period here are just a few spots to get your taste buds warmed up for all of the epicurean goodness:
AsiaSF House of Nanking Tadich Grill The Tartine Manufactory Woodhouse Fish Co. (two locations) The Old Jerusalem Restaurant
The OIYS Visitor Center
Out and About in San Francisco
December 24, 2022
Lysa Allman-Baldwin
What are some other unknown things about San Francisco? In a city this diverse and historic, there are almost as many things widely recognized about it, as those that would be listed as “unknown things about San Francisco.” Among them is that the Summer of Love started here, the cable cars are classified as one-of-a-kind National Historical Monuments, and the Chinese fortune cookie was invented here, just to name a few. What can you do in Golden Gate Park? There is a long list of things you can do in Golden Gate Park because it is massive, spanning approximately 1,017 acres. Try a few of these things to see, do, and enjoy there. for starters:
10 amazing lakes The Conservatory of Flowers The Dutch Windmill The California Academy of Sciences
Where are the best places to eat in San Francisco? The best places to eat in San Francisco are literally everywhere! This is a foodie town and because so many distinctive cultures live there you can find gastronomic adventures from literally every corner of the globe. You really cannot get a bad meal so it just comes down to what you have a taste for at any given time period here are just a few spots to get your taste buds warmed up for all of the epicurean goodness:
AsiaSF House of Nanking Tadich Grill The Tartine Manufactory Woodhouse Fish Co. (two locations) The Old Jerusalem Restaurant
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
In a city this diverse and historic, there are almost as many things widely recognized about it, as those that would be listed as “unknown things about San Francisco.” Among them is that the Summer of Love started here, the cable cars are classified as one-of-a-kind National Historical Monuments, and the Chinese fortune cookie was invented here, just to name a few.
What can you do in Golden Gate Park?
There is a long list of things you can do in Golden Gate Park because it is massive, spanning approximately 1,017 acres. Try a few of these things to see, do, and enjoy there. for starters:
- 10 amazing lakes
- The Conservatory of Flowers
- The Dutch Windmill
- The California Academy of Sciences
Where are the best places to eat in San Francisco?
The best places to eat in San Francisco are literally everywhere! This is a foodie town and because so many distinctive cultures live there you can find gastronomic adventures from literally every corner of the globe. You really cannot get a bad meal so it just comes down to what you have a taste for at any given time period here are just a few spots to get your taste buds warmed up for all of the epicurean goodness:
- AsiaSF
- House of Nanking
- Tadich Grill
- The Tartine Manufactory
- Woodhouse Fish Co. (two locations)
- The Old Jerusalem Restaurant
