As Halloween approaches, Modesto residents are engaging in seasonal traditions such as decorating homes, visiting pumpkin patches, and watching horror films. The Modesto Bee’s Bee Curious series has highlighted several local sites with reputations for year-round paranormal activity.
Daydreams & Nightmares, a costume shop located at 1219 Seventh St., is known not only for its merchandise but also for reports of ghostly encounters. Owner Dana Walters has documented unusual incidents on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Before becoming a costume shop, the building was used as a funeral home and crematorium. Walters described an increase in unexplained events such as gusts of wind, shadows, and whispers since moving in. Surveillance footage posted online has attracted attention from paranormal investigation groups including Calaveras Paranormal, Nor Cal Paranormal, Chill Seekers TV, and the Skeleton Crew. In 2019, former Playboy star Bridget Marquardt visited the shop to participate in a ghost hunt with the Calaveras Paranormal Investigation Team.
Acacia Memorial Park at 801 Scenic Drive is one of Modesto’s oldest cemeteries and is considered by many to be haunted. Established by the Masonic Lodge in 1872 as a Masonic cemetery, it became Acacia Memorial Park in 1964 according to the city website. The site is part of four connected cemeteries known locally as the “Silent City” and was the first city cemetery with a dedicated section for veterans. Numerous visitors have reported strange sights and sounds through various online platforms.
The brick building at 800 E. Morris Ave., originally John Muir Elementary School built in 1923, later served as a community center after being purchased by the city in 1953. Reports from city workers included hearing children’s voices and footsteps even after it ceased operating as a school. A fire damaged the site on October 14, 2007, destroying about half of the city’s historical artifacts stored there; the remains were demolished in 2008.
The McHenry Mansion at 906 15th St., built in 1883, is recognized both for its Victorian architecture and stories of hauntings. Atlas Obscura notes that restoration efforts have not diminished local legends about ghosts on the property: “The mansion has been restored to its original glory after years of neglect and disrepair, but none of the alterations have done much to quell local legends about hauntings and strange occurrences at the site,” Atlas Obscura said. Guided tours are available Friday through Sunday without charge.
Dry Creek Running Trail stretches from La Loma Bridge to Claus Road and is another location cited for supernatural activity. Accounts shared online describe sightings of spirits along this popular recreation trail.
The McHenry Museum at 1402 I St., once Modesto Library until 1971, houses local history exhibits—and previously contained an allegedly haunted loom brought there in the 1970s. In a past interview with The Bee, late curator Heidi Warner recounted tales of mysterious weaving attributed to an unseen presence: “This loom…was brought to the museum some years ago…the length of cloth has grown…no one has been seen operating the loom.” The loom was destroyed during the same fire that affected John Muir Elementary School artifacts.
North Point Landing Shopping Center at 3848 McHenry Ave., formerly home to Blockbuster Video and Fuddruckers restaurant (which closed in early 2020), is linked to stories about a boy’s spirit haunting what was once a skate park on site. Former employees recounted unexplained phenomena involving store equipment and electronics: “After closing, he will activate battery operated toys that are sold in the store…and most frightening of all, he speaks to employees through the store sound system,” wrote Alice Ortega-Arnold on Facebook.
Residents interested in learning more or submitting questions can contact The Modesto Bee reporters via email or an online form.
