Gaslamp Quarter: Historic True Crime Tour
4.6
204 Ratings
San Diego
Step into the dark side of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter on a Historical True Crime Tour. Explore the area's haunting past and learn about notorious murders and crimes that took place in this historic district.
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Horton Grand Hotel - Entertaining story shared about the property.
  • San Diego Chinese Historical Museum - Murder in China Town.
  • The Old Spaghetti Factory - Murder in downtown San Diego.
  • Henry’s Pub - History of the Stingaree, now known as the Gaslamp Quarter.
What's Included
  • Expert local guide provides informative commentary
  • Scenic drive through historic neighborhoods
  • Multiple photo opportunities at key landmarks
  • Visits to famous sites and hidden gems
  • Interactive history and culture discussion
  • Customized experience based on group interests
  • Personalized attention in small group setting
  • Free time to explore on your own
  • Entrance fees to all attractions included
  • Comfortable transportation provided
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Parking fees
Additional Information

Join us at Murder n’ Mayhem for a Historic True Crime Tour in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego. Journey through various epochs as we delve into fascinating tales of real crimes. Discover the sinister past of the Gaslamp Quarter, previously known as the Stingaree.

Visit a timeless hotel reported to still house a lingering spirit in one of its rooms. From there, we’ll transport you to the lively era of the 1920’s. Progressing just over a decade forward, we’ll introduce you to the 3rd fatality of a notorious San Diego Serial Killer. To conclude, we’ll unravel the details of the most dreadful crime ever committed in downtown San Diego.

  • Kindly be mindful that the murder cases discussed hold a graphic nature and we recommend parental discretion for children under the age of 13. This tour involves narratives about assault, rape, and murder, supplemented with grotesque particulars some may consider distressing.

For a more intimate experience, private tours can be arranged upon request.

Location
614 Fifth Ave
Fifth Avenue
Look for the detective outside the door marked 614, next to Henry's Pub. Please do not enter Henry's Pub unless you are dining there.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(204 Ratings)
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Absj
Jun 7, 2024
Magical murder and mayhem - loved it! - Loved this tour - it is like no other! It is really cool to walk the streets and hear of tales of murder and mayhem from both the distant and not too distant past. Our guide was incredible - can't remember her name (sorry!) but she wore a whole outfit with hat and all to get us into the mood and did an amazing job telling the tales with facts and pizazz.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rogercyndie01
May 29, 2024
It was wonderful and very informative. - Our tour guide Rae is great as our tour guide and was very informative and detail oriented. How refreshing to have a guide so enthusiastic and passionate about their work. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annie_t
Apr 17, 2024
Making history fun! - We loved our guide! She was fun, informative and genuinely interested in all she was talking about. It was a great way to spend an afternoon and it was fun to walk around the area, learning some of the history and spooky stories.
Review provided by Viator
Siam255
May 26, 2024
Gave us Hope for Future Crime/Ghost Tours! - Marlene was a great guide - very friendly and ensured everybody was good throughout the entire tour. Gave us general history about the area and got the crime stories in there. We weren't hesitant about the tour since we've been to a ghost tour in a different city and it was lacking in multiple ways. But we decided to give this a shot and Marlene changed our minds about our openness to these kinds of tours in the future :D Would do their ghost tour but not in town long enough. Gave one less star only because there were some moments when we couldn't hear Marlene because of the environment, not her fault. Maybe have a voice amplifier? Marlene did her best and paused when it got too loud in the surroundings - she worked with what was in her control. Other than that, good experience and great host/guide! Thank you, Marlene!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Phil_h
Apr 26, 2024
Good true crime tour - True Crime tour was good. The information discussed was great, however my wife and I thought there was no real delivery behind what was being said by our guide. She could have been more expressive in our opinion.
Review provided by Viator
Leila_h
Mar 2, 2024
Fun experience and great tour guide - Our tour was great! No spoilers, but the stories were super interesting and loved touring the city. Our guide was awesome! She brought the tour to like and we all had a few laughs along the way! She was great and I highly recommend the tour for anyone looking to kick off an evening in the Gaslamp Quarter. Another great factor is once the tour is gone, you’re right there on the bar streets where all the action is! 10/10 would recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Sagegirl2015
Jan 27, 2024
Try it! - The content was interesting especially the history. I felt like they were digging deep for crime content. Tour guide, Luna seemed distracted by a lot of other “stuff”. Maybe she has lost her excitement for this tour? I would say to try it for sure. It take you to a cool part of SD with a lot going on for sure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jim_r
Feb 27, 2024
Not worth the money - Did not enjoy this tour. The person leading the tour was very nice, but it was hard to hear with the background noises of being in a downtown area. Just not what I was expecting!
Review provided by Viator
Vivekgovinda_n
Jun 11, 2024
bad experience - The Tour was not to our expectation. The tour guise was a very old lady named Lailaa in her eighties. The tour was not at all exciting. The tour guide did not make the tour exciting as she was very very old by age. We found the tour boring. we regretted that we booked this tour with Viator spending so much money. We are regular clients of Viator.com Wew demend and request for a FULL REFUND of this tour. [email protected]
Review provided by Viator
Jenniferg113
May 30, 2024
Do not waste your money, horrible tour company and horrible customer service - I was really excited for this tour but unfortunately, I wasn't able to find parking due to a Padre game occurring at the same time. The gaslamp area was a complete mess with many roads closed off and all of the parking garages (including the one mentioned in the email from Murder and Mayhem) full. I allowed plenty of time to park and get to the pub but that did not help in any way. When I called to request a refund, I was told that a refund would not be possible despite the circumstances being beyond my control. They offered to reschedule but since it would either be a couple of hours later (while the game was still ongoing and the area presumably still being a mess) or the next day when I was traveling home, this was not a reasonable option. I am very displeased with this company and their unwillingness to make this situation right. Out of town visitors are unlikely to be aware of large events occurring in the area and the effect this might have on finding parking or getting around. I've had tour companies personally reach out beforehand and inform me when such a thing is occurring to ensure that I am aware and that I consider alternative transportation. This company never made the effort to inform me and their decision not the refund me is completely unfair and wrong. It is very clear that they don't care about customer service and making things right. As a result, I would never recommend this company to any one.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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