The Cliff House Curse: Ghosts, Shipwrecks, & Fiery History in San Francisco

Remember Jake the Alligator Man? Turns out his bizarre backstory might be tangled up with one of San Francisco’s most mysterious landmarks — The Cliff House. In this episode, we dig into the cursed history of this seaside icon: from explosive shipwrecks and devastating fires to ghostly apparitions, secret tunnels, and maybe even a mummy curse (?!).

We’ll explore how The Cliff House rose, burned, rose again (multiple times) and how the Land’s End area had everything from seedy roadhouses to Victorian castles, extravagant bathhouses, amusement parks, taxidermied sea lions, forgotten cemeteries, and yes — Egyptian artifacts. We dive into the tale of Adolph Sutro, his cliffside empire, the ruins of Sutro Baths, and the eerie hauntings that still chill this foggy coastline.

Is the area cursed by misplaced relics? Haunted by forgotten souls? Or just steeped in really bad luck? If you love lost history, ghost stories, and a healthy dose of weird… this one’s for you.

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