Category Archives: legends

How tall was John McLaren?

Posted on August 22, 2014 by fromthethicket

The statue of John McLaren in Golden Gate Park is a little bit shorter than I am  (I’m just under 5’7″).  Is it life-sized, I wonder?  Somehow I always imagined John McLaren as a major physical presence, given the stories about the fear and trembling that he … Continue reading →

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ghost story in golden gate park, 1912

Posted on October 31, 2011 by fromthethicket

Here’s a tale for Halloween, a ghostly encounter in Golden Gate Park reported by George Haviland Barron, curator of the de Young Museum, in 1912: “As the hour approached midnight, I decided to take a turn on South Drive before … Continue reading →

Posted in events in Golden Gate Park, ghosts, legends, people | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

urban legend: the ghost in the park

Posted on May 27, 2011 by fromthethicket

Stories about ghosts seem to haunt public parks.  In Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) is said to wander through the ancient forest, exiled from heaven and eternally weeping for her drowned children and her lover. In Central … Continue reading →

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