Haunted Haight Walking Tour

This was a little below OK. I thought we’d have a blast as the Unilocal reviews were quite good and overhyped everything. I thought I would enjoy this walking tour but was sorely disappointed. We came during our vacation to SF in August.
I didn’t like how we walked for about 1 – 2 miles but there really wasn’t that much good stuff or information that I couldn’t google. However, I appreciated some of the information that I did acquire so three stars for that.

My family of eight (My wife and I along with our six children, aged 12 to 25) booked a ‘group’ tour with Tommy on a Tuesday night as part of a cross country trip. The tour was a highlight of our vacation. The walk is a great combination of history and the paranormal, and Tommy is an engaging and informative guide. We got a fascinating tour of this historic area, saw many local places of interest, learned and absorbed local facts and legends, and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Our youngest has some developmental issues, and Tommy was great with him as well.
I can’t recommend this enough to anyone visiting (or living in) San Francisco! Thanks again, Tommy, for a great and memorable experience!

Excellent and so much fun! I surprised my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day with this tour. We love ghost hunting shows (our guilty pleasure) and love to learn about local history. We also love San Francisco! We had been on 3 other tours that day and were exhausted, but our tour guide Tommy assured us the walking tour was easy with out any hills. It was such a fun and easy tour we didn’t even realize how far it was, about a mile and half with little stops here and there! No biggie! If you love local history, appreciate architecture, love a little adventure and love SF this is the tour for you! Tommy was a fantastic tour guide! Five stars!!!

okay, I’m a pretty open minded guy so I thought this would be fun. However, as entertaining as the stories were that’s all it pretty much was. the short walk to the park and the up the street to where someone was supposedly murdered and the story of it was interesting but, the electeonic instruments which supposedly sensed where ghosts were and some even spoke in a robotic tone that just seem to throw out random words were not scientific. At first I found it intersting but when I saw. on the instument that I was holding (it was the one that spoke with a robotic voice) that had printed on it «for entetainment purposes only» I knew it was all a big rip off! paying someone $ 30 bucks to tell you stories and show you what looks like a tv remote that randomly flashes led lights and claim it is ghosts communicating with you is a joke. If you like ghost stories just watch it on tv and save yourself the money. Just walking around the haight at night is scary enough in itself and it’s free.

This ghost tour kicked ass! I went with 15 friends for my birthday and it exceeded my expectations! I thought this would be a goofy but fun time.
It was funny and goofy but also really informative. Tommy is so well educated on the paranormal and I felt like I left the tour with a greater understanding of how/​why people experience hauntings. The tour also covered the architecture and a general history of the haight that really gave his stories some context.
We didn’t see any ghosts but a friends phone failed when we were trying to talk to one. If you have any sensitive people with you, don’t worry, the tour is creepy but not scary.
Tommy himself is an incredible tour guide. He clearly loves what he does and brings a positive energy to the tour. He’s a great storyteller and had answers for any question you throw at him. He’s friendly, involved and even raffles off prizes during the tour which is a nice touch. Couldn’t be more satisfied, $ 20 a person is money well spent. I wish he did tours all over the city. Let us know Tommy! We’d follow you anywhere!

As a paranormal enthusiast, going on ghost tours is a hobby for me. I’ve been on a lot. Going on ghost tours is the best way to learn about the history of a city. The Haunted Haight Walking Tour is in my top 3 of favorite ghost tours in San Francisco. I liked it so much that I’ve gone TWICE!
Tommy is a fantastic storyteller. I really appreciate the fact that his stories are well researched. One of the worst things to encounter on a ghost tour is someone lazy whose source is a lazy google search. There’s one tour in San Francisco that does that. If you’re interested to know which one that is, check out my reviews so you can avoid it. This tour is definitely not lazy. Tommy is clearly very passionate about the history of the Haight. Even if you’re not into the paranormal or you’re a skeptic, there’s still a lot of interesting stories to keep you entertained on this tour.
I’d recommend wearing comfortable shoes and dressing very very warmly. When I went, I wore a down jacket, a cashmere wrap, leather jacket, and leather gloves and I was STILL cold, even with all the walking we did. The weather in the area is unpredictable so come prepared.
With Halloween coming up, this tour would be a great activity for the month of October. I’d recommend this tour for locals, out of town tourists, date night activity, or just a fun night with friends.
Ooh, and everyone gets a prize! I don’t think anyone went home empty handed. The glow in the dark growing zombie I got is awesome. Other prizes: lots of ring pops, Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise, and other fun surprises that I won’t ruin for you, but are humorous for anyone with an offbeat sense of humor.
Check this out!

Great tour overall, tom showed us notorious murderers houses, cool ghost stories, & lots of amazing history. He’s a very smart guy and doesn’t over hype anything, he’s honest. There were 22 people which is a good amount of folks. Great tour if you love history and weird facts and creepy stories.

I did this tour last week and I had a wonderful time. The tour guide was the nicest man and he really made the tour fun with random Halloween themed prizes.
* Tour lasts from 7:00pm — 9:00pm
* You walk a total of 16 blocks. None of it is uphill, so you don’t have to worry if you have a difficult time walking.
* Not scary — If you’re the type that doesn’t like to be scared, don’t worry! It’s not scary at all. You will learn a lot about the history of the area.

I enjoyed this tour even more than I thought I would, especially since it was pretty cold, dark and there were 60 people on our tour. But Tommy did a terrific job — it was easy to hear him, he clearly knows his stuff. The historical aspects were especially interesting since I’m a long term resident of SF — who knew there had been a huge water park in the Haight decades ago? The prizes were a huge hit — he must have given out at least 30 of them. He’d pull out a goody from his big bag and say «an inflatable alligator!» (or a pack of Scooby Doo taffy, or a pack of 12 glo sticks) and we’d all OOOHHH and AAHHH and one lucky person would win it. Really fun. Great thing to do w/​friends or out of town guests.

best ghost walking tour in san francisco! thanks tommy we had a fantastic time! very informitive and a great lesson on the history of the haight ashbury area! we used one of tommy new gadgets and we were actually hearing a ghost talk to us. it was amazing! :)) cant wait to start doing more ghost investigations!

Tommy is an awesome tour guide! He knows tons about history in the upper Haight. I was expecting tons of ghost stories but that was not the case, however this was not a let down whatsoever. He had so much historical information about the area that I am officially intrigued with old San Francisco. Tommy is super friendly and funny and made the tour go by super fast. He gave us raffle tickets at the beginning of the tour and every now and then he would give us prizes, which in my opinion just made everything a lot more fun! And another plus is he shows and explains the gadgets he uses and even lets you use them! Totally awesome! I had been wanting to take the tour for over a year and it was definitely worth it!

We went on Halloween night and of course the group was HUGE… about 60 ppl. Tommy did a really good job with speaking loudly, but we opted to slide up to the front at most stops. It drizzled on/​off through out the entire tour so we did not get to go deeper into the parks unfortunately.
Loved the history that he provided. Loved his passion for what he does. But I have to agree with the others regarding the give-​a-​ways. Not necessary and took up too much time. I have a feeling that Tommy could have filled the whole tour with info and stories!

Awesome tour! Great Tour Guide. You will see lots of stunning architecture and hear some scary stories!!! Learn interesting history of the neighborhood and San Francisco. Tommy the tour guide is truly passionate about ghosts!

I’ve been on over a dozen haunted/​ghost tours in various cities and although I took this tour over 3 years ago it still stands out as the very best. Great history and first hand research. I’d do it again… it was awesome.
Don’t leave San Fran without taking this tour!!!

This is such a FUN tour! Tommy was such an awesome tour guide. We learned not only ghost stories, but also about history of San Francisco. I liked how Tommy related to us, he really is entertaining and a good story teller. He is very passionate about his city and it makes you all the more excited to be there.
One of my favorite things to learn about was where Jim Jones lived in the 70’s and the haunted sidewalk. I don’t want to give too much away, you will have to go on the tour yourself. The tour is about 1.5 and is a really easy walk. I highly recommend it, I would do it again when I am in SF again!

I am a bit of a nerd so I when I travel I like to visit some historical touristy spots that might be a bit off the beaten path. One way to explore a place is with a haunted tour. Yes, it can be goofy and cheesy but it’s an alternative way to find out about the history of a city. This was a 2 mile walking tour through the Haight and Ashbury district of San Francisco. It’s a mild walk since there are only slight hills to navigate.
Finding a parking space around the streets can be a challenge, so you might want to come a bit early. We decided to have dinner close by and then walk over to the meeting place. There are a number of great dive bars in the area, restaurants and off beat stores to visit if you have a chance. The tour guide Tommy Netzband was very friendly and took time to greet and interact with everyone individually over the course of the 2 hour tour. The tour moves at a good pace, but we often found ourselves waiting for people since we had the tendency to walk ahead of the group.
The stories of murder, spirits and hauntings were interesting. There wasn’t anything too spooky and there were no gimmicks. It was really fascinating to hear about the different characters that lived in the area over time (Jim Jones, Manson, Janis Joplin) and how the landscape of the area has changed (farm town to amusement park to hippie village with beautiful architecture and victorian homes). One nice part was the ongoing prize raffles throughout the tour. The gifts were cheesy, but it was cool to feel like we were getting a little something extra for the price. The tour guide really seemed personally invested in the history and stories that he told, and it’s always nice to see someone passionate about the things they do. The best part of the tour was that it was only $ 20 per person. Compared to similar tours in other cities that we have been on, this was a real bargain!

If you’re a history geek and want to learn some interesting factoids on the Upper Haight neighborhood, this is worth it. The tour lasts about 90 minutes and stars/​finishes near Coffee to the People.
You’ll take a stroll through the Panhandle and learn about cemetery re-​locations in the area, then see the spot Buck Naked was shot at in the early 90s. Then it’s up to Page Street to see the house Jim Jones lived at in the 70s, along with a lesson in architecture of William Cranston. Then it’s on to the Grateful Dead house, and a Janis Joplin’s old apartment where a murder in has left the sidewalk supposedly haunted.
As far as the supernatural aspect of it, I would say if you’re looking to see firm evidence of ghosts existing, you’ll be disappointed. But, it it’s still fun to check out.

I love that Johnny Netzband! He is so knowledgeable, personable, accessible, and funny.
I have run and driven through the Haight a million times in the last couple of decades, but as of tonight the way I go through the Haight is different. I had no idea what lay below and above me, and now I know…
The tour (that Tommy actually researched, wrote, and created) was fascinating and fun. Tommy knows much of the history and architectural aspects of the neighborhood, and of San Francisco. he is also very informed about the paranormal, in a quirky and light way.
For example, it is wild how many famous people lived in the few blocks we walked. Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Patty Hearst, Jim Jones, Hells Angels, Robert Cranston, and Charles Manson… this tour highlights and stops outside many historical houses the famous and infamous lived in.
And I have to mention the wacky little prizes Johnny gives out! I think we got the best two: A CD of Magic how-​to over 20 tricks, and Wooly Willy.
Oh *and* he is a vegetarian! No animals were hurt in the making of the tour :) And Johnny didn’t mind that I stopped to say hello to every dog we passed… even in the Panhandle where there is a cute pooch every two steps.
But anyway, I wonder if Johnny is going to branch out into other neighborhoods or other historical topics… I wonder if there a ghost of a chance teehee…

In an effort to do new things on vacations or less mainstream touristy stuff, we decided to start doing Ghost Tours, starting in Galena, IL.
On our trip to SF, we wanted to find a decent tour and searched the internet to book a reservation. We decided upon the Haunted Haight Walking Tour. It was only $ 20 so we booked it.
The tour guide Tommy was very personable and passionate about his tour. Not only was he very knowledgeable at the paranormal field, but he also was very knowledgeable about the history of the Haight-​Ashbury neighborhood. This included the hauntings themselves, the architecture of the neighborhood, the local and national celebrities, etc.
The tour itself was very easy and fun. The best part was no hills on the tour. We also had prizes during the tour for added bonus. It took about 1.5 hours, but it was quick. It went by too fast.
I highly recommend this tour and Tommy will give you other activities to check out if interested.

Tommy was a wonderful tour guide. He is a very knowledgeable historian and does not try to convince you of the authenticity of his stories, he simply says what happened and any research that backs up his story. It’s a great neighborhood to tour, he guaranteed that there were no hills on the walking tour and he was right. He also goes over the architecture of the houses which was very interesting. Overall, very informational and interesting.
It was $ 20 per person, you can pay online and you receive an e-​ticket. It was a two hour tour. The stories were great, hearing them gave me goosebumps. He also gives out prizes throughout the walking tour… very fun feature.