Secrets of Alcatraz and California's Haunted Ghost Town

On this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Josh Meyers kicks off a new season by exploring the Golden State’s eeriest sites: Alcatraz Island and Bodie State Historic Park. He starts the episode by chatting with John Martini, one of the foremost experts on Alcatraz history. The island’s notorious federal prison once held criminals including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Martini shares stories from his many years guiding tours and exploring the lesser-seen areas of Alcatraz Island. From its history as a military fort and prison to its transition to a federal prison, then a national park site, Martini reveals some spooky history and secrets from The Rock. “There are a couple of areas in the factory buildings where the escape attempts took place, and the hospital is notoriously creepy, specifically the psychiatric cells.” Next up, Meyers dives into the story of the world’s largest gold-mining ghost town, Bodie State Historic Park, with former Bodie resident and executive director of the Bodie Foundation, Shannon Boniface. “There was a lot happening in the Wild West genre,” shares Boniface, “and the ghosts didn’t come with it becoming a ghost town; there are stories from way before that.” She also discusses the history of Bodie Bill, Jerry the ghost mule, and the infamous Curse of Bodie.