Exploring the Haunted Side of Long Beach on the Driver Horror Tour

The shuttle company Driver is offering a fun way to explore Long Beach, California, with their fleet of street-legal golf carts. Not only do they offer rentals for locals and visitors year-round, but they’re also hosting a special excursion for Halloween season. The wonderful people at Driver invited me to be part of their first-ever Horror Tour and I’m so thankful they did!

The meeting point was the Enclave Lobby Bar and Kitchen at the Hilton Long Beach. Driver and Enclave put together an exclusive menu featuring flights, cocktails, and appetizers. I was excited to discover that I was joined on the tour by fellow spooky content creators! They included Matthew and Paul of Ghoul Daddies; Sammy Ruiz of The Art of Sammy Ruiz; and alternative fashion shop owner Mandy Seal. I’ve followed the work of these individuals for quite some time, so it was awesome getting the opportunity to go on a macabre adventure together.

Our transportation for the night was one of Driver’s spacious, neon-electric shuttles. It was just enough room for a group of our size but intimate enough to be able to comfortably look out on all the sights we would drive by. The Horror Tour included stops at some of the city’s most eerie spots and our guide shared a treasure trove of details about each place. We were also given an EMF detector to help us pick up on any paranormal activity. Our guide has conducted a few of her own paranormal investigations and told us about some interesting encounters.

The first destination was The Bembridge House. It’s a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian home that’s a historical landmark with a haunted past. Since it was after-hours, we weren’t able to enter, but the exterior view was impressive. I could see through the windows that it was completely dark inside. I was waiting for an apparition to peer out at me. Fun fact: This house was used in the filming of the 2012 horror movie The Haunting of Whaley House.

I also learned about Randy Kraft, aka the Scorecard Killer, and his ties to a couple of apartment buildings in Long Beach. One was Casa Bonita, which was surrounded by strange energy. As I was walking down one side of the building, the EMF detector I was holding immediately went from blue to red and the numbers increased, meaning that paranormal activity was being detected.

We passed by Villa Riviera, which is a stunning piece of architecture. The building is 16 stories tall and is built in a French Gothic style. It’s situated near the beach and looks majestic. After that, we drove past The Queen Mary at a distance. I like to refer to it as the ghost ship because it’s notorious for being one of the most haunted places in the world.

Our final stop was The Pike where we were told the story of outlaw Elmer McCurdy. Between the early 1900s and late 1970s, this area was an amusement park. Although McCurdy was originally from Maine, his body was accidentally discovered here in 1976. There’s more to the tale that you hear on this tour, but his remains basically became a sideshow attraction being displayed across the U.S.

As we made our way back to the Hilton, everyone in the group shared how we were stunned by all the facts we learned. There’s a dark past to Long Beach that many don’t know about and Driver’s Horror Tour reveals the blood-curdling details.

Driver has a few upcoming dates for the Horror Tour, and I recommend booking a ride. The entire experience lasts about 75 minutes and different evening time slots are available. Tickets are $35 and they can accommodate groups of up to 12 people. It’s a unique way to immerse yourself in the Halloween vibes.

Where to Stalk

Driver Horror Tour

Driver official website