San Francisco’s Presidio Park has it all: beautiful views, curious animals, endless tourists and, of course, a little mystery to it. Just 100 years ago, the Presidio looked very different. Nowadays, offices and museums are standing in place of the U.S. Army post, but the spirit is still there.

“The Presidio is a beautiful spot to go to. I find it peaceful, especially since I moved here from San Luis Obispo. There’s a great cafe and amazing views, but I have heard some strange things about ghosts in this park. Never encountered one so far,” said CCSF student Alayna Hernandez.

Not many locals and tourists know about Presidio’s past. Originally, it was home to indigenous people before being taken over by Spanish, Mexican, and American forces.

In 1906, it was a refugee camp for the survivors of the earthquakes and fires it left behind. In 1917, during World War I, it was an Army base for new and wounded soldiers from the front. Soon after, during World War II, the Presidio was considered military headquarters, and was responsible for the West Coast defense.

“We learned Presidio’s story in my history class and my teacher said he encountered an unexplainable object movement while he was at his office, right by the Disney museum. My buddies and I went ghost hunting the other night and we heard someone following us, but no one was there.  We all got goosebumps and went home,” said Yevs Krasnoshchok, a student at The Bay School of San Francisco.

There were a lot of coincidences that even some skeptical people started believing in ghosts. There are just things you can not explain. Some people say it’s a captain who follows kids and teenagers so they won’t get in trouble and keeps them safe. Others say it’s an evil spirit, and you shouldn’t be in the Presidio at night.

I have myself encountered an unexplainable situation. I went to Presidio Tunnel Tops, also known as the “red chairs.” It was pretty late at night as I was walking to the chairs to sit down, but I could see someone following me in the corner of my eye.

Every time I turned around, there was no one. For some incomprehensible reason, I still decided to stay before something freaked me out. It was a voice. Not a sweet or melodic voice. It sounded like it saw my soul from the inside out, waiting for me to be scared. It whispered my name. That was the last straw for me. I got up and left in tears. In fact, I was scared.

After sharing a story with one of the locals, Adaline Richy, she told me she witnessed a very similar incident once. “I heard someone say my name when I went for a walk to clear my mind about three months ago. It creeped me out and I called my husband, just in case,” said Richy.

The Presidio appears on several websites about haunted locations in San Francisco, including SFGhosts.com, which notes, “Many believe the Presidio’s grim history of conflict, disease, and death spanning centuries has left its imprint in the form of spectral manifestations. Tales of ghostly apparitions, cold drafts, and disembodied voices are common in several of the Presidio’s historic buildings, courtyards, and cemeteries.”

While Presidio Park is one of the main tourist attractions in San Francisco, it keeps its own secrets, hiding in the dark, waiting for you to uncover them. So the next time you go there, don’t forget to look behind you.