The city of Livermore is full of Ghosts. If you stop almost any resident in the town of Livermore, chances are they’ll be able to give some sort of first hand account of a visit to some of the more famed haunted places. It’s become almost a right of passage for most high schoolers to visit one, and live to tell the tale later.
1) Gravity Hill – Located at marker 157 on Patterson Pass Road
Legend states that if you drive to this spot at the bottom of the small incline and put your car in neutral with your foot off the gas (but near the brake for safety’s sake) your car will slowly begin to roll uphill. You can also hear the sound of footprints behind the car, as if someone outside is pushing the car. It’s also rumored that if you sprinkle flour on the rear bumper of your car, after you’ve been “pushed” uphill you’ll see handprints there… So whose handprints will you find on the back of your car? It depends on which story you choose to believe.
The first story is that a group of fifth graders where on their way to a field trip when their bus broke down. In an attempt to get it out of harms way, everyone got out to push the bus. Tragically they weren’t strong enough and the bus rolled backwards, crushing & killing everyone. It’s said that they haunt the hills looking to save other stranded motorists a similar fate.
The second tale, is that of a young couple, whom after prom, drove up to gravity hill (also a famous make-out point) and ended up driving off the side of the road, plunging to their death. It’s said that their attempt to push cars up gravity hill, is to scare young gawkers away. The legend says the young lovers don’t like to be bothered.
Which story do you believe? Drive up to gravity hill. Then count the handprints on your bumper and decide for yourself…
2) The Hanging Tree – Patterson Pass road to the right of Gravity hill
You can’t make the trip to gravity hill without going a little further up the road to see the hanging tree. It stands in the middle of a beautiful field and appears to be right out the Wizard of Oz. It’s numerous branches reach into a million different directions high above the ground. As beautiful as it may be, it’s best to not go near it.
The story goes that back in 1963 after Livermore opened it’s second high school, Granada High, the two football teams had their first homecoming game against each other. Though who won that first game depends on whether you’re hearing the story from Livermore or Granada high alum, either version still ends the same. After the game, players from the winning team ran into two players from the losing team. As a show of good sportsmanship they invited the two players to go drinking with them up near gravity hill. As the night progressed the players from the winning team, as a drunken joke, took the clothes from the losing players, and hung them on the branches of the tree that they had been partying under.
It’s said that the drunken players only meant it as a prank. The next morning they made a phone call to some players of the losing team with directions to where the naked football players had been left. By the time their teammates had reached them, they were already dead. The reason you’re not to ever touch the tree is because the angry football players are still there, waiting to seek revenge on other careless teenagers who dare come near their final resting place…
3) The Livermore TB Sanitarium – The end of Arroyo Road
The sanitarium was opened in the early 1900’s and closed it’s doors in the early 1960’s. During that time it’s said that they housed over 10,000 TB patients. Of course once it was closed, it became a favorite place for teenagers to break into and tell numerous scary tales of what went on in the sanitarium while it was open. It’s rumored that the ghosts of TB patients roamed the property. The greatest and most horrific legend is that of a groundskeeper that went crazy and killed all the patients of the children’s ward before killing himself. It’s rumored that at night you can still hear the children’s screams of terror.
Chances are you would hear children’s screams if you visited the site today. Just not screams of terror. The old sanitarium was tore down a few years ago to make way for a children’s youth camp. There is one building left though, the boiler room. If you want a good look at the deserted sanitarium in all it’s creepy glory, you can rent the film Warlock Moon, which was filmed there some time after the sanitarium was closed.
If ever you visit Livermore, and are looking for more haunted places to visit, simply ask a local, because in Livermore, everyone’s got a story to tell.
