San Diego: Gaslamp Quarter Guided History Walking Tour｜United States

Meet your guide in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter and step back into the days when this neighborhood was one of the rowdiest corners of the West Coast. Long before the rooftop bars and steakhouses, these blocks were the Stingaree, San Diego's notorious red-light district. Your guide knows every story worth telling, plus a few the history books would rather forget.

Start at the Gaslamp Museum, home to the oldest surviving building downtown. It took a trip around Cape Horn to get here, and the man who built it had big plans that the town wasn't quite ready for.

Stand outside the Louis Bank of Commerce and find out what really went on upstairs once the bankers moved out. Down the street, the Yuma Building has a past its builder never saw coming.

Then there's the Acme Saloon, where the owner kept a pet bear chained out front. Let's just say one local lawman got a little too close. You'll also hear about Bum, the stray dog who wandered into town and somehow ended up on official city paperwork.

Pass by the Horton Grand Hotel, a building that didn't always stand where it does today, and where some say a few guests never checked out. Admire the Balboa Theatre and learn about it fascinating architectural feature.

The pace is relaxed, the group is small, and the stories keep coming between every stop. The loop ends right near where you started at the Gaslamp Museum.