Abby Connolly
If you’ve ever been to San Francisco, have you ever been to Golden Gate Park?
The park, founded in 1870, has many gorgeous attractions like a Japanese tea garden, a conservatory of flowers, etc.
However, there is a part of the park’s history that is quite chilling, and that’s the legend of The Lady of Stow Lake.
Stow Lake was the first artificial lake placed in Golden Gate Park. Visitors can travel through the waters in rowboats and pedal boats, and it’s the perfect activity for a fun day trip. However, legend states that you shouldn’t be anywhere near Stow Lake after the sun goes down.
In 1900, the first ghost story surrounding Stow Lake was published, and it’s terrifying. Many years ago, during the Victorian Era, a woman and her toddler visited Stow Lake one day. After taking her eyes off her toddler for just a moment, the woman noticed her child was missing.
After searching the entire park, the woman found her child floating face down in Stow Lake, so she jumped in after him. Legend has it that neither of them made it to shore and drowned in the lake.
Since the story came out, visitors have claimed to see a ghostly woman wandering around the lake, earning the name ‘The Lady of Stow Lake.’
For over a hundred years, people have made the same observations about her appearance, and she’s been seen with dark, long hair and a pale dress. She’s also often soaked from floating in the lake.
There’s even a little chant that has come up over the years that will supposedly attract The Lady of Stow Lake.
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