RANDSBURG, Calif. (KERO) — A paranormal investigator is inviting couples and ghost enthusiasts to spend Valentine's Day weekend exploring spirits in one of California's last living ghost towns.
Marie Mason, who runs ghost tours through her website ghostshunter.com, discovered her ability to capture supernatural phenomena by accident while exploring an abandoned location in Santa Clarita. She filmed what she describes as "the ghost of the prom queen, full apparition" sitting in a tree, though she didn't realize she had captured the image until later, when her phone turned back on.
"I didn't know I filmed her till I got home and I turned my phone back on," Mason said. "The deal is I'm not looking, I'm not trying. It happened one day."
After spending a year trying to debunk her experiences, Mason decided to help others encounter paranormal activity. She now hosts ghost hunting events at historic locations across the West, including Deadwood, South Dakota; Virginia City; and the Occidental Hotel in Wyoming, where Butch Cassidy once stayed.
Mason has been conducting paranormal investigations in Randsburg since 2018, with a break during COVID-19. She chose the Mojave Desert town because it remains authentic and uncommercialized.
"Randsburg is unique because here's the best part about Randsburg. Randsburg is real and raw, and they've all seen it. It's not commercialized," Mason said. "This place is real and raw and less saturated."
The town, established in the 1890s during the gold rush, is unincorporated and maintains its historic character. Mason lives in a cabin made from five original structures that miners would drag together as they struck gold or abandoned their claims.
"This is the last living ghost town," Mason said. "We live here, we run the businesses here. It's not like, oh, it abandoned, and it came back."
For the Valentine's Day event, Mason will investigate previously unexplored locations, including a candy shop, an 1890s ice house, an abandoned saloon, and an underground speakeasy. The investigation will be limited to small groups of four or five people at a time.
Cindy, who owns the Sugar Sweet Shop candy store, recently agreed to allow the investigation after sharing her own supernatural experiences.
"At night I see a shadow, at night I'm knocking. In the ice house, we hear scratching," Mason said, recounting Cindy's stories.
During a recent solo investigation at the location, Mason used a spirit box to communicate with potential entities. When she asked if anyone had used the ice house, she received responses including the town's name, "Randsburg," which she noted would be difficult for a spirit to pronounce.
Mason has documented one particular spirit she calls "Thor," who has appeared in approximately 15 of her photographs, including once inside her own home. She describes him as having a pronounced nose and a five o'clock shadow.
"Maybe he's like my guardian angel of some kind. I don't know," Mason said.
The Valentine's weekend event will include overnight accommodations in restored Airbnbs, food service, and opportunities to explore the town's historic jail from the 1890s. Mason emphasizes that, unlike commercialized ghost towns, Randsburg's buildings remain untouched, with some still containing 1940s newspapers used as insulation.
"When you're here and at night when that sun goes down, the whole feeling changes here. It's because it's raw," Mason said.
The event is scheduled for the weekend of Friday the 13th and Valentine's Day, approximately 90 minutes from Bakersfield.
For tickets and more info, go to ghostshunter.com or call: 818-974-6852.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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