This episode feels especially meaningful as we bring Season Three of Curious Travels by The Morbid Travel Guide to a close. Throughout this season, we explored death positivity, alternative burials, and dark tourism locations from New York City to Alaska. Your support and curiosity have meant so much to us.

Our thirteenth and final episode of 2025 looks at the Bloody Christmas events of Los Angeles in 1951, a moment of racial injustice that left deep wounds. The events of that night still remain a painful part of the Latino community’s history in Los Angeles and continue to be remembered today.

This episode also takes us to the quiet hillside of Forest Lawn Cemetery, where Edmund Gwenn, the actor who brought Santa Claus to life in Miracle on 34th Street, is laid to rest.

Placing these stories together reminded us why we create this podcast.

Dark tourism is not about shock but about listening, learning, and understanding the places where history’s light and darkness meet.

As we close this season, we are deeply grateful for everyone who has traveled with us. We will return in May 2026 with our first dark travel guide outside of the United States. Until then, we hope you enjoy our annual Christmas special and revisit the episodes that stayed with you.

We wish you all a happy holiday. Please don’t drink and drive.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

Discover the hidden side of Macys in Herald Square. In the latest episode of Curious Travels by The Morbid Travel Guide, we move past the holiday lights to uncover the history most visitors never hear, a story shaped by courage, loss, and experiences that still echo through the building.

Macys is more than a landmark. Behind its bright displays is a past touched by tragedy and a lasting love story that shaped the store in ways most people never imagine. We follow the early owners whose fate became one of the most moving chapters connected to the Titanic, and explore the fires, accidents, and quiet mysteries that linger in the background of this famous space.

Join us as we step into the shadows of one of Americas most beloved landmarks and reveal why its history belongs at the heart of dark travel.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

In the newest episode of our Curious Travels podcast, we trace the tragic string of recent drownings at Lady Bird Lake, laying out the evidence and folklore related to the supposed “Rainey Street Ripper.” Many locals have unanswered questions, and we want to hear from you: Do you think Austin has a serial killer lurking in the shadows?

From True Crime tales both recent and past, to the famed hauntings of the Driscoll Hotel, we share how beneath the surface of one of Texas’ most visited travel destinations lies a history of tragedy that dark tourists can experience today.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

For this Halloween Curious Travels podcast episode, we're blending dark tourism with the purely paranormal. Join us as we journey to Las Vegas to explore Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum, located at the infamous Wengert Mansion. Once a symbol of 1930s Vegas prosperity, this property is now a labyrinth of notorious artifacts like the Dybbuk Box and Dr. Kevorkian’s Van. We'll also trace the evolution of paid fright experiences, from Victorian ghost shows to the mega-business of modern scream parks. Tune in as we find out how fear has turned into the ultimate form of entertainment.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

Jacksonville in East Texas has a history that runs deep in blood and tragedy. Travel with us in our new episode of Curious Travels, as we uncover the secrets the land holds, including the Killough Massacre and The Circus Riot of 1873. We’ll also share our own haunting experiences during our stay at the 1899 Bolton Street House. From frontier misfortune to cemeteries, Jacksonville is the perfect dark tourist destination. Some folks believe that the land demands to be remembered.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

Step off the cruise ship and onto the dark history of Skagway, Alaska! This picturesque town hides a lawless past defined by the Klondike Gold Rush. In this episode, uncover the story of Native displacement, the rise and violent end of con man "Soapy" Smith, and the mysteries lingering in the infamous red-light district. Skagway isn’t just a scenic stop, it’s a frontier outpost where the past still whispers, and history deepens into lore.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

Behind the magic of The Wizard of Oz lies a story far darker than the yellow brick road suggests. In the latest episode of the Curious Travels podcast by the Morbid Travel Guide, entitled “The Wonderful Women of Oz,” we uncover the force of Maud Gage Baum, the resilient wife who shaped her husband’s work, and the tragic struggles of Judy Garland, forever tied to Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Together, we’ll journey to the final resting places of the first and Second Lady of OZ.

We also expose the hidden dangers of the film itself, where enchanting fantasy was built on life-threatening and often horrifying conditions. Step behind the curtain and discover how Oz has always belonged to its women, and how their haunting legacies still echo just beyond the rainbow.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay

Looking for a spooky travel destination? Sometimes the most unsettling places are the ones we carry with us. In our latest Curious Travels podcast episode, "A Dark Guide to Understanding Childhood Haunts and Paranormal Trauma," we’re exploring the lingering effects of unexplained childhood experiences with the paranormal.

Are those shadows and whispers just imagination, or something more? We'll dive into how these early encounters with the unknown can shape our perceptions and leave a lasting imprint on our minds. We'll also share a personal story of a childhood encounter and discuss how revisiting these "haunts" as adults can be a path to healing and understanding.

Created by: Fred & Stephen Garza-Guzman

Written by: Fred Garza-Guzman

Edited and Produced by: Stephen Garza-Guzman

Music: Pixabay

Sound Effects: Pixabay