A Touch from the Past

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This podcast is one part history and one part spooky. Cohost Clark Canez and Jen Curcio explore the history and ghost stories inside a variety of buildings and often find that history is scarier than any haunting.


    • Nov 21, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 35m AVG DURATION
    • 41 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from A Touch from the Past

    Episode 41: Paranormal Happenings in Our Lives

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2021 35:39


    This week, Clark and Jen share recent paranormal happenings with each other. One includes a butt-slapping ghost and the other is a ghost that is mad about their resting place being paved over in Pomona, CA.  As we mentioned in the episode, Under the Rainbow is an excellent storytelling show you can find here. Also, please do send us your stories at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com Thank you so much for listening. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcast to help other Goths find us and share the scare.

    Gallus Meg of North Carolina

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2021 55:21


    We had the pleasure of talking to Aubrie Williams of King Friday Productions and Stephen of the Creek Talk Podcast about the Ghost Tours they did in Wilmington, NC and ghost stories of Delaware County, PA aka Jen's birth place. She and Stephen have matching birth goblets from the hospital.  Thank you so much for listening. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcast to help other Goths find us and share the scare.

    Jen and Clark's Halloween PSA

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2021 45:35


    This week we are doing something a little different. We are going to be talking about some of the fun Halloween events going on around SoCal. Please go support your local haunt and haunt shop where ever you are.  Thank you for listening and joining us again. As always you can follow us on Instagram for more creepy content. Your hosts are Clark Canez and Jen Curcio, the episode is edited by Clark and the intro music was created by Le Cos. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcast to help other Goths find our podcast!

    St. Francis Dam Disaster

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2021 26:56


    Hold on tight as This week Jen and Clark talk about The St. Francis Dam disaster. The dam that was supposed to give life to Los Angeles quite literally washed away communities and spelled doom for hundreds as it ripped through the Los Angeles area in 1928. Hear all the details on this week's episode of A Touch From The Past. Thank you for listening and joining us again. As always you can follow us on Instagram for more creepy content. Your hosts are Clark Canez and Jen Curcio, the episode is edited by Clark and the intro music was created by Le Cos. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcast to help other Goths find our podcast!

    The Queen Mary

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2021 19:25


    Pack your bags because we're going on a cruise… on the most haunted ship in the world, the Queen Mary. Built to be the most luxurious liner in the Cunard Line, the Queen Mary has seen it all. From her time as a warship known as the Grey Ghost to her time as a haunted hotel, she has a lot of paranormal activity to offer up.  Thank you for listening and joining us again. As always you can follow us on Instagram for more creepy content. Your hosts are Clark Canez and Jen Curcio, the episode is edited by Clark and the intro music was created by Le Cos. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcast to help other Goths find our podcast!

    Pico House

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2021 25:13


    The Pico House is one of the oldest landmarks in Los Angeles. It was built by Pio Pico, the last Governor of California while it was under the rule of Mexico. The building's purpose was to be the most luxurious hotel and it opened in 1870. Security staff claim to hear footsteps coming from the upper floors and seeing shadowy figures lurking. Like most of the haunted locations we cover, the Pico House had a very real, very tumultuous past.  Thank you for listening and joining us again. As always you can follow us on Instagram for more creepy content. Your hosts are Clark Canez and Jen Curcio, the episode is edited by Clark and the intro music was created by Le Cos. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcast to help other Goths find our podcast!

    The Jet Propulsion Lab's Satanic Beginnings

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2021 24:30


    Aaaand we are back! And we're talking about JPL's satanic beginnings. Jack Parsons, the godfather of rocket science himself, was deeply involved with Aleister Crowley's Church of Satan. Jack was so intertwined with the group that the church did rituals in his Pasadena mansion where JPL was started.  Thank you for listening and joining us again. As always you can follow us on Instagram for more creepy content. Your hosts are Clark Canez and Jen Curcio, the episode is edited by Clark and the intro music was created by Le Cos. Please give us a rating and review to help other goths find our podcast! 

    The Disappearance of Jean Spangler

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2020 47:07


    Jean Spangler was a triple threat in Hollywood, she could sing, she could dance, and she could act. She was an up-and-coming actress who was working hard to make her way in her career while raising her daughter as a single mother. On October 7th, 1949, Jean disappeared. She was last seen at the Farmer's Market near The Grove and her purse was found at the entrance of Griffith Park on Fern Dell Drive with a note inside that led police to question Hollywood heartthrob Kirk Douglas about the woman's disappearance.

    The Drum Barracks With Jonathan Bradley Welch

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2020 48:17


    This week we talk to storyteller, and producer, Jonathan Bradley Welch of The Stonewall Democrats about the Drum Barracks, LA's only Civil War era fort. We also talk about The Unsolved Mysteries tv show, trinkets from beyond and the 2020 U.S. election. 

    Spooky Stories with Trance Medium, Anousha Hutton

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2020 113:19


    For so long, we have wanted to talk to a trance medium and this week we finally did it! We spoke to Anousha Hutton about her time as a medium and the very unique encounters she's had with spirits. The most beautiful takeaway from this interview is what she learned after moving from London to Los Angeles. She speaks about moving to stolen land and how we need to respect those spirits and have empathy for the tremendous trauma they went through.  You can find Anousha's art and potions at www.anoushahutton.com, on the Energyscapes Podcast available anywhere you get your podcasts, and in the future on the series Reel Cult, a horror movie review on YouTube. Purchase her potions on www.shopanousha.com and as always, have a spooky weekend!

    Haunted Mansion in Philadelphia with James Bradford

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2020 46:57


    We talked to the very funny comedian, talented storyteller and musician James Bradford about his experience renting a room in a beautiful mansion in Philadelphia and learning that the catch was a ghost. Plagued by strange events, the home owner decided to hire a ghost hunting crew to investigate. Listen now to hear about the findings!  You can find James on Instagram @jamesbradfordmusic and all of his latest projects on jamesbradfordmusic.net!

    The Frightline: Bela Lugosi's Funeral Procession

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2020 3:00


    Brought to you by A Touch from the Past Podcast via Google Voice, The Frightline will feature a new story written and produced by Jen Curcio and based on a SoCal urban legend each week. Bela Lugosi was an actor from Hungary who immigrated to America in 1920. He was greatly known for his portrayal of Dracula based on the Bram Stoker novel. His unique and incredible depiction of the monster still informs the way we imagine vampires today. Despite the wild success he from the film in 1931, he was often typecast which led to a rollercoaster of a career and financial strain in his personal life. In August of 1955, he moved to a small apartment at 5620 Harold Way in Hollywood, CA, and one year later, almost to the day, he died suddenly in his bedroom from a heart attack. Lugosi had a horse-drawn funeral procession that started at his home in Hollywood and ending at his burial plot at Holy Cross Mortuary in Ladera Heights, CA. The thing is, the horses didn't take Bela directly to his final resting place. When the driver tried turning the horses to the right to go to the cemetery, but the horse violently veered to the left, charging through a busy intersection to get onto Hollywood Boulevard. Terrified, the driver did what he could to make the horses stop. But they wouldn't until they reached a cigar shop at 6423 Hollywood Blvd. It was the very same cigar shop that Bela had walked to every day before his sudden death for his morning paper and cigars. After a few minutes, the horses continued on to the Holy Cross Mortuary where Bela was buried in his signature Dracula cape. Seems like the driver wasn't really the one taking Bela to his final resting place.  We hope you enjoy and have a spooky Halloween! Call 323-744-4879 for a scare.

    Disney Ghosts With Rachel Chapman

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2020 27:58


    Greetings Ghoulies! Join us as Rachel Chapman tells tales about the Disney parks. She gives us the rundown on which ghosts are shutting down which rides. Also did you know there was an abandoned Disney water park? Did you know there is a ride where they used real skeletons? Listen to what else we uncover in this episode.

    The Frightline: The Cult of Turnbull Canyon

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2020 2:30


    If you were around in the '80s or '90s and you're seeing this, you probably wanted to call one of those horror hotlines, but never did because they were like $3.99 per minute. They were often advertised during reruns of Tales from the Crypt on PHL17 in my hometown of Philadelphia and every time I saw one, I would beg my parents for their credit card to call. Time went by and I forgot all about them. Until about a year ago when I happened to see an old commercial for one while watching a recording of Tales from The Crypt in the '90s that was recorded on someone's camcorder. Immediately I was brought back to simpler times, crisp leaves, and consuming Pepsi and Doritos in front of the TV without a care in the world about whether my insurance would cover diabetes medication.  Right then, I knew I had to make a horror hotline of my own. And THAT is exactly what I did.  Brought to you by A Touch from the Past Podcast and Google Voice, The Frightline will feature a new story written and produced by Jen Curcio and based on a SoCal urban legend each week. The best part, it's FREE! This bonus episode is a sample of the Frightline, and we hope it gives you a chill. We know this year Halloween is different, so we wanted to do what we could to bring a little extra fright to the season. We hope you enjoy and have a spooky Halloween! Call 323-744-4879 for a scare.

    Haunted Minnesota with Theo Manhattan

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2020 56:35


    Clark and Jen talk to comedian extraordinaire, Theo Manhattan! They are the host of the upcoming game show “Dollared” on YouTube and apparently they are a magnet for the paranormal and extraterrestrial. We talk about close encounters of the third kind and lost of ghosts laughing.  We also talk about how terrifying attics and basements are. 

    The Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2020 33:34


    Hey Ghoulie! Grab your knickers and head on down to The Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel. This 1929 hotel has an intense and spooky past. From heartbreak to honeymoons, it has it all. It was home to a magician conference that performed seances to contact Harry Houdini. It was also the site of the the deaths of 2 of Hollywood's biggest jerks. There is even the ghost of the films first heart throbs, Rudolph Valentino. Even though he had died 4 years before it opened. We also have an exciting giveaway from our good friends at Neon Altar, so make sure to follow us for details that are coming soon. Twitter at @TouchPast Instagram  And do us a favor...Have a spooky weekend!

    Haunting Explorations with Jason Horton

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2020 43:32


    Greeting Groovy Ghoulies! Actor, Author and co-host of Ghost Town podcast Jason Horton joins Jen and Clark on the first October episode of the year. He tells us stories of exploring abandon places, a harrowing encounter with a troubled rock star ghost and much more. Pick up his new book "Abandoned and Historic Los Angeles: Neon and Beyond" out now at your local book shop. Follow him on Twitter: @Jason_Horton and Insta:@TheJasonHorton If you have a paranormal story you'd like to share, please email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com and tell us all about it. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcast, follow us on social media at the links below, and have a spooky weekend! Where to find us: Twitter at @TouchPast Instagram  

    Pascagoula MS with Carl Tart

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 25:40


    Actor, writer, comedian, and host of The Flagrant Ones podcast Carl Tart joins us this week to tell us a tale of a mysterious man walking around his hometown named Booker T and how he possibly saved Carl's life and then vanished. We also talk about childhood Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating in malls. Join us as Carl takes us to his hometown of Pascagoula, Mississippi via his incredible storytelling skills.

    The Beverly Hills Bermuda Triangle

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2020 39:53


    Check your compass and be extra careful while driving or flying because this week we went to the Beverly Hills Bermuda Triangle aka The Golden Triangle. The area is known for the bizarre tragedies that happened within it. Starting in 1946 with aviator legend Howard Hughes crash landing his XF-11 plane into a home, the triangle saw lots of horrific accidents and crimes. One year later, notorious gangster Bugsy Seigel was shot five times across the street from the crash site in his girlfriend's home. Then things stay quiet for 19 years until Jan Berry of Jan and Dean is driving at high speeds in his brand new 1966 Corvette Stingray and hits a parked truck head-on, resulting in a two-month-long coma and long-lasting health problems.  The most bizarre of the tragedies was in November 2010, when publicist to the stars Ronni Chasen is driving home after the premiere of Burlesque and is shot two times at a stoplight by an unknown assailant. The Beverly Hills police department closed the case in 2013, claiming it was a case of road rage gone tragically wrong. But her loved ones are convinced otherwise still to this day. Ghost rating: Clark - 4 Jen - 3

    A Haunting in Texas w/ Raymond Abel

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 39:38


    Mega-talented storyteller, Raymond Abel, joins us today to tell us all about his experience at W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a haunted apartment in Los Angeles, CA. Every ghostly interaction he's had is musical in nature. From a piano-playing ghost to an operatic spirit, Raymond is assembling a paranormal jam band. Speaking of which, at 37 minutes and 46 seconds, moments after making a joke about a ghost playing the recorder, you can hear a couple of notes on what sounds like… a recorder. We did not add that in, nor is this a joke! Please listen and let us know what you think it is. We give this haunting an 8 out of 10 ghosts! You can follow Raymond on Instagram at @rayrayshonuff If you have a paranormal story you'd like to share, please email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com and tell us all about it. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcast, follow us on social media at the links below, and have a spooky weekend! Where to find us: Twitter at @TouchPast Instagram A Touch from the Past podcast is hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio.

    The Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2020 25:49


    We went to the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA. It was the first time since March that we actually ventured out to explore and something was going down in this mortal realm. There were half a dozen cops and the biggest fire engine we have ever seen. Perhaps a ghost was born that day, but hopefully not. Clark immediately snapped into improv mode and tried to slip in with the firefighters. Jen followed with a shocked grin on her face, behind her mask. Like a good establishment does during a pandemic, the Roosevelt was incredibly strict and did not let us in to “meet our friend who is a guest.” But mad props to Clark for keeping those improv skills sharp.  The Roosevelt Hotel opened in 1927 and was the location of the first Academy Award ceremony, it also hosted many after-parties for movie premiers. The Spanish Colonial architecture and lavish interior decor exemplified the lure of Hollywood glitz and glamour.  Some of the mortal guests included Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, and Matthew McConaughey. Two of those three people have died and are allegedly still guests of the hotel. Listen now to hear about how these glamour ghosts of the Golden Age haunt the hotel guests now.  If you have a paranormal story you'd like to share, please email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com and tell us all about it. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcast, follow us on social media at the links below, and have a spooky weekend! Where to find us: Twitter at @TouchPast Instagram A Touch from the Past podcast is hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio.

    The Roswell UFO Crash

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2020 35:14


    Pour yourself a glass of Crystal Pepsi and tear open that bag of taco flavored Doritos, alien-loving children of the '90s because this week we're talking about Roswell. The site of a UFO crash landing in 1947, not the awesome TV show.  Was it just a weather balloon or was it extraterrestrials trying to flex on humans with their flying disc technology? The truth is out there and hopefully one day, they will share it with us!  This concludes our Summer Sky series, and starting in September we will be releasing weekly episodes for the Halloween season. We will also have a fun giveaway to celebrate the pod's first-anniversary featuring cool stuff from businesses local to Los Angeles. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to learn more about how to sign up.  If you have an alien encounter story you'd like to share or if you've witnessed an unidentified flying object, please email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com and tell us all about it. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcast and Have a spooky weekend! A Touch from the Past podcast is hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio. 

    Haunted House on Mulholland Drive w/ Alexander Rodriguez

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2020 46:13


    We had the pleasure of getting scared by TV and radio's Alexander Rodriguez, the host of “On the Rocks with Alexander: Where Celebrities and Cocktails Mix” and boy did he have a terrifying tale of a haunted house on Mulholland Drive to share! Jen had tears for fears streaming from her eyes after hearing about the aggressive presence in the basement of the house that was once closed off with concrete. What were they trying to keep in?!? And why do the scariest things always happen between 3:00 and 4:00 AM?!?  Every culture has a variation of an apparition or a shadow figure that brings on sleep paralysis. We discuss these terrifying presences and the one that paralyzes Alexander every six months.  You can follow Alexander on Instagram at @alexanderisonair Listen to On the Rocks with Alexander: Where Celebrities and Cocktails Mix here or wherever you listen to podcasts.  Read his articles in Metrosource Magazine, the 2nd largest LGBTQ magazine in circulation. As always, you can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast.  Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and now Facebook.  If you'd like to share a scare, email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com! Have a spoOoOoOoky weekend!

    UFO's Over LA

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2020 34:26


    What's that in the sky?! It's a UFO or a weather balloon or maybe an attention seeking rocket. This week Jen and Clark discuss two times when Angeleno's had a close encounter of the third kind. The first time took place in the winter of 1942 when tensions were high and people were gullible. A cluster of lights in the sky became the Battle of Los Angeles. The second time was more recent and turned out to be the Falcon 9 rocket, launched without warning by the stunt queen herself, Elon Musk of SpaceX. Clark also discloses that his mother was abducted by aliens, just as casually as this is written. No big deal, just another night in West Covina.  Please give us a rating on Apple Podcast, follow us on the socials or send us YOUR stories of alien encounters at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com, and please let us know if it's ok to read on our next episode. Thank you for listening and have a spoOoOoOoky weekend!

    The Batman of Echo Park

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:55


    This week Clark and Jen take you to the LaFayette Park Place murder house where the Batman of Echo Park, as the press dubbed him, murdered Fred Oesterreich after crawling down from his attic where he had been living for four years. One of the most bizarre crimes we've ever read about, it'll definitely make you want to nail your attic shut forever and never trust anyone ever again.

    Greek Theater Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2020 45:15


    We were all thirsty for ghosts at The Greek, so we invited a friend of the pod and hilarious comedian Mikki Ann Maddox to spill the ghost tea. Mikki Ann has worked at the Greek for several seasons and has some very scary ghost stories to share, including a picky child ghost named Agnes and a highly intimidating cowboy ghost.

    Episode 15: The Greek Theater

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 35:50


    We posted on the socials, asking where YOU wanted US to go and explore and a lot of people wanted to hear about The Greek Theater. Clark Canez and Jen Curcio listened and promptly hiked up to the Greek. Opened in 1931 and funded by the last bit of Griffith J. Griffith's fortune, OF COURSE, THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED.  The Greek Theater is the much-beloved concert venue to a lot of Angeleno's and it's also built on cursed land. We have some dark history and spooky specters to talk about this week.  As always, we love hearing from you about your experiences at the places we talk about and we want to know where you want us to go. So please email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on IG and Twitter.  Citations Wikipedia.com - so please do throw them some cash The Greek Theater - https://www.lagreektheatre.com/ Weird CA - http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=123 www.creepyghoststories.com/list/haunted-griffith-park-los-angeles

    Southwestern Law School AKA Bullocks on Wilshire

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2020 22:24


    This week Clark Canez and Jen Curcio go back to 1929 and explore the Bullocks Wilshire department store, but you probably know it as Southwestern Law School. The interior was designed by Eleanor Lenor and was pulled together by eight unique pieces of art in Art Deco style by artists from Los Angeles. Once known as the Cathedral of Commerce, this decadent department store had such fantastic deals people shopped 'til they dropped to the afterlife and decided to stick around FOREVER! Even though it's now a law school, the shoppers of the past are still looking for a deal. We also have our first sponsor from the past. Citations: www.la.curbed.com dailybruin.com Wikipedia

    American Storage Company Building

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2020 23:53


    If you've ever driven on the 101 through East Los Angeles, you've seen the most beautiful storage space ever aka the American Storage Company Building. As passing it you probably thought, "That's a shame it's just a storage space now. I bet it was something great before." In this episode, we get into what it was before, and boy, was it blasphemous! It was a heaven-themed rooftop speakeasy. But that's not all! Listen to find out all the felonious fun and murder.

    Edinburgh and Prague Tour

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2020 39:55


    Welp, Jen's birthday trip to Europe got canceled thanks to the pandemic. So this week Clark takes Jen on a virtual tour of haunted AF Europe. There's a lot of history over there, which of course means there are tons of hauntings to discuss. Clark selected some top-notch spots from his time in Edinburgh and Prague to discuss on this weeks episode, including: Edinburgh 1. Edinburgh Underground Vaults - we talk occult interior design and the horrible fire above ground that melted the people in the vaults below. 2. University of Edinburgh College of Medicine - this world-famous college needed cadavers for education and paid a pretty pound for each pound (of flesh) which led to MURDER. Prague 1. Prague Astronomical Clock - Installed in 1401, it is one of the most beautifully crafted clocks ever. 2. Cloak of Conscience - Created by Anna Chromý, a woman's face is said to appear on the statue's blank face. 3. Celetná - A headless templar has been witnessed pacing in this alley. As always, you can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcast or Spotify and is hosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio.

    Picnic Table #29

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2020 19:53


    We all know Griffith Park is very haunted. The Rubber-Faced man resides there, a menagerie of ghost animals are at the Old Zoo, tons of loose body parts have been found all over the place and literally on top of it all is picnic table 29.  Clark Canez and Jen Curcio discuss the unfortunate event that happened there on Halloween, 1976 and the subsequent hauntings. Listen and decide for yourself if this picnic table is haunted.  As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify. 

    Tour of Boyle Heights

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2020 54:44


    Join co-ghosts Clark Canez and Jen Curcio with special guest, comedian and storyteller Lucé Tomlin Brenner on a tour of Boyle Heights. We go to seven places of historical and paranormal significance and learn about the cultures that make up the community. The places we explored include: 1. The Linda Vista Hospital - America's most haunted hospital because the working class Latinx patients were given such poor care that many of them died. Botched surgeries that under normal circumstances should be easy to recover from are enough to haunt anyone. 2. Hollenbeck Park - A gorgeous park with a pond, swans, a beautiful bridge and the specter of a woman dressed in black. 3. The Sanatorium and Orphans Home - Sometimes it's not only spirits that leave their trace on a building. That's right, radium was taken by the spoonful and administered by a madman doctor in this former health spa. 4. Breed Street Elementary - School can be scary enough; lunch time cliques, popularity contests, but add the fact that your school was built on top of a graveyard and oh boy, good luck! 5. The Shrere Synagogue - We stopped here to learn about Jewish mourning rituals and others surrounding death. 6. Japanese Hospital - Japanese-Americans had to fight the Supreme Court to open this institution in 1927 and continued to have to fight for it through the years of the Japanese internment in America. 7. The Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged - At a first glance, this looked like an odd decor choice in the parking lot of a Food4Less. But of course, we dug deeper on the tour to find that it used to be a charity home for local senior citizens who would have been destitute otherwise. A big thank you to the Shmuel Gonzales of the Boyle Heights History Tours for giving us the best tour we have ever taken. We cannot recommend doing this enough. Please support this great organization at bhhistorytours.com and go on a tour. As always, thank you for listening and have a spoOoOoky weekend! Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.  

    Hometown Urban Legends

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2020 34:10


    Happy St. Patrick's Day! We're releasing this episode a little early because we're talking about our hometown urban legends and Jen Curcio talks about the haunted Twin Tunnels of Downingtown, PA, which was built by Irish railroad workers who died while working and were then buried in a nearby mass grave. Clark Canez tells the legend of the ghosts of Galster Park in West Covina, CA aka LA's (almost) trash dump. Get ready for a history lesson! As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify. 

    The Rubber-Faced Man

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2020 31:24


    We have a melting hot follow-up to the creepy posters in Griffith Park that we discussed in episode five with Joe Felix. The poster we found that night was warning hikers of a malicious character known at THE RUBBER-FACED MAN. Yes, we are screaming! Google led us down a terrifying trail that landed us in Johnny Carson Park where the Rubber-Faced Man is supposedly buried. We also received our first listener ghost story from Ana Araujo. Get ready to be a Mulder and believe. If you have a story you'd like to send us or have been sleuthing and want to send us your findings, email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com and let us know if it's ok to use your findings in an update.  As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify.  Hosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio

    The Colorado Street Bridge

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2020 32:13


    A bridge serves as a connection from one physical space to another, but can it also serve as a connection between the living and the dead? We went to the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, CA with comedian and makeup artist Jessica Svendsgaard to find out. We discuss mental health, the expense of prosthetic bodies for bridge jumping scenes and the horrific accident that occurred during the construction of this bridge. TW: Suicide If you are having thoughts of self-harm or struggling with depression, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify.  Hosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio

    Cecil Hotel

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2020 39:11


    There's a very common misconception that Los Angeles is too new to have any viable history. That is simply untrue. In episode 6, we explore the now boarded-up Cecil Hotel in downtown LA. An elegant hotel that was built to host the richest clientele…right before the Great Depression. It quickly became a haven for drifters and the last residence of the Original Night Stalker and ghostly looking creep, Richard Ramirez. As of late, it is associated with one of the most bizarre unsolved mysteries, the Elisa Lam case. Give it a listen and then please rate us on Apple Podcast. It helps other Mulders and Scullys discover us: Apple Podcast/A Touch from the Past or you can listen on Spotify.  Check out pics of our explorations on Instagram and Twitter. If you have a haunt you'd like us to investigate, please email us at atouchfromthepastpodcast@gmail.com.  Thanks for listening and as always, have a spooky weekend! Hosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio

    Abandoned LA Zoo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2020 31:20


    If we've learned anything from our adventures so far, it's that the locations where the most tumultuous situations played out are usually the creepiest. Whether you believe in ghosts, metaphysical energy or nothing at all, we can all agree that going to L.A.'s old abandoned zoo on Friday the 13th was scary! But we had some good laughs too because we were joined by hilarious comedian, Joe Felix. No kidding, I've seen him do 3 different types of comedy and he's so good at every one of them. Check him out on Twitter at @cuppofJoetogo and definitely catch him performing all around Los Angeles.  He also introduced us to the Rubber-Faced Man.  As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify.  Co-ghosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio

    The Los Feliz Murder House

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2019 16:10


    For the holidays we explore the site of one of LA's most grizzly Christmastime murders, the Los Feliz Murder house. We also debate how to pronounce Los Feliz. We couldn't actually go in because it's a privately owned home that is up for sale again…perhaps too many spirits already reside there. But we took a long look at the outside despite the neighbor glaring at us. The Christmas season of 1959 truly was one to remurder. We also introduce a new segment: The X-Files Re-opened and discuss the Christmas special of The X-Files Season 6, Episode 6 – How the Ghosts Stole Christmas. As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify.  Co-ghosted by Clark Canez and Jen Curcio

    Rosedale Cemetery

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2019 38:27


    Clark Canez and Jen Curcio are joined by comedian, Lauren Blair Donovan on a field trip to Rosedale Cemetery in the Pico-Union section of Los Angeles, CA. Rosedale was opened in 1831 to re-home the corpses misplaced due to construction of what is now Downtown Los Angeles and was the first cemetery to be fully integrated. No matter what race, religion or economic status, all were welcome there for their final rest. We explore this gorgeous cemetery, talk about what we think happens in the afterlife and hear an absolutely chilling ghost story from Lauren Blair. Put your ear pods in, walk into the woods, shuffle through some foliage and get ready to feel more than an autumn chill… you'll feel A Touch from the Past. Tune in next time for our first Christmas special! We will be exploring the Los Feliz Murder House. As always, you can see more photos on our Instagram: @a_touch_from_the_past_podcast  You can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify. 

    Pennhurst Asylum

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2019 41:36


    Pennhurst Asylum aka the Pennhurst State School is one of the scariest places in America and maybe the world. Hosts Clark Canez and Jen Curcio traveled 3,000 miles to get locked in overnight at the now-abandoned school. We learned so much about the day-to-day lives of the students and patients.  Armed with a motion detector and flashlights, we went off to the tunnels under the Philadelphia building where doctors performed horrific experiments on patients. In the middle of the night, we had a scream when the motion detector went off for no visible reason.  As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify. 

    Victorian Era Mourning

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2019 37:50


    The Victorian era was a Goth's dream. Mourning was a competition and wearing black 24/7/365 was what you did. People really stewed in their sadness and creepy dolls were too common. Join cohosts Clark Canez and Jen Curcio as they learn about daguerreotype death photos and the mourning rituals of the Victorian era. Too many of these rituals contained human hair. We also reflect on how that Touch of the Past influenced memorial services in the present. Special thanks to Le Cos for the wonderful intro music. As always, you can listen to this episode here, Apple Podcast or Spotify. 

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