Lake Tahoe's natural splendor conceals its haunted history. Locals say the ghosts of the Donner Party haunt their doomed campsite in the Sierras. Wealthy recluse George Whittell is said to have never left his beloved Thunderbird Lodge, though he died in 1969. The ghosts of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and members of the Rat Pack are thought to gallivant in the showroom and cabins of the Cal Neva Lodge, a popular celebrity retreat. Prisoners from the past may remain in the old Truckee Jail, and the restless spirit of a murdered showgirl might linger in the Tahoe Biltmore. Travel back to Tahoe's golden age and explore where glamour meets ghoul with the queen of haunted Nevada, Janice Oberding.
An independent historian, Janice Oberding is a past docent of the Nevada Historical Society and Fourth Ward School Museum in Virginia City. The author of numerous books on Nevada's history, true crime, unusual occurrences and hauntings, she speaks on these subjects throughout the state. Her Ghosthunting 101 and Nevada's Quirky Historical Facts classes for Community Education at Truckee Meadows Community College have been well received.