Dark City
Every place has a shadow, every shadow has a story. Join us, dark tourists, as we travel through the hidden history of legendary cities - scandal, true crime, haunted places, and more. We dive deep into the research and spill the historical tea with dark humor. No tourist fluff, no sanitized versions. Just the real and sometimes terrifying truths that will surprise even the locals.
Season 1: Los Angeles is now streaming, with occasional detours to other cities and towns with stories too good to wait. Season 2: Phoenix will premiere in May 2025.
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Genres: Travel, History, True Crime, Paranormal, Culture
Dark City
33. HIDDEN HISTORY: Wrensmoor Castle’s Secrets and Spector Pt 1
Alhambra, CA | What’s the story behind Alhambra’s castle on the hill? Wrensmoor Castle stands like a stately gift from the past, modeled after the grand châteaus of the Pyrenees, the homeland of its original builder, Sylvester Dupuy. Behind its stately facade is a layered history shaped by opulence, challenges, and moments of dark intrigue. From hidden passages to a séance room, the castle has seen it all—including the downfall of legendary music producer Phil Spector, who once called it home.
This episode’s topic was chosen by the highest bidder at a recent fundraiser hosted by the Asian Real Estate Association of America Greater Los Angeles (@areaagla on Instagram). We were thrilled to auction off a custom episode to support relief efforts following the January Los Angeles fires. Thank you to our winning bidder @thelenderlife on Instagram, based in Arcadia and specializing in helping clients find the right mortgage for their unique situations.
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📚 In a world where anyone can publish anything and skip giving credit to their sources, we do right by the many historians, journalists, and experts who made this episode possible by citing their work. Our key sources for this episode are listed below. A complete list can be found on our website.
-Barber, M. (1985, July 11). As Sleeping Beauty was in the fairy tale, Alhambra Castle is being awakened by love. Los Angeles Times.
-Grimes, W. (2021, January 22). Phil Spector, famed music producer and convicted murderer, dies at 81. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/arts/music/phil-spector-dead.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
-Gupta, P. (2013, March 15). Friends of Lana Clarkson protest HBO film "Phil Spector". Salon. https://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/friends_of_lana_clarkson_protest_hbo_film_phil_spector/
-Los Angeles Times. (1939, December 3). Fables of Alhambra mystery castle explode.
-Meares, H. (2013, October 4). Phil Spector's Pyrenees Castle: The fairytale castle that became home to a nightmare. PBS SoCal. https://www.pbssocal.org/history-society/phil-spectors-pyrenees-castle-the-fairytale-castle-that-became-home-to-a-nightmare
-Sippell, M. (2024, December 9). 7 chilling details from Phil Spector’s murder of Lana Clarkson. MovieMaker. https://www.moviemaker.com/phil-spector-murder-lana-clarkson-details/
-Sonksen, M. (2013, December 6). On location: Alhambra. PBS SoCal.
-Wrensmoor. (n.d.). https://www.wrensmoor.com
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👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)