Dark City: The Places We Think We Know
There's the glossy postcard version...and then there's the full picture. These are the real, gritty, and often hidden stories behind the places we think we know. Host Leah Johnson sits down with insiders and experts, from Secret Service agents to bestselling authors, to pull back the curtain on overlooked history, true crime, and brushes with the unexplained.
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Genres: History, True Crime, Paranormal, Travel, Culture
Dark City: The Places We Think We Know
Ghost Town Minisode | The Quixotic Rise and Fall of Santa Claus, AZ
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Santa Claus, AZ | In the 1930s, a holiday fantasy rose from the Arizona desert, promising Christmas every day of the year. This is the story of what happens when we try to make permanent what is seasonal by design.
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📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
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✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com
🔎 Sources:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santa-claus-arizona
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-history/2024/12/18/santa-claus-az-history/76763717007/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-history/2022/12/07/where-christmas-was-celebrated-year-round-santa-claus-arizona/69706879007/
https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/once-festive-town-santa-claus-arizona/
https://www.arizonahighways.com/article/santa-claus-arizona
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-santa-claus-inn-own/187254288/
The Plain Dealer. (October 11, 1970). Santa claus arizona. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-santa-claus-arizona/187254432/
Arizona Daily Star. (December 25, 1976). Santa Claus for Sale. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-santa-claus-for-sale/187254477/
Nevada State Journal. (December 25, 1976). Need a Gift - Santa Claus. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/nevada-state-journal-need-a-gift-santa/187254503/
Pasadena Star-News. (April 13, 1931). Ninon Santa Claus. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news-ninon-santa-claus/187300212/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nepE18QbGj8. Santa Claus | The Christmas-Themed Desert Ghost Town
Obscurist Tourist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p67KJT_9l_E . Santa Claus, Arizona | Cronkite News
https://www.nps.gov/articles/route-66-overview.htm
🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Jingle Bells Back to Sleep by Laurent Buczek
Quirky Children Music by Tunetank
Christmas Holiday (Christmas Jazz) by Tunetank
Dark Christmas (Short) by Siarhei Korbut
God Rest, Ye Merry Meta by Alexander Nakarada
Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.
👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)