Gold rush ghost town frozen in time becomes tourist hotspot - but it hides a chilling secret

A California ghost town abandoned decades ago has transformed into a tourist hotspot - but visitors warn it is plagued by a 'curse'.

Bodie is a small former gold-mining town near the the Nevada border that was once home to around 8,000 people and 2,000 buildings.

It was named after the man who first found gold buried in the hills just north of Mono Lake in 1859.  Two years later, a mill was set up and the town began to boom, with miners flooding in from all around the country. 

But its good fortunes didn't last and by 1881, the town began to go bust, with residents leaving en mass and mining officially ending in 1942. 

Today, tourists from all over flock to visit the town that remains frozen in time. But visitors are urged not to disturb what remains or pilfer items for themselves amid reports those who do end up plagued by bad luck, LADbible reported.   

During its boom years, the town boasted houses, a school, a Wells Fargo bank, four volunteer fire companies, hotels, a jail, cemeteries, stores, churches, newspapers, a mortuary, and other structures that supported the large community of residents. 

There were once 65 saloons in area, including many brothels and 'houses of ill repute', gambling halls and opium dens, the town's website reports.

This led to a huge rise in nightly shootings, stabbings and brawls, with the area soon becoming notorious for violence in the surrounding area.

Coupled with a sharp decline in mineable material and rising racism against Chinese immigrants, Bodie's population began to plummet and by 1886 there were only around 1,500 residents left. 

Meanwhile, two devastating fires in 1892 and 1932 destroyed huge numbers of buildings, with the harsh climate also contributing to the town's decline.

Today, only around 200 buildings still stand in the deserted community.

Eventually, Bodie became a National Historic Landmark District in 1961 and a State Historic Park in 1962. 

While it receives scores of visitors every year, the area is kept in a state of 'arrested decay' to ensure things continue to look how they did then. 

However, those who visit believe that the dead town is plagued by a curse. 

Multiple sightseers have reportedly sent back souvenirs they had stolen from sites across Bodie after suffering misfortune.

Aaron Scarborough, a park aide at Bodie, previously said: 'The streets are covered with their own souvenirs, from old glass and nails to an occasional coin. But park aides advise you not to shoplift in Bodie. Not because of any moral code, but because of the curse.

'People take old rusty nails as souvenirs and send them back. They get them home and their luck goes bad. Just bad.' 

'As proof, he points to a table in the museum, covered with bits of glass and metal, lined with letters from people apologizing for looting, telling tales of bad luck — tax investigations, car repairs, fires and fights,' a newspaper article from 1993 added.

Some have since compared the rumors to the 'Pompeii Curse' - where visitors  to the ancient city destroyed in 79AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted reportedly suffered tragedies after taking home items from the ruins. 

Meanwhile, others claim various buildings and areas in the deserted town are haunted by ghosts. 

According to the Little House of Horrors, some believe that the J.S Cain House, once owned by a wealthy businessman, is haunted by a Chinese maid. 

Legend suggests that the maid killed herself after she was accused by Cain's wife of being his mistress and subsequently fired. 

The publication also alleges that the Bodie Cemetery is haunted by an angel 'ghost' of three-year-old Evelyn, daughter of Albert and Fanny Myers who was 'accidentally' killed in 1897 by a miner's pick.