Fred and Stephen Garza-Guzman, pictured standing in front of the reportedly haunted Yorktown Memorial Hospital operate Curious Twins Tours & Events, which offers paranormal tours and events. (Photo courtesy of Curious Twins Tours & Events)
DAVID WEBB | The Rare Reporter
DavidWayneWebb@yahoo.com
It’s not unusual for couples to go into business together. But Fred and Stephen Garza-Guzman of San Antonio chose an unorthodox venture to make a living together — paranormal tours and research.
As the owners of Curious Twins Tours & Events, the Garza-Guzmans yearly host about 100 tours, events and investigations that “dive into the lore and history of more than a dozen haunted locations” around San Antonio, including Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, The King William Historic District, San Antonio’s City Cemetery #1, The Nat Washer Masonic Lodge, The San Antonio Riverwalk and more, according to their promotional materials.
They started the historic tour company in 2017, and today they book guests from across the country to tour with them in Texas.
“What differentiates us from other paranormal companies is that we care deeply about history, folklore and authentic paranormal experiences,” Stephen said. “For example, we don’t do jump scares; we don’t make up stories, and we don’t dress up as characters.
“In our tours and investigations, we do our best to establish what is fact and what is fiction.
We seek to create equitable perspectives of history and the paranormal.”
Their activities include hosting two large paranormal conferences yearly: the San Antonio Psychic & Spirit Fest every May and the San Antonio Paranormal Fest every September. In 2025, they coordinated with the New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR) to showcase the notorious haunted Annabelle Doll to more than 1,500 visitors.
The development of the business has grown with the Garza-Guzmans’ relationship, which began in 2013 after they met during an online forum.
“What began as a friendship deepened with our shared interest in history, dark fiction, the macabre and the metaphysical,” Stephen said.
Fred is a storyteller and folklorist specializing in the haunted history of Central and South Texas. With a background in gerontology and gerontological social services, he has Coahuiltecan roots and is a practitioner of Curanderismo, Mexican folk healing.
His work blends historical research with community engagement and storytelling. He is also the writer behind The Morbid Travel Guide, where he explores dark tourism, regional folklore and overlooked histories through both the blog and its companion podcast.
Stephen has spent his life and career deeply rooted in the culture and history of the Alamo City. He graduated from St. Mary’s University with a degree in English Literature and Communications. He was a prominent figure in the San Antonio nonprofit sector, working with organizations like Gemini Ink, The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and SAY Sí. He defines his professional journey as a commitment to storytelling, community development, and the preservation of Texas’s colorful and complicated narratives through writing and photography.
“Many of our early experiences as a couple included walking tours where we would visit sites with dark history,” Stephen said. “While not all were necessarily haunted, many of these locations had connections to the paranormal. These were fun experiences for us, and starting our company allowed us to deepen our understanding and experience with spirit communication, paranormal investigation and dark history.”
To start the paranormal tour operation, Fred sold his San Antonio-based restaurant business, Vegeria and Viva Vegeria. And in 2022, Stephen shifted his focus to exert all his energy on helping promote the company.
During the first year of business, they began a partnership with Victoria’s Black Swan Inn to conduct tours and investigations of the historic and reportedly haunted property. Then they strengthened that partnership in 2018 by conducting tours and investigations of a sister property, Yorktown Memorial Hospital.
Yorktown Memorial Hospital was built in 1951, and it was operated by the Felician Sisters, a Catholic nun order. It closed in 1986, was reopened as a drug rehabilitation center then closed again in the 1990s. The 30,000-square-foot building has been vacant ever since.
“After conducting over 25 tours and investigations over the years, our relationship with Jo Ann Rivera and Phil Ross, the owners of both properties, deepened,” Stephen said. “So, when it came time for the owners to sell, they first considered our business based on this ongoing partnership.”
The Garza-Guzmans now operate regular paranormal tours of the old hospital building, attracting visitors from across Texas and other states.
“Over these seven years, Yorktown, Texas, had become a home away from home for us,” Stephen said. “Purchasing the hospital this July was a dream come true, and we have been committed to honoring the rich history and folklore of this location.”
Their operation recently attracted the attention of Chet Garner, the host of the PBS Texas travel show, The Daytripper. The episode featuring the Garza-Guzmans aired recently on all PBS stations in the state, and it is now available on the show’s YouTube channel.
“We really enjoyed having the crew and cast from The Daytripper out,” Fred said. “They were genuinely excited to learn about the hospital and its history. It’s incredibly special to share that experience with people who truly care about and love Texas history, just like we do.”
The Garza-Guzmans say there is a large number of people who are interested in the paranormal, but they often remain fans in secret or hesitate to share their personal encounters for fear of being misunderstood or ridiculed.
“In our experience with Curious Twins and Yorktown Memorial Hospital, we’ve found that a vast community exists beneath the surface, composed of all types of people who have carried unexplained experiences in silence for years,” Stephen said. “We often provide the first safe space where they feel comfortable finally voicing those stories.
“While the vocal enthusiasts are easy to spot, the true scale and diversity of the paranormal community is a bit of a mystery.”
Many of the people who take their tours are members of the LGBTQ+ community, the Garza-Guzmans added.
“We’ve certainly met many members of the LGBTQ+ community who are also fans of the paranormal,” Stephen said. “History shows us that marginalized groups — including queer people — have often had to navigate life with a foot in two different worlds. That perspective can naturally draw a person to the ‘unseen’ or ‘dark’ sides of history.”
For information visit: CuriousTwins.com, YorktownMemorialHospital.com