La Llorona
The Legend
La Llorona ("the weeping woman") is one of New Mexico's best-known spirits. Legend has it that she lived in Santa Fe during Spanish colonial times when the Santa Fe River flowed much stronger and deeper than it does now. The woman had two children out of wedlock and, after a love affair turned sour, she lost her mind and drowned her two young sons in the river then committed suicide. There have been sightings and tales of hearing a woman crying along the river banks for centuries.
The Location
The P.E.R.A. Building, built in the mid-1960s and standing in the middle of the large parking lot where this cache is located, houses state government offices and is actually a five-story facility with two levels underground. The structure and parking area are built over what was once a Spanish-Indian cemetery, possibly associated with the nearby San Miguel Mission. While many of the graves were relocated during construction, others were supposedly left in place and simply built over due to financial and time constraints. (Digging for utilities and such often unearths ancient bones here, as happened in November 2010.) It is said that La Llarona's two murdered boys were buried in this old graveyard, and there have been reports of her wailing spirit being spotted in the building's subterranean levels. Many past and current employees have told of hearing cries echoing through the halls and feeling unseen hands pushing them while in the stairwells.
The Cache
There is limited free public parking near this cache at the tourist information center directly across the street from the state capitol building. Look for the signs.
The Series
Most of the caches are located in downtown Santa Fe and are easily accessible on foot at night should you be bold enough to do so. Please post photos if you encounter any otherworldly entities while searching!
Other caches in the series are:
- GC2KEYJ Santa Fe Ghost Hunt #2: Julia Staab
- GC2N92H Santa Fe Ghost Hunt #3: The Old Hospital
- GC2NWWG Santa Fe Ghost Hunt #4: Grant Corner Inn
- GC2PNEV Santa Fe Ghost Hunt #5: State Pen Spirits