Dorothea Puente Boarding House
4.4(121)google
DowntownQuirky
Overview
A deeply chilling and world-famous true-crime historical destination, this historic Victorian house stands in downtown Sacramento as the former residence of the notorious female serial killer Dorothea Puente. During the 1980s, Puente murdered several of her elderly and disabled boarders, secretly burying their bodies directly within the shadow of the property's floral gardens. Today, the carefully preserved private exterior serves as an eerie landmark for true-crime enthusiasts, historians, and criminologists exploring the complex dark dark corners of regional urban history.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration15-30 minutes
Best TimeAs this notorious landmark remains a private residential property, it is only suitable for true-crime enthusiasts to briefly view and photograph from the public sidewalk during daytime hours. Please respect tenant privacy.
Getting ThereLocated at 1426 F St in a residential neighborhood. A 15-minute walk from the Capitol grid, or walk 6 minutes north from the 12th & I Light Rail station. Drivers should utilize standard metered parallel parking.
Travel Tips
- The serial-killer crime location functions as a strictly private residence; the interior is permanently locked, and tourists must remain behind public curb limits.
- Surrounding residential blocks restrict curb parking via strict local permit codes; non-resident vehicles are towed quickly, making bicycle transit optimal.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- Exterior photography is limited to public sidewalks with minimal noise; deploying large video tripods or high-power softboxes triggers local police nuisance calls.
Reviews
Positive
- Sacramento's premier real dark tourism landmark; a must-visit building for true-crime buffs and serial killer history enthusiasts with a bizarre look.
- Despite being a highly controversial true-crime site, the exterior is well-kept, preserving historic grit with detailed independent history plaques outside.
- Completely free since viewing and taking photos is done purely from public sidewalks, making it a unique landmark with zero paid upselling.
- Nestled in a core residential area surrounded by shady trees, allowing you to walk through a quiet Midtown neighborhood for authentic local community views.
Heads up
- The house is currently a legally owned private residence; the interior is strictly off-limits to tourists, limiting views to just the outer walls.
- The site has zero multilingual guides or official park staff; without doing online research on the serial killer case beforehand, it looks like any house.
- Set in a pure residential zone, it lacks public restrooms, gift shops, or parking lots; driving visitors must ensure they don't block residential driveways.
- For families with young kids or sensitive tourists, the backstory is blood-soaked and depressing, making it completely unsuitable as a cheery family vacation stop.