California may be known for its beautiful sunshine and Hollywood glamour, but this golden state also contains numerous haunted spots – from Big Sur’s headless friar to an abandoned woman who haunts Whaley House – guaranteed to give chills! California offers plenty of these unsettling locations and you are sure to experience some chills during your visit here.
Sarah Winchester’s mansion, complete with its unopenable door and stairs that lead nowhere, has long been said to be haunted by spirits of men killed by her husband’s rifle, even today it continues to attract ghostly visits.
Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay served as home for America’s most dangerous criminals from 1934 to 1963, becoming one of the world’s most notorious prisons due to its inexorable position and tight security measures. Today, its ghostly reputation draws in thousands of visitors who experience unexplainable phenomena on this rocky island prison.
Unusual noises such as screaming, clanging metal doors, moans, chains rattling and whistles as well as footsteps that seem to follow you can all be found within Alcatraz prison walls. Renowned ghosthunter Richard Senate even spent one night there along with a psychic and described emotions that seemed to emanate from every corner.
Cell 14D at Ellis Island has long been known for being haunted. Legend has it that Al Capone would play his banjo to pass the time in prison; visitors have reported hearing twangy noises echoing throughout its rooms.
Whaley House
The Whaley House has long been featured in horror films and television shows due to its haunted history and spirit presence. Visitors have reported hearing footsteps, hearing noises that they cannot explain, lights turning on and off by themselves and objects moving by themselves while visiting.
Thomas Whaley built this two-story Greek Revival house in 1857. Known as one of the finest houses in southern California, it served as the town’s first commercial theater, county courthouse, and general store – but also became a place where several family members died such as Thomas who succumbed to Scarlet Fever at four months of age in 1858.
Yankee Jim Robinson is said to haunt this house; a boat-jacking thief who was executed prior to its construction and is said to haunt it with haunting footsteps and footfalls on its floors.
Hollywood Wax Museum
California is a popular spot for dark tourism, offering haunted hotels and haunted former prisons that will give you chills. Don’t be scared off; California has plenty more spine-tingling locations you should discover!
The Hollywood Wax Museum was established by Spoony Singh and has become a favorite tourist and celebrity attraction since 1964. Legend has it that its spirit-haunted halls may contain paranormal activity such as orbs appearing in visitors’ videos at nighttime.
The Whaley House in San Diego is said to be haunted by multiple spirits. Once Thomas Whaley’s home, this building has since served as a general store, granary, Crowdie Theater and morgue. Both visitors and employees have reported sighting ghostly figures, hearing footsteps outside their room or experiencing unexplained phenomena at this location. Other haunted sites in the area include RMS Queen Mary, Hotel del Coronado and Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Oak Park Cemetery
Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont has long been associated with macabre happenings. The graveyard houses the remains of Claremont’s founding families and has a dark and sinister aura; visitors have reported being attacked by small apparitions that seem intent on attacking. Nighttime shadowy figures have also been seen wandering among its gravestones.
Bodie Ghost Town was an abandoned mining community from the Gold Rush era that was inaccessible via roads. Sticky fingers often took treasure from abandoned homes; one staff member even devised a curse that punished anyone caught stealing anything from Bodie Ghost Town.
Point Sur’s haunted lighthouse is thought to be home to the spirits of those who perished in shipwrecks off its coast, serving as a museum and hosting ghost tours each evening. Additionally, Colorado Street Bridge carries with it an ugly legacy: since 1919 alone it has witnessed 102 suicide attempts on it’s span.
