Most people associate California with sunshine, Hollywood stars and sunny beaches – but this Golden State also contains its fair share of darkness.
From California’s creepy Queen Mary shipwrecks and hotels to other scary spots that will give you chills down your spine, these creepy spots in California offer terrifying experiences! These haunted locations can create the ideal Halloween atmosphere or can provide thrills all year long!
Alcatraz
California often brings to mind sunny vistas and Hollywood movie stars; however, there is also a more sinister side to this state.
Alcatraz Island, once a military prison now converted to federal penitentiary, is said to be home to numerous haunting spirits including those associated with its former residents such as Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Whitey Bulger – in addition to Robert Stroud known as Birdman of Alcatraz.
Visitors have reported hearing screaming, putrid smells, banging cell doors and disembodied voices from inside. One entity known as “The Thing” with glowing eyes has even been reported by both prisoners and guards as seen wandering the facility.
Whaley House
Whaley House in Old Town San Diego has long been considered one of America’s most haunted houses, drawing ghost hunters and history lovers alike to its rooms and grounds. This home has also been featured on multiple television programs and magazines.
Prior to being owned by the Whaley family, this land served as both a gallows and cemetery.
Haunted manifestations at this home include unexplained footsteps, tobacco smoke odors and sightings of full-bodied apparitions; guests have reported feeling tugs on their clothing.
Colorado Street Bridge
When the Colorado Street Bridge opened for business in Pasadena in 1913, early travelers were amazed to see its beauty. Unfortunately, soon thereafter it gained notoriety as people started jumping from its heights to their deaths.
Drivers have reported witnessing ghostly figures associated with those who died on the bridge haunting it today, such as an apparition of a woman walking across it at night; should this occur, drivers are warned to swerve quickly as she might curse you! Also often seen is an image of a construction worker who died after falling onto wet cement during construction works on site – often seen wandering aimlessly across it!
Oak Park Cemetery
California may bring images of beautiful beaches and warm sunshine to mind, but its reputation hides an underbelly that many would find disturbing.
Reports indicate many people have seen or heard an unknown figure walking through cemeteries and calling out for assistance! Many have even reported hearing an unknown voice calling out for assistance!
An unlikely choice for California’s list of haunted places may not seem obvious at first, but Eat 8 Mile Road’s ghost stories make an intriguing case. Drivers on this rural highway have reported hearing hoofbeats coming from far off.
Cerro Gordo
Back when it was at its height, this 19th-century mining town averaged one murder per week. Today, Brent Underwood–founder of a backpacker hostel in Austin Texas–and business partner Jon Bier have purchased the town and plan on revitalizing it.
Read on to gain more insight into this chilling California ghost town. Don’t forget your camera – you might just capture some eerie sights here!
Darwin
Darwin, on the outskirts of Death Valley, started out like so many western towns as a mining settlement when silver was discovered there. Today it’s home to only 35 residents who operate off grid and according to their own set of rules.
GSFD investigates the notion that Darwinian concepts of variation are often haunted by eugenics. Are these ideas, bound up in peoples’ histories and used by them, doomed to foster outcomes which further marginalize vulnerable communities?
Bodie
Bodie stands out as one of the finest-preserved ghost towns, providing an incredible glimpse of life during California’s Gold Rush. Explore wooden buildings in various stages of “arrested decay”, while peeking inside churches, schoolshouses, barber shops and saloons – an experience not to be missed!
At its height, this town was an active mining center boasting a Wells Fargo bank, miners union, daily newspapers, and 65 saloons. Today it’s best known for inexplicable events like food smells cooking in nearby restaurants, giggles from cemetery nearby, and woman peering from Dechambeau house.
Calico
Many people picture California as an idyllic state filled with sunny beaches and famous movie stars; however, the Golden State also hides many ghost towns and haunting experiences that might surprise people.
Calico, one of the more beloved California deserted towns, was abandoned due to declining silver prices in the 1930s and abandoned for good thereafter. Visitors may still visit Lucy Lane’s General Store and her home along with attractions like Mystery Shack. Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm restored and donated Calico back to San Bernardino County at that time.
