When the eerie sound of hollow footsteps echo in the vacant attic of a lonely house and the screams of those who departed long ago linger in the hallways, like an ominous cloud waiting to burst into rainfall, the legend of the haunted house is born to those who dare to believe.
If you are planning a trip to San Diego, California, your hunger for the paranormal can be satiated as you plan your day around these 2 haunted places in San Diego County. Located about 45 minutes from my house, I have heard tall tales about these high spirited haunts for years and finally had the chance to visit a couple of weeks ago. If you are like me, and have an eye for the unknown, these haunted houses will scare the spook right out of you!
The Whaley House
Located in historic “Old Town” San Diego, the Whaley House was originally built in the mid 1800’s by San Diego Pioneer, Thomas Whaley. Whaley, a prominent man, lived in the house with his wife and six children until he died in 1890. His wife survived him several more years until her death in 1913. The last of the Whaley children, Corinne, died in 1953.
According to the Travel Channel, America’s Most Haunted, the Whaley House is the most haunted house in the United States. Hans Holzer, a renowned ghost hunter who visited the house writes:
“There are some human beings who are dimly aware of their own deaths, yet have chosen to stay on in what used to be their homes, to be close to surroundings they once held dear”.
Rich in ghostly history, after falling into disrepair, it was eventually renovated into the museum that it is today.
HauntedHouses.com claims that one of the oldest apparitions known to haunt the Whaley house is that of Yankee Jim, a convicted man who was hung on the Whaley property long before it was purchased by the Whaleys. Whaley’s daughter, Corinne would often-times become frightened when she heard heavy foot steps running across the second floor! To comfort her, Mr. Whaley was reported to have said, “Don’t worry, that’s just Yankee Jim”!
The Whaley House is now open to the public for tours. The address is 2476 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, California, 92110 and phone number, 619-297-7511. Summer visiting hours are from 10am to 10pm daily. A small fee is required upon admission. If you are seeking to visit real haunted places in San Diego, this one should not be missed!
El Campo Cemetery
Only a few blocks from the Whaley House, El Campo cemetery is located in the Old Town Historic Park. Originally designated a Catholic Cemetery in 1849, many early San Diegans are buried here, or should I say, were buried here! What is so freaky about this cemetery is that, according to HauntedHouses.com, at present, only a fraction of the graves remain visible, around 447. The key word here, mind you, is visible! As the city grew many graves were actually moved while roads and buildings were built atop of others. Needless to say, the ghosts of these grave sites have become ghoulishly pissed, as the cemetery boasts a host of disturbing manifestations. Many of the businesses that were built over the graves have reported unusual problems with lighting, electricity and alarm functioning. Furthermore, a slew of apparitions have been found lingering around the remaining grave sites. Finally, many visitors have given testimony of having trouble starting their cars when they attempted to gather their wits about them and leave the cemetery.
If you are looking for a great afternoon full of haunted places to visit in San Diego, stop first at the Whaley House and if you dare, pack a lunch and picnic with some potential new friends at the El Campo Cemetery. You may want to keep your car running, however!
The address is the 2400 block of San Diego Avenue, San Diego, California, 92110. Sorry the ghosts do not have phones!
Sources:
www.whaleyhouse.org
www.hauntedhouses.com
