California is one of the biggest states in North America, so there are a lot of everything. You want beaches? They got beaches. Mountains? They have plenty of those. You want haunted locations? Well, we have you covered.
No matter where you go, there is a dark and eerie side to a place. Even California, a land of celebrities, cities, beaches, and million dollar mansions. Here are ten locations hidden around the state with some spooky backstories.
10 Battery Point Lighthouse
In the northern end of California, before you hit Oregon, is one of the creepiest lighthouses in the country. It is also very old, dating back to the 1850s. Eventually rumors spread about the place being haunted, to the point that paranormal research groups have investigated the place.
Based on investigations, it is believed that there are three ghosts at the lighthouse: a child and two adults. The lighthouse is also only able to be traveled to at low tide, when the road is not covered by the ocean.
9 The Queen Mary
There is nothing quite as cool as a haunted ship. The best part? This retired British ship is now a hotel, museum, and tourist attraction at California's Long Beach. Yes, you can spend the night on this haunted ship.
It was not long before the ship became a hotel that many claimed it was haunted. It is believed one of the staterooms is haunted by someone who was murdered there. Many also say the suite room B-340 is incredibly haunted. The ship staff like to own up to its haunted legacy, and have commercial tours and events about its history and ghosts.
8 The Whaley House
Built where a graveyard once was, the Whaley House dates back to 1857. Today, it serves the community as a museum and is cited as one of the most haunted places in America. The building has seen a lot of sad history, including the suicide of Violet Whaley in 1885 and various hangings that took place on the property before the building was constructed.
The earliest documented ghost of this house is called "Yankee Jim." It is believed he was once a man named Santiago Robinson, who was hung from the back of a wagon in 1852 where the house now sits.
7 Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
Fort Humboldt has several spooky stories worth knowing by various visitors. Most of the stories involved the old hospital. Many have reported seeing a ghost of a commander who died peering into windows the hospital windows. It believed that he died of malaria in 1859.
The park is located in Eureka, which is said to be full of haunted places from the old inns to the theaters and trains.
6 Alcatraz
Alactraz is a famous prison and military fort on an island. It has many stories, such as one of the most well-known prison breaks in history. However, it also has its scary ones. It has seen a lot since it was built in the 1850s. Many notorious criminals stayed there and the prison is said to have been created to break the spirits of even the most rebellious of souls.
Some visitors have claimed to hear crying, moaning, and banjo music.
5 The Hotel Del Coronado
This historic beachfront hotel may seem like a warm and welcoming place to vacation, but it has had its share of dark experiences. It opened in 1888 and one of its famous stories is of Kate Morgan who committed suicide in the hotel at just 24-years-old. Her ghost is said to still be seen and heard around the hotel grounds. She even inspired a book, Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel del Coronado for those who want to learn more.
4 Winchester House
Every paranormal enthusiast knows about this place. It is a mansion in San Jose that was the mansion of Sarah Winchester, who was the wife of firearm magnate William Winchester. What makes this place so famous is the house is a total architectural curiosity. It is enormous and the building plans make absolutely no sense.
Besides how it is built, the mansion is said to be haunted by those killed by the Winchester rifles. There are even theories that the house was built strange in order to trick ghosts.
3 Moaning Cavern
Located in Calaveras County is an adventure park called the Moaning Caverns. Today it serves as a place for zip-lining, seeing cool rock formations, and climbing. However, it has a spooky legend from the Miwok Native Americans. They would tell their children of a monster named Yayali that would make the moaning sounds that gave the cave its name.
The most spooky part is that it was said the monster would devour any children that came near the cave. It served as a warning so children wouldn't fall into the deep cave. However, early European settlers did discover a lot of human remains at the end of the cavern.
2 El Adobe De Capistrano
Most would not think a popular wedding venue and restaurant would be haunted, but life is full of fun surprises. El Adobe de Capistrano is a fantastic Mexican eatery but is also sits atop what used to be a jail. What is the wine-cellar used to be a jail cell.
There have been various reports of ghosts, such as a headless monk, a woman looking for her son who perished in the jail, and a White Lady who walks a dog on Los Rios Street.
1 Preston Castle
This place is less of a castle and more of a haunted school. Once land that belonged to the Ione Coal and Iron Company, it was bought in 1890 and turned into the Preston School of Industry where troubled youth would learn a trade instead of going to juvenile prison. It was a school that worked a little like a prison. Samuel Goins, a convicted burglar was serving time at the school and attempted to escape until he was shot by a Preston guard. He was only 20-years-old and died two months before his release. He was not the only tragedy that happened there either. No wonder many say they hear voices and slamming doors at this school.