Most Haunted Places in California

Posted: 07.26.2024 | Updated: 05.13.2025

California, the Golden State, is home to some of the most spine-chilling and mysterious locations in the world, earning its reputation as one of the most haunted places in California. From the eerie halls of Alcatraz to the ghostly presence at the Whaley House, these haunted locations in California are filled with stories of restless spirits and unexplained phenomena.

Whether you’re exploring the most haunted city in California, like San Diego, or setting off on a San Diego ghost tour, you’ll find no shortage of terrifying tales and paranormal encounters waiting at every turn. Ready to discover the most haunted place in California? The journey begins here!

Take a chilling San Diego ghost tour through San Diego and discover the haunted history that lingers in the shadows!

What Is The Most Haunted Place in California?

When it comes to the most haunted places in California, few spots send chills down your spine like Alcatraz, the infamous island prison where restless spirits of former inmates are said to linger in cold, echoing corridors. In San Diego, the Whaley House steals the spotlight as one of the most paranormally active homes in the U.S., often featured on the popular San Diego ghost tour.

These eerie sites, along with countless other haunted locations in California, make the state a magnet for thrill-seekers. With its rich and haunted history, San Diego might just be the most haunted city in California. However, when it comes to finding the most haunted place in California, the options are endless.

Preston Castle

For the last ten haunted places, this is where things might get a little crazy. We’re talking about tales of gruesome deaths, hair-raising happenings, and even some interesting stories of how such strange hauntings have occurred.

From there, we start with Preston Castle. Located some 40 miles southeast of the state capital of Sacramento, Ione was an important town along the Gold Rush trail. However, the town was known for housing a reform school for young boys.

The lesser-risk offenders were often mixed with the more incorrigible. Stories of “dunking tubs” of chemicals to reduce illnesses and infections from sores and cuts can be told for days. In fact, dozens of boys who were detained here in 1918 had succumbed to the flu epidemic that had ravaged the entire country.

The Preston School of Industry was open from 1894 to 1960 and had seen its share of bad times. It was also the site of a 1950 homicide involving an employee named Anna Corbin.

One of the residents of Preston Castle had bludgeoned her to death, with the motive yet to be known. Corbin’s ghost, along with as many as 20 young boys who have died here, are said to be present here.

Alcatraz Island

Let’s stay on the topic of prisons once more. Alcatraz Island is no stranger to many stories of hauntings and otherworldly activity. Of course, this was also where many of the country’s notorious criminals were locked up.

One of those bad guys was none other than Al Capone. This island prison had shuttered in the early 1960s.

But even then, the sounds of rattling chains and unexplained gunshots can be heard somewhere on the island and inside the building itself. Those who have walked inside the not-so-friendly confines of the prison often felt some “cold spots” as they were passing through.

William Heath Davis House

This old house was built in 1850 in San Diego’s historic Gaslight District. This was originally built as a hospital but later became a private residence. Most of the ghosts are most likely patients who had died here during treatments or surgery.

However, when it was converted into a private home, it was at one point occupied by someone who was rumored to be a spy for the German government when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis unleashed their reign of terror throughout Europe during the Second World War.

It was uncertain how long this mystery German was there while the war was raging on. But his spirit may be looming around even today, along with the patients. The sight of flickering candlelight and the opening and closing of medical cabinets without any person being inside the house or near such cabinets is said to be a regular happening of spiritual activity.

Hollywood Pacific Theatre

Hollywood is known for its films. Of course, it would stand to reason that Los Angeles is chock full of movie theaters. The Hollywood Pacific Theatre is situated somewhere else…but the Walk of Fame.

It was also the theatre where the world’s first talking motion picture was to be premiered. However, due to construction delays, the premiere of “The Jazz Singer” was moved to New York City.

Sam Warner was overseeing the construction of the theatre and was frustrated with the project being behind schedule. Sadly, he wasn’t able to see his vision come to life when he died at the age of 40.

It is said that Sam Warner still visits the theatre and still might be hanging around one of the small rooms where his office was. If you’re lucky, you might see his spirit standing out in the lobby.

Th Hollywood Pacific Theatre ranks high among the most haunted places in California. Los Angeles is an essential piece of the rich tapestry haunted places in California.

Whaley House

The Whaley House is considered to be one of the most haunted houses in San Diego and maybe the United States. If you are looking for the closest thing to a guaranteed place where otherworldly activity can and will happen, you’d be insane to pass up the opportunity to go here.

This is a place where many people have met their demise, albeit with gruesome detail. Given the number of uses the Whaley House had over the years, it has seen its share of death.

One such occurrence was when Thomas Whaley’s daughter Violet committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the time when her father owned the house and operated a general store on the lower level. Violet was going through a divorce that would mentally break her to the point where killing herself was the only option. Violet’s ghost and possibly the ghost of others may be wandering the grounds even today, and so many visitors may not even know it.

This historic home stands as one of the most haunted places in California, a chilling centerpiece of California haunted places and a must-see stop on any San Diego ghost tour.

Wonderland House

While the Wonderland House might be haunted to this day, it was a place where a gruesome homicide took place in the early 1980s. The house was owned by a known nightclub owner and crime lord named Eddie Nash.

Nash’s girlfriend and three associates were murdered by an unknown assailant. One such notable figure in the case was an adult film star named John Holmes.

Holmes was caught breaking into the home in an attempt to retrieve an item that he claimed was stolen from him, only to be captured and briefly beaten by one of Nash’s security detail. Holmes was arrested and later acquitted of the murders.

As far as any ghostly activity is concerned, the reports have been few and far between or nothing much is being said. But whoever might be occupying the house now probably feels a bit weirded out knowing that four people had been murdered in one place over who knows what.

The Bay Bridge

The San Francisco Bay Bridge could easily be confused for the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. However, it is one of three major bridges that connect one part of the Bay Area to the next. This bridge is infamously known for the stories of drivers passing through and seeing the sight of a California Highway Patrolman on a motorcycle with their lights on.

It was only then that the patrolman would be out of sight when a motorist pulled over. The bridge also sustained damage during the major 1989 Earthquake that hit the area.

One of the victims was said to be killed on the bridge after being crushed or impaled by a large part of it. It is rumored that the spirit of that victim may have been sighted walking along the bridge and is often spotted by those passing through.

Entity House

Of course, we’ve saved the best for last. This small house located in Los Angeles was home to perhaps one of the scariest encounters that was enough to make it a made-for-Hollywood movie.

The home was occupied by Doris Bither and her four sons. In 1974, Bither said that she believed that she was assaulted and raped by three spirits, leading investigators to check out the home for spiritual activity.

The investigators were skeptical until they witnessed some objects being suddenly thrown around and lights randomly flickering on and off. The house was believed to be haunted by a poltergeist that was said to have followed them to Texas when Bither and her family moved out there shortly after the investigation had wrapped up.

The eerie experiences of the Entity House makes it one of the most haunted places in California.

Haunted California

If the most haunted places in California have piqued your curiosity, brace yourself—there’s a whole state of chilling tales to uncover. These legendary sites are packed with eerie encounters, unexplained phenomena, and the lingering presence of restless souls. Some are just as dramatic and sorrowful as the ghost stories from the city’s darkest corners, offering a haunting glimpse into California’s shadowy past.

Craving more ghostly adventures? Check out our blog for even more bone-chilling stories, and start mapping out your next San Diego ghost tour! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date with all the latest in California haunted places and spine-tingling content!

Sources:

• https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/state-symbols/nickname-golden-state/
• https://prestoncastle.org/
• https://www.history.com/articles/alcatraz-infamous-inmates-capone-birdman
• https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/this-san-diego-museum-is-said-to-house-the-ghost-of-a-german-spy/