MomSkoop
California is known for sunny beaches and Hollywood glamour, but beneath the glitter lies a darker history. From abandoned ships to old reform schools, the Golden State hides some seriously spooky secrets.
These haunted spots have terrified visitors for decades with ghostly sightings, mysterious sounds, and events that science can’t explain.
1. The Queen Mary – Long Beach
This massive ocean liner once carried thousands of passengers across the Atlantic, but now it sits permanently docked as a floating hotel and museum. Many believe it’s one of the most haunted ships anywhere on Earth.
Visitors regularly hear footsteps echoing through empty hallways late at night. The old pool area seems especially active, with reports of phantom children laughing and playing where no kids are present.
Sailors who died aboard decades ago are said to still wander the decks, appearing as shadowy figures before vanishing into thin air.
2. Winchester Mystery House – San Jose
Sarah Winchester inherited a fortune from the rifle company and spent 38 years building this bizarre mansion nonstop. She believed spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles haunted her, so she designed the house to confuse them.
The mansion features staircases that lead directly into ceilings, doors that open to brick walls, and hallways that twist back on themselves. Secret passages hide throughout the structure.
Some say Sarah’s ghost still roams the property, forever trying to outsmart the vengeful spirits.
3. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – Los Angeles
Old Hollywood glamour meets supernatural mystery at this legendary hotel near the Walk of Fame. Built in 1927, it hosted the very first Academy Awards ceremony and countless movie stars over the decades.
Marilyn Monroe loved staying in suite 1200, and guests claim her reflection still appears in mirrors throughout that room. Actor Montgomery Clift practiced his trumpet in room 928 for months, and people report hearing phantom music from that exact spot.
Cold spots suddenly appear in hallways, and some visitors feel invisible presences brush past them in empty corridors.
4. Bodie Ghost Town – Bodie Hills
Gold fever brought thousands to this remote mining town in the 1800s, but when the gold ran out, everyone left. Today, Bodie stands frozen in time as California’s best-preserved ghost town.
Legends warn that stealing anything from Bodie—even a tiny rock or rusty nail—brings terrible luck that follows you home. Park rangers receive packages weekly from people returning stolen items and begging for curses to be lifted.
5. Alcatraz Island – San Francisco Bay
America’s most notorious prison once held the country’s most dangerous criminals on this cold, isolated island. Al Capone and the “Birdman” both served time here before it closed in 1963.
Former guards and prisoners reported hearing unexplained screams and footsteps echoing through cell blocks when nobody else was around. Cell Block D earned its reputation as the creepiest section, with sudden temperature drops and invisible forces that visitors can feel pressing against them.
6. Hotel del Coronado – San Diego
This stunning beachfront resort has welcomed presidents and celebrities since 1888, but one guest never checked out. Kate Morgan arrived alone on Thanksgiving in 1892 and was found dead five days later under mysterious circumstances.
Her spirit supposedly haunts room 3327 and nearby areas. Guests report lights flickering on and off by themselves, curtains moving with no breeze, and personal items relocating around the room overnight.
The hotel staff receives so many paranormal reports that they’ve stopped acting surprised when visitors mention strange experiences.
7. Preston Castle – Ione
Between 1894 and 1960, this intimidating castle served as a reform school for troubled youth. The institution’s dark history includes abuse, mysterious deaths, and the unsolved murder of a housekeeper in the basement.
Paranormal investigators consider Preston Castle among California’s most actively haunted locations. Shadow figures dart across hallways when flashlights sweep through rooms. Disembodied whispers echo through empty dormitories where hundreds of boys once slept.
8. The Moss Beach Distillery – Moss Beach
During Prohibition, this cliffside building served as a speakeasy where locals secretly gathered to drink illegal alcohol. A tragic love story from that era left behind a permanent ghostly resident known as the Blue Lady.
According to legend, a young woman wearing blue clothing died nearby after a forbidden romance ended badly. Her heartbroken spirit remains, appearing to guests and staff in her distinctive blue dress. She’s known for playfully moving silverware, glasses, and plates when nobody’s looking.
The Blue Lady seems friendly rather than frightening.
9. Whaley House – San Diego
Built in 1857 on the former site of public gallows where criminals were hanged, this beautiful brick home has earned its reputation as California’s most haunted house. The U.S. Commerce Department officially recognized it as genuinely haunted.
Multiple spirits reportedly inhabit the property, including the Whaley family members themselves. Visitors hear phantom footsteps, smell perfume and cigar smoke in empty rooms, and witness full-body apparitions walking through walls.
Cold spots appear suddenly. Some people hear a baby crying upstairs where the Whaley’s infant daughter died. Windows rattle without wind, and doors slam shut by themselves during tours.
10. Colorado Street Bridge – Pasadena
Opened in 1913, this elegant bridge quickly earned the nickname “Suicide Bridge” due to the many tragic deaths that occurred there over the decades. Its beautiful arches hide a disturbing history that still affects visitors today.
People report seeing ghostly figures standing along the railings after dark, only to vanish when approached. Strange sounds echo from beneath the arches where nobody could possibly be standing.
Local paranormal investigators have recorded unexplained voices and captured mysterious orbs in photographs taken near the bridge.