Ghosts in Every State Part 5: California – Shadows, Secrets, and Top 20 Hauntings
Intro:
Welcome back to Ghosts in Every State, the series where we uncover the paranormal underbelly of every corner of America. This is Part 5, and we’re diving into a state known for both sunshine and secrets—California.
Everyone knows California for Hollywood glitz and Golden Gate views, but under the surface? There’s a shadowy side filled with conspiracies, cults, secret societies, and—you guessed it—ghosts. From the Bohemian Grove elite performing mock sacrifices under redwood trees to UFOs chased by black helicopters over Fresno, the Golden State might be the most haunted of them all.
Let’s set the tone with conspiracies, then dive straight into California’s Top 20 Hauntings. Ready to get creeped out?
1. The Winchester Mystery House (San Jose)
Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, built this sprawling mansion with stairways to nowhere and doors that open to brick walls—designed to confuse spirits. Some believe she was haunted by those killed by Winchester rifles. Visitors report cold spots, phantom footsteps, and ghostly figures moving through the halls. Entire rooms appear built for no reason other than misdirecting the dead. Paranormal investigators have caught unexplained EMF spikes and disembodied voices echoing in the endless halls.
Source: http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com
2. The Queen Mary (Long Beach)
Once a luxury ocean liner and later a WWII troop ship, the Queen Mary is now permanently docked—and permanently haunted. Guests have reported shadowy figures, children laughing in the pool area, and a woman in white wandering the halls. Engine Room 13 is considered especially active, where a crew member was crushed during a drill. Overnight guests say they’ve heard knocks on their cabin doors when no one is there.
Source: http://www.queenmary.com/ghosts
3. Alcatraz Island (San Francisco Bay)
This infamous prison has held the worst of the worst—Capone, Machine Gun Kelly—and some believe their spirits never left. Guards and visitors have reported moans, screams, and cold spots in Cell Block D. The utility corridor where prisoners were shot during a failed escape is said to be particularly heavy with negative energy. Psychics have reported feeling intense despair in solitary confinement cells.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/alca
4. Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (Los Angeles)
Marilyn Monroe’s spirit is said to haunt her old suite and the hotel’s mirror. Others claim to have seen Montgomery Clift pacing the hallways, script in hand. The Blossom Room is reportedly home to unexplained cold spots and whispers. Staff have also witnessed flickering lights and the feeling of someone brushing past them when no one’s there.
Source: https://www.thehollywoodroosevelt.com
5. The Whaley House (San Diego)
Built on the site of public executions, this house has long been called one of the most haunted homes in America. Visitors report apparitions of the Whaley family and even of “Yankee Jim,” a thief hanged on the property. Phantom cigar smoke, heavy footsteps on the stairs, and spectral weeping have all been documented. Even skeptics often leave with a chill.
Source: https://whaleyhouse.org
6. Preston Castle (Ione)
This former reform school for boys has a grim history of abuse and death. Paranormal investigators have caught disembodied voices and eerie movement in the cells. The spirit of a murdered housekeeper named Anna Corbin reportedly still roams the halls, her presence felt most strongly near the old kitchen and basement.
Source: https://www.prestoncastle.org
7. Chinatown Tunnels (Los Angeles)
Beneath the streets of L.A.'s Chinatown lie secret tunnels once used for smuggling and gambling. Urban explorers report feeling watched, hearing whispers, and encountering unexplained cold drafts. Some claim the tunnels are haunted by victims of organized crime or even old tong wars. The deeper you go, the worse the air feels—like something’s warning you to leave.
Source: https://weirdcalifornia.com/location.php?location=50
8. Hotel del Coronado (Coronado Island)
The ghost of Kate Morgan, a young woman who died under mysterious circumstances in 1892, is said to linger in Room 3327. Guests report flickering lights, cold spots, and strange sounds. Some even claim to see her reflection in the windows, standing in a Victorian dress, gazing out at the ocean.
Source: https://hoteldel.com
9. Black Star Canyon (Orange County)
Known for its violent history, this remote canyon has been linked to Native American massacres, cults, and even alleged satanic rituals. Hikers report phantom riders and whispers in the wind. Strange lights have been spotted moving against gravity across the ridges. Cell phones often lose signal without explanation.
Source: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-blackstarcanyon
10. RMS Queen Elizabeth Ghost Ship (Catalina Island)
Catalina locals talk of a ghost ship that appears off the coast and then vanishes. Some say it's a World War II-era ship, others claim it’s the RMS Queen Elizabeth returning from the depths. Fishermen have reported hearing SOS signals on dead radio channels when the ghost ship appears.
Source: https://catalinaghosttours.com
11. Moss Beach Distillery (Moss Beach)
The “Blue Lady” haunts this oceanfront restaurant. Said to be the spirit of a woman murdered in the 1930s, she reportedly appears in mirrors and plays tricks on staff. Plates slide across tables, lights turn off and on, and some guests feel a cold touch on their shoulder—always with no one behind them.
Source: http://www.mossbeachdistillery.com
12. Bodie Ghost Town (Mono County)
This preserved mining town warns visitors not to take souvenirs—those who do report cursed luck and return stolen items by mail, begging forgiveness from the spirits. Rangers have received hundreds of apology letters from people desperate to lift their “Bodie Curse.” Footsteps echo on empty porches and shadowy figures move between crumbling buildings.
Source: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509
13. The Cecil Hotel (Los Angeles)
Infamous for its connection to serial killers and mysterious deaths—including the Elisa Lam case—this downtown LA hotel is believed to be a vortex of negative energy. Guests have heard voices in the walls, seen apparitions in elevators, and experienced sleep paralysis paired with terrifying hallucinations.
Source: https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/things-to-do/the-cecil-hotel-and-the-dark-side-of-downtown-la
14. Santa Lucia Mountains “Dark Watchers” (Big Sur)
These towering shadowy figures are said to stand on mountain ridges at dusk. Even John Steinbeck and poet Robinson Jeffers referenced them. They vanish when approached. Some hikers report a sense of overwhelming dread, as if being observed by something ancient and intelligent.
Source: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-darkwatchers
15. Battery Point Lighthouse (Crescent City)
This historic lighthouse is haunted by a keeper who still tends to the property. Visitors hear footsteps, lights flicker, and ghostly hands reach out. The keeper’s journal allegedly contains entries about “visitors” who never appeared in the guest logs.
Source: https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=66
16. St. James Hotel Relocation Haunting (from NM to CA)
Some claim ghosts followed the original owners of the haunted St. James Hotel in New Mexico when they moved parts of the building to California. Hauntings reportedly resumed. Poltergeist activity, objects moving on their own, and unexplained knocking have all been reported by construction workers and owners alike.
Source: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/nm-stjames
17. Turnbull Canyon (Whittier)
Turnbull is legendary for cult activity, UFO sightings, and ghostly screams in the night. Hikers report shadow figures, cold drafts, and missing time. Some locals swear the place changes layout at night—as if you’re walking into a different dimension.
Source: https://backpackerverse.com/turnbull-canyon-haunted
18. Mission San Miguel Arcángel (San Miguel)
This mission was the site of a gruesome robbery-massacre in the 1800s. The murdered monks and guests are said to still haunt the halls. Apparitions in clerical robes, unexplained candlelight flickers, and chilling chants in Latin have all been reported by visitors.
Source: https://www.missionsanmiguel.org
19. USS Hornet (Alameda)
A WWII aircraft carrier turned museum, the USS Hornet is said to be haunted by fallen sailors. Ghost tours often catch full apparitions on camera. Visitors describe hearing battle stations sirens and metal doors slamming shut with no one around.
Source: https://www.uss-hornet.org
20. Bohemian Grove (Monte Rio)
While not “haunted” in the traditional sense, Bohemian Grove is said to be the site of bizarre rituals, mock sacrifices, and elite gatherings. Conspiracists consider it spiritual ground zero. Some who’ve snuck in claim the place has an unnatural silence—as if the redwoods themselves are listening.
Source: https://www.insider.com/bohemian-grove-elite-secret-retreat-2016-6
Bonus: California’s Creepiest Crossroads – The Mystery Spot (Santa Cruz)
This strange zone messes with gravity and balance. Some say it’s a natural energy vortex, others call it a cover for government experiments or interdimensional bleed-throughs. Tourists experience bizarre sensations, like growing or shrinking depending on where they stand—science has explanations, but some swear it’s something weirder.
Source: https://www.mysteryspot.com
Closing:
Stay tuned for Ghosts in Every State Part 6, where we’ll move on to the next haunted territory. Until then—don’t follow the whispers, and whatever you do, never bring home a souvenir from Bodie.
