Ghosts off the beaten path: Guide to San Diego’s unusual October haunts

The ghost of Kate Morgan the Beautiful Stranger is explained to still lurk the halls and rooms of the Hotel Del Coronado Photo courtesy of the Hotel Del Coronado When October rolls around San Diego s sunny reputation takes a darker turn Behind the palm trees and ocean views lies a haunted side restless spirits eerie legends and stories passed down through generations Specific sites are historic landmarks others survive mostly in folklore But all share one thing in common they re guaranteed to send a chill down your spine This guide will lead you to the city s majority of intriguing haunted spots from iconic locations to off-the-beaten-path corners where history and hauntings collide Hotel Del Coronado Coronado Island The city s the bulk glamorous hotel has its share of ghostly tales none more famous than that of Kate Morgan the Beautiful Stranger who checked in one November in and never left Her story is still reported in the current era especially around Halloween Kate Morgan in Photo courtesy of the Hotel Del Coronado On Thanksgiving Day in a young woman checked into The Del under the name Lottie Bernard from Detroit She kept mostly to herself inquired daily about the arrival of her brother Dr M C Anderson and complained of various physical ailments Five days later her tragic death captured national attention Who was this Beautiful Stranger and what drove her to take her own life that cold dark winter morning The eventual discovery of her true identity Kate Morgan did little to dispel the speculation Stories of gambling riding the rails a neglectful husband and even an unwanted pregnancy have long been a part of Kate s mythos but are unfounded We ll never know the cause of her despondency only that mysterious happenings have occurred in her room ever since that fateful November night A few believe that the barrier between the spiritual and physical worlds is penetrable at Halloween making it a great time to learn Kate s story as we approach the rd anniversary of her visit to The Del Strange sightings and phenomena are still being announced this day announced General Manager Gina Petrone Heritage Manager at Hotel Del Coronado Kate Morgan s gravestone Photo courtesy of the Hotel Del Coronado Star of India Maritime Museum of San Diego The Star of India is the world s oldest advancing sailing ship and a centerpiece of the Maritime Museum fleet but it s also mentioned to carry its own ghostly history Visitors wandering its decks this October are invited to discover stories of sailors who never truly left The Star of India with tattered sails Photo courtesy of the Maritime Museum of San Diego The Star of India the world s oldest working sailing ship and a popular visitor attraction has a fascinating history of ghosts and paranormal activity This October visitors looking for extraordinary spooky experiences are invited to wander Star s decks and discover the haunted tales tied to her rich maritime history It might be the fisherman crushed by an anchor chain the -year-old John Campbell or Army Captain McBarnet Visitors wandering the decks of the Victorian-era Berkeley may also share walkways where in an explosion took the life of a mining engineer and injured four noted Theresa A Smullen director of marketing and business growth at the Maritime Museum of San Diego Victorian-era Berkeley Photo courte of the Maritime Museum of San Diego The Whaley House Old Town Known as America s Bulk Haunted House the Whaley House was built on the site of a former gallows Visitors statement the spirits of Thomas and Anna Whaley as well as Yankee Jim Robinson a man hanged there before the home was built Guests often describe sudden cold spots the sound of footsteps and faint laughter drifting through empty rooms Particular suggest going on the Haunted Whaley House Guided Night Tour if you re interested in possibly experiencing paranormal activity Fun and compelling Our guide Bullet was very entertaining The stories of the family kept my attention I ve lived in San Diego for years and this was my first time I will definitely recommend the tour to our guests posted on TripAdvisor in Thomas Whaley right with wife Anna and two of their six children Photo courtesy of SOHO San Diego El Campo Santo Cemetery Old Town Just moves from the Whaley House lies this th-century cemetery El Campo Santo Cemetery where city streets were paved over graves Cars parked here are rumored to mysteriously stall and selected say the displaced spirits linger According to one visitor on Tripadvisor Humbling and a great hidden treasure We stumbled upon this place nowadays and what an amazing experience It is a very old cemetery that holds the remains of people born in the s and who died in the s I think it is amazing to read little snippets about people s lives that are placed on their graves This is the place if you agree There are native Indian s buried there with their life stories There are two people men buried there that were hung for modest crimes by nowadays s standards Cosmopolitan Hotel Old Town State Historic Park This restored th-century adobe-turned-hotel is reported to be haunted with phantom footsteps flickering lights and ghostly figures at the foot of beds Multiple believe former owner Juan Bandini and his family never truly left Guests and staff have long shared stories of strange encounters particularly in rooms four five and eleven where his daughter Isidora is reported to wander Lights flicker doors creak open on their own and objects shift when no one is around signs multiple believe that Isidora hasn t quite left the building Juan Bandini - was an early settler of San Diego and the recipient of the Rancho Jurupa land grant Photo courtesy of Wikipedia citizens domain Davis-Horton House Gaslamp Quarter The Gaslamp s oldest standing structure served as a hospital and boarding house Nowadays guests on ghost tours statement whispers footsteps and the feeling of being watched in its narrow rooms The Gaslamp Museum at Davis-Horton House invites families to explore San Diego s spookiest stories from haunted self-guided tours to candle-lit movie nights and even a visit from the Gaslamp Ghost Lady herself It s history mystery and fun all rolled into one unforgettable Kids Free San Diego adventure noted Bob Lehman executive director San Diego Museum Council The Davis-Horton House Photo courtesy of the San Diego Museum Council Old Point Loma Lighthouse Cabrillo National Monument Decommissioned in this lighthouse has long been associated with eerie phenomena Visitors claim to hear the sound of boots on the spiral staircase and see glowing figures still keeping watch Selected say the ghost at the old lighthouse is Juan Rodr guez Cabrillo the explorer who first charted the California coast Others believe it s the spirit of Robert Decatur Israel the last keeper who tended the light for years No one really knows for sure but whoever it is something still lingers there and it hasn t identified peace yet The Old Point Loma Lighthouse File photo courtesy of nps gov Off the Beaten Path Lesser-Known Haunts Villa Montezuma Sherman Heights Built in for a spiritualist musician this Victorian mansion is rumored to echo with ghostly piano music Paranormal groups consider it a hidden gem Designed by Comstock Trotsche it was the home of Jesse Francis Shepard an internationally renowned pianist author and mystic Owned by the City of San Diego the Villa is now open to the citizens regularly with tours provided by its newest operators the Friends of Villa Montezuma It was saved in the s from imminent demolition by Save Our Heritage Organisation SOHO with members from the San Diego Historical Society There s inevitably something going on at the villa from spiritual readings to tours even if you can t make it there to hunt for ghosts Villa Montezuma K Street San Diego North elevation K Street Also known as the Jesse Shepard House Building structure dates initial construction Historic American Buildings Survey HABS image Photo courtesy of Wikipedia citizens domain Horton Grand Hotel Gaslamp Quarter Room at the Horton Grand Hotel is announced to be haunted by Roger Whitaker a gambler who met a violent end Guests have disclosed tugged sheets flickering lights and ghostly laughter echoing through the halls Legend has it that Whitaker was known for hard drinking and shady card games and eventually his luck ran out While staying at the Horton he ascertained himself dodging furious creditors who d had enough of his unpaid debts One night after a violent encounter that left him wounded he stumbled back to his room No and hid inside the armoire But his pursuers weren t far behind They revealed him and ended his life right there in that wooden cabinet To this day visitors say the room still holds his restless spirit old Roger it seems never quite checked out Proctor Valley Road East Chula Vista Jamul This rural stretch of road is steeped in ghost stories a phantom woman in white vanishing headlights and even strange beasts lurking in the shadows Locals folklore or not tend to avoid it after dark According to a post on the city of Chula Vista s website the Proctor Valley Monster a Bigfoot-type creature is commented to roam the area between Eastlake and Jamul It s just one of a great number of spooky legends tied to Proctor Valley Road which has also inspired stories of vanishing hitchhikers ghostly apparitions mysterious nighttime lights UFOs and even a so-called ghost car These tales the city notes are featured in local storytelling performances keeping the eerie history of the road alive Pioneer Park Mission Hills Once a Catholic cemetery greater part headstones were removed in the s to create a park The bodies were never relocated and visitors claim the spirits of the forgotten remain proceeding Several may have heard it referred to as Calvary Cemetery from the s to One visitor in January on TripAdvisor disclosed Guy s Visit a San Diego Park which is an old Cemetery San Diego Mission Hills park is also Pioneer Park and old Calvary Cemetery The Cemetery had all headstones and more removed and certain reinsalled at a corner of the park The people are still in the ground where you can now play on the grass It was estimated that people were buried here A few markers show deaths into the s Sad that this change was made wonder why Creepy to think about Scary Day Ahead San Diego may bask in sunshine by day but after dark its haunted history comes alive Specific tales are backed by old records others whispered through generations but together they cast a lingering shadow over the city s past Wander Old Town after dusk stroll the Gaslamp s narrow streets or drift down forgotten backroads and you just might feel a chill that has nothing to do with the ocean breeze There are plenty more haunted places scattered across the region but these are a scant of our favorites So if you re feeling brave this October step into the shadows The spirits of San Diego are waiting