Seasonal & Holidays
Creepy CA: 9 Of The Golden State's Spookiest Destinations
Trick-or-treating may be out this year, but you can still visit a multitude of historical haunts around California.
CALIFORNIA — For many, the Golden State represents sunny beach days, striking mountain ranges and glittering Hollywood celebrities — but the state has a dark side too. California's landscape is actually riddled with historical haunts and eerie tales of spectral sightings.
And while the coronavirus pandemic has prompted state officials to discourage trick-or-treating and hosting costume parties this year, taking a socially distanced walk around these haunted landmarks is relatively safe, from coronavirus anyway.
If you're planning on taking a trip to see one of the many specter-friendly haunts around California, you may want to consider the Beverly Hills' Greystone Mansion, where the ghosts of murder-suicide victims Ned Doheny and Hugh Plunket still reportedly roam the halls.
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If you're in the Bay Area, you may want to pay a visit to the USS Hornet, docked in Alameda. It's been said that the decommissioned Navy aircraft carrier holds a record for onboard suicides, keeping spectral sailors toiling below deck endlessly.
Or perhaps if you're farther north, wander into the famed Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. They say the 160-room labyrinth of architectural insanity was built by owner Sarah Winchester to appease many spirits who fell victim to the infamous Winchester rifle. And some claim that these ghosts still saunter about the corridors.
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Whether you decide to stay local or travel across the state on your spooky quest, it's safe to say that a haunted landmark won't be hard to find.
Here are 9 California haunts to visit this spooky season:
1. The Haunted History Behind The Hollywood Roosevelt
The spirit of Marilyn Monroe is said to haunt the hallways at one of Hollywood's most notable hotels.
2. San Diego's 'Haunted' Whaley House Goes Virtual For Halloween
Although the Whaley House is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the popular attraction is offering virtual programs this Halloween.
3. Want To Meet A Presidential Ghost? Book This Hotel Room
San Francisco’s storied Palace Hotel has hosted presidents and movie stars. Some, it’s said, never checked out.
It is one of the oldest operating hotels in California, which some say could explain "the invisible figure who taps guests on the shoulder."
5. Is The Historic Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica Hotel Haunted?
The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica opened in 1933 and some say that some guests have never left.
6. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow In Santee
Forget the map — even Google can't help you find Sleepy Hollow in Santee. But longtime residents know its lore.
7. Winchester Mystery House Spooky But History Behind It Is Suspect
A South Bay historian who authored the first full-length biography of Sarah Winchester questions Winchester Mystery House's lore.
8. Is Foresaken Caretaker Haunting His Former Little Tokyo Church?
Who threw an earring & disrupted an audition at the L.A. site?
The site of one of Beverly Hills' most notorious unsolved deaths is hosting a spooky movie for Halloween.
PLUS: 10 Bay Area Haunts To Visit This October
Take a socially distanced walk around some of these famed Bay Area haunted houses, parks and landmarks this spooky season.
MORE SPOOKY COVERAGE:
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