The Whaley House - San Diego's Crown Haunting

Any person anywhere in the world would be hard-pressed to find a city—even the smallest, most mundane—that doesn’t claim to have at least a couple of popular haunts with background stories ranging from benign to downright sinister. The stories all seem to have just materialized over time—kind of like their ghostly characters. San Diego, California fits nicely into this mold. Ghost tours take tourists and chill seekers to various locales. The most famous, however, would be the Whaley House in Old Town. 

So, what ushered in the ghosts that reportedly have called the Whaley House “home” for decades? Thomas Whaley purchased the land in 1855 and began construction of the home in 1856. Interestingly, he did so with full knowledge that the site had been used previously for the slow, ignominious execution of infamous horse thief James Robinson. Some might argue that Jim had it coming, as he was suspected of many crimes including arson that completely destroyed a small mining town. Robinson was described as a tall, lanky man. So, at his hanging, when the wagon that he was standing on moved so he could fall, his neck wasn’t broken, as would happen in typical hangings. Instead, Robinson hung and slowly choked to death. It is said that due to this grotesque death, he has remained just beyond the veil of mortal eyes to haunt the site of his execution—which became the Whaley House.

James Robinson is claimed to be the most famous spirit that roams the home. However, other spirits are said to call the Whaley place home, too. Many of the Whaley household are said to haunt the house, including Thomas Whaley himself, his wife Anna Eloise, his daughter Violet who killed herself in the home in 1885, and his son who died in the home of scarlet fever as a small child. Each ghost bears its own unique personality to visitors to the home. Anna brings a comforting, motherly influence while Violet exudes sadness and despair. For the males, visitors can hear the boy Thomas’s cherubic, childish giggles while Mr. Whaley carries the stature and reputation of the successful businessman that he was, cigar smoke and all. 

Some claim that several other ghosts reside in the home, too. Regardless, manifestations have occurred since the 1800s. Owners of the home after the Whaley’s had many encounters with their dead housemates. Eventually, the home was opened as a museum in 1960 and remains open today. Visitors can take guided tours during the day or guided ghost tours at night. 

So, for anyone that enjoys the paranormal—and let’s face it, if you’re reading this, that’s probably you—do a little research in the city where you live and see what haunts are available. Or book a trip to San Diego to check out one of the most haunted homes in America. Either way, it shouldn’t be too hard to get that spine-chilling feeling that so easily puts a smile on your face.