Explore San Diego’s Spooky Side

San Diego is generally known for its sunny beaches, delectable Mexican food, and world-famous zoo. Aside from ample places to have fun in the sun, San Diego is also known as a hotspot for paranormal activity. With a local history that includes a cursed house, a celebrated racetrack, and some very unlucky sailors, there are plenty of places in San Diego that are steeped in spooky history.

Whaley House

Any paranormal enthusiast will tell you that the Whaley House is rumored to be one of the most haunted houses not only in San Diego but in the entire United States. Built upon the site where horse thief Jim Robinson was executed in front of a sizable crowd, businessman Thomas Whaley’s dream home has been plagued by strange happenings such as loud footsteps in the night and tragic untimely Whaley family deaths since it was first constructed in 1856.

In addition to serving as a family residence, the Whaley House was a commercial theater, a general store, and a courthouse. Visitors can take a Whaley House tour that showcases the striking beauty of the historic Greek Revival home and offers opportunities to potentially capture one of the cursed Whaley House’s resident ghosts on film.

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park—also known as Mission Hills Park—is a picturesque park that is home to green grass, towering trees that provide ample shade, and a playground that is perpetually populated by laughing, playing kids. A small row of gravestones is the only indication that Pioneer Park doubles as a graveyard where thousands of bodies have been laid to rest.

In the 1870s, Pioneer Park was a Catholic cemetery known as Calvary Cemetery. By the mid-20th century, Calvary Cemetery had become seriously neglected, so the land was taken over by the city of San Diego and converted into a park. The bulk of Calvary Cemetery’s tombstones were relocated, but the bodies remained in their original burial plots. Paranormal enthusiasts claim that even when the sun is shining, Pioneer Park is teeming with cold spots, peculiar shadows, and mysterious sounds that can’t be traced to any living person who is picnicking or walking their dog.

Hotel del Coronado

San Diego’s Hotel del Coronado is easily one of the most haunted hotels in the United States. The Hotel del Coronado is a sprawling beachfront Victorian hotel that has been in operation since 1888. Not long after the Hotel del Coronado opened, a lonely, lovesick young woman named Kate Morgan took her own life in a third-floor guestroom after her lover abandoned her. Even those who are skeptical about paranormal occurrences have reported doors that open and close on their own, flashes of light, and voices of unknown origin.

The Hotel del Coronado’s gift shop is also haunted. Paranormal enthusiasts are unsure if the gift shop ghost is Kate Morgan or another restless spirit who is aggravated that their former stomping grounds are now a gift shop. Gift shop items have been known to fly through the air and land fully intact, without even a scuff. If the spooky halls of the Hotel del Coronado are too much for you, you can always spend a sunny afternoon lounging on the gorgeous beach that is located steps away from the Hotel del Coronado’s entrance.

Del Mar Racetrack

In 1937, crooner Bing Crosby helped open a racetrack known as Del Mar, where celebrities from Hollywood’s golden age and average folks could drink, place bets on horses, and be merry. The Del Mar Racetrack became so popular and beloved that numerous employees have claimed that the stands are full of joyful phantoms who just can’t seem to say goodbye to their favorite hangout.

One of Del Mar‘s most celebrated ghosts is the 1940s-era actor George Raft, who was rumored to have stood in line to purchase a ticket to the racetrack long after he had been pronounced dead. Employees have reported hearing laughter, clinking glasses, and the clop of horse hooves long after midnight when the track is deserted and all of the horses are at rest. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club hosts regular horse races, in addition to special events such as the San Diego County Fair. If you’re interested in Del Mar’s haunted history, longtime employees of the racetrack are always eager to share their ghostly experiences with visitors.

Seaport Village

In the late 1700s, two Spanish ships that were engaged in a surveying mission arrived on the shores of San Diego. Unfortunately, most of the sailors aboard the ships had already succumbed to scurvy, starvation, and digestive diseases from drinking contaminated water. A weathered plaque near Seaport Village shopping center marks La Punta de los Muertos—the spot where some historians believe that the unlucky Spanish sailors were ultimately laid to rest. Visitors have reported seeing eerie shadows and dancing orbs of light near the La Punta de los Muertos plaque.

San Diego may seem like a sunny, carefree place where people go to leave their worries behind, but like every other city San Diego is also home to a few shadows. If you’re a paranormal enthusiast, San Diego is the ideal place to explore some legendary haunted locales while still enjoying plenty of sunshine, delicious food, and long walks on the beach.