Most Haunted House in the U.S.A. Whaley House

MY HAUNTED CALIFORNIA: W. Heath Davis House | Hollywood Forever Cemetery | Horton Grand Hotel | Mission San Juan Capistrano Night of Altars | Queen Mary | Rancho Los Cerritos | Star of India ship | Whaley House | Yorba Cemetery | Ghosts Begone tips

Historical Landmark No. 65 Whaley House Museum 2476 San Diego Ave. (at Harney St.) Old Town, San Diego http://www.whaleyhouse.org/

"Few houses in San Diego are as historically important as the Whaley House. In addition to being the Whaley Family home, it housed a granary, the County Courthouse, San Diego's first commercial theater, various businesses including Thomas Whaley's own general store, a ballroom, a billiard hall, school, and polling place.... According to the Travel Channel's America's Most Haunted, the house is the number one most haunted house in the United States." —from Ghostly Legends of the Whaley House, Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) "NO. 65 THE WHALEY HOUSE - This house, in which the San Diego County Court met for about 20 years, was the first brick building to be erected in San Diego County. The bricks were made at Thomas Whaley's own kiln in Old Town in 1856, and the walls were finished with plaster made from ground seashells. Five generations of the Whaley family have occupied the old home." —from California Historical Landmarks, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks More info: Weird California: Whaley House

county park sign Photos copyright © March 2008, July 2009 Kat Avila Time of Day: afternoon Cameras: HP Photosmart M415 (2008), Canon SD1000 (2009)

Whaley House Museum was dedicated May 25, 1960.	Whaley House Museum	Whaley House Museum	Whaley House Museum and SOHO* Museum Shop *Save Our Heritage Organisation	SOHO Museum Shop is in the c. 1869 Verna House.
"Built by Thomas Whaley in 1856-57, this is the oldest brick structure in Southern California. In addition to being the home of the Whaley family, it served variously as granary store, court-house and school and as the town's first theater. Whaley's home was the cultural center of San Diego as well as its most luxurious residence." State Registered Landmark No. 65		Whaley & Crosthwaite General Store window	Restoration of the front porch to its original appearance began in May 2008.	"Come Explore America's Most Haunted THE WHALEY HOUSE San Diego's First Brick Mansion Built 1856-57 On the exact spot where Yankee Jim swung for his crimes"
Living Area
Thomas Whaley's study	door to parlor from study The arch between the rooms marks the place where Yankee Jim was hanged (source: Roberts, p. 114).	Anna Whaley's pump organ Music heard in the house is attributed to her ghost.	the parlor TV host Regis Philbin saw a hazy figure against the wall where Anna's portrait is (source: museum handout).	"Looking for ghosts?"

Whaley & Crosthwaite General Store
museum guestbook & double-wheel general store coffee grinder	store window	store display	store display	Program for Frances Bardacke's The Ballad of Yankee Jim staged in summer of 1996 by Theater Arts Guild of San Diego City College.

Dining Room and Kitchen
1860s wood-burning stove (behind display glass)	dining room lighting	wood parlor stove	wood parlor stove (doors slide outward)
walnut sideboard in dining room	walnut sideboard in dining room	walnut sideboard	dining room door to rear of house

Courtroom (1869-1871): The ghost of a dark-skinned woman who wears gold hoop earrings and a floor-length cotton-print dress has been spotted in the courtroom (sources: museum handout; May, HHWG, p. 17).
courtroom	courtroom	judges' bench	counsels' bench	jury box

Bedrooms, 2nd floor (can only be viewed from behind display glass): Thomas Whaley himself thought the footsteps of a man walking overhead in heavy boots in the bedroom area were those of Yankee Jim Robinson (source: museum handout).
An example of the display glass reflection, my ghostly camera stares back at me here. This is the main bedroom where late curator June Reading and an intern struggled to shut and bolt windows during an afternoon rainstorm. When they went to the nursery, they heard the ghostly laughter of Thomas Whaley (source: Roberts, p. 112).	The spookiest thing in the house was the doll on the bed.	bed	bed	staircase looking down

Theater (October 1868-January 1869), 2nd floor: This is my favorite part of the house, and I felt very welcome the first time I visited it, probably because I admire small independent theatre groups. San Diego's first commercial theater was only around for a few months due to founder Thomas Tanner's death not long after it opened. The space was then used to store county records.
At the top of the stairs is the door to the theater. To the left and right are the bedrooms.	doorway to theater The ghostly ceiling shadows are from the window curtain.	organ to the left of stage	stage	A framed opening night ad for the Tanner Troupe sits against the back wall. Admission then was 50¢.
Behind the House
Whaley House from behind. The blue tarp protects an excavation of its historical well and outhouse. (2008 photo)	excavation (2009 photo)	"A Century of Whaley Life: The Archaeology of a Legendary San Diego Family" (2009 photo)	circa 1850 prefab Derby-Pendleton House (on Harney Street)	in front of the café
courtyard area The pepper trees were planted circa 1870.	New Orleans Creole Café	New Orleans Creole Café The café exteriors are false fronts.	hand water pump	gazebo & park benches

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