Top 10 Most Haunted Places in California
By Shannon McCabe, President of H.P.I. (Haunted and Paranormal Investigations)

10. Golden Gate Park, Stowe Lake. San Francisco, CA

– The Lady of Stowe Lake.... She glides along the pathways near the lake. She can manifest into an orange light or into a Palm tree like shape. A good friend of mine actually picked her up on camera... Amazing!

Also see: HAUNTED HAIGHT, The Lady of Stow Lake HauntedAmericaTours.com. There is a lake inside Golden gate Park called Stow Lake. Many people boat on this lake and it has been a popular pastime since the Victorian era.

Stow Lake

• Location: Stow Lake Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118
• Neighborhood: Richmond/Golden Gate Park/Presidio Hts
• Phone: 415.752.0347
• Hours: 10am-4pm
• Ages: 5 and up
• Cost: $13/hour row boats; $17/hour paddle boats (Cash only)

9. Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA

The ship is an amazing piece of work. As you drive up the 405 freeway you can see it looming in the Long Beach Harbor. Many specters have been seen in the first class swimming pool area and roaming the promenade deck.

People have reported hearing doors slam shut, cold spots, wet footprints. The Queen Mary has capitalized on these hauntings and now has a daily tour geared toward the paranormal enthusiast.

RMS QUEEN MARY

built by John Brown Clydebank,
Yard No 534
Engines by John Brown & Co Clydebank

Last Name: QUEEN MARY
Port of Registry: Liverpool
Propulsion: Steam turbine x 16 | 160,000hp | Cruising speed 28.5 knots (55.17 km/hr) | Boilers x 27 | Fuel consumption 13ft/gal (1m/l)
Launched: Wednesday, 26 September 1934
Built: 1936
Ship Type: Passenger Vessel
Ship's Role: Commercial Enterprise
Tonnage: 81237grt | 33073nrt | 15901dwt
Length: 1019.5ft (310.74m)
Breadth: 118ft (35.97m)
Draught: 39ft 4~9/16in (12.00m)
Owner History:
Cunard Steamship Co., Liverpool
Status: Static Role - 09/12/1967
www.queenmary.com
The Blue Riband was awarded to the ship that made the fastest transatlantic crossing. Queen Mary was awarded the Blue Riband in 1936 and from 1938 until 1952. The Queen Mary now has a static role at Long Beach, California.

8. Placerville, CA-

Placerville is located in the foothills of Sacramento, CA. It is an old gold mining town with tons of incredible history. There are so many haunted locations on Main street that you can practically walk into any store or bar and get a ghost story.

Some of the places include The Cary House Hotel at 300 Main street, Hangman's Tree Bar at 305 Main Street, Hidden Passages Bookstore at 352 Main Street, Pearson's Soda Works or the Cozmic Cafe at 594 Main Street., and many many more! Off the beaten path about a mile away is the beautiful Sequoia House Restaurant at 643 Bee Street. Certainly worth the trip to this quaint little town!

Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. Prior to the discovery of gold in nearby Coloma, California by James W. Marshall in 1848 sparking the California Gold Rush, the small town now known as Placerville was known as Dry Diggins after the manner in which the miners moved cartloads of dry soil to running water to separate the gold from the soil. Later in 1849, the town earned its most common historical name, Hangtown, due to the numerous hangings that had taken place there. By 1850, the temperance league and a few local churches had begun to request that a more friendly name be bestowed upon the town. The name was not changed until 1854 when the City of Placerville was incorporated. At its incorporation Placerville was the third largest town in California. In 1857 the county seat was then moved from Coloma to Placerville, where it remains today.

Placerville was a central hub for the Mother Lode region's mining operations[4]. The town had many services, including transportation (of people and goods), lodging, banking, and had a market and general store. The history of hard-rock mining is evidenced by an open and accessible Gold Bug Park & Mine, now a museum with tours and books.

The Southern Pacific Railroad once had a branch line that extended from Sacramento to Placerville. The track was abandoned in the 1980s. The Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad (now abandoned) also operated an 8-mile shortline that operated between Camino, California and Placerville until June 17, 1986. As of March 29, 2007, 52 miles of the right-of-way have been purchased by the city of Folsom, and eighteen miles of track have been restored. Plans are under consideration for a tourist excursion train along the route.

Placerville is nicknamed "Old Hangtown" (due to the fact that many people were hanged in the late 1800s).

7. Disneyland, Anaheim,Ca

One of my favorite places on earth just so happens to be haunted! Space Mountain the ride, and the women's employee locker rooms are haunted by the ghost of "Mr. One-Way", a guest who died on the Space Mountain ride back in the 1970's.

It is also said that the Christmas Shop on Main street holds a specter or two. Also, Tom Sawyer's Island, The old People Mover Ride and in Tomorrow Land there have been reported apparitions after the park is closed. I cannot wait to get down there with H.P.I. And do an investigation!

6. Georgetown Hotel, Georgetown,CA

The Georgetown Hotel is a quaint little 1800's saloon style hotel. It's located in the middle of Highway 49 between Auburn, CA and Placerville, CA. I just happened to be in the area at a friends home one night and thought, “that looks like a happening little joint, let's check it out”.

Courtesy of The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.

The place was really fun with Karaoke in the evening and ghosts all around. I never got any EVP's but the bartender told me they've had plenty of experiences there! Some of the employees saw a female apparition in the upstairs rooms and walking down the hallway. They have also reported cold spots and footsteps. I think it would be great to stay there and hang out with the looming lady all night long....

The very haunted Georgetown Hotel is located at 6260 Main Street Georgetown, CA 95634

5. Queen Anne Hotel, San Francisco, CA

Located on the corner of Sutter and Octavia Streets. It is a beautiful Victorian Hotel that dates back to the 1890's. Miss Mary Lake's Room, room 410, is reported to be the most haunted in the hotel. She has been seen walking about the hotel and has even scared a few H.P.I.'ers over the years.

One of our investigators, stayed in room 410 last summer (2006) and reported that he could not open the door to room 410 for some time. He unlocked it, shook the handle but could not enter. Then the door just easily gave way and he could enter. Was it Miss Mary Lakes that didn't want him in her room? Maybe you should stay there and find out for yourself!

4. Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA

One of our investigators, Mike Henderson, was lucky enough to go and stay on this island alone one night! I don't know about you, but I am not sure I could do it! He did not experience anything on this night, luckily, but there have been plenty of other people that have.

Reports of cold spots, sounds of chains clanking, footsteps, screaming you name it!

The history of the island includes military use as a fort, an army prison camp, a Native American peace community, and the location of America's most dangerous criminals. The prison held Al Scarface Capone and Robert "The Birdman" Stroud. The island was featured in movies including Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood and The Rock with Sean Connery. For prisoners, the worst torture was how close, but unattainable, was life in San Francisco. At night, prisoners could even hear parties and laughter across the bay.

The island is also a wildlife sanctuary with birds, and tide pools filled with crabs and sea-stars. Western gull and black-crowned heron colonies are prevalent. Roses still grow by the old Warden's house.

3. The National Hotel, Jackson, CA

The National hotel is an amazing piece of architecture. Even if I didn't find any ghosts I would have been happy just to hang out there. Lucky for me, I did find several ghosts! H.P.I. Was able to pick up an EVP, with the help of a psychic, that said “Chill, Chill”.. Speaking of Chills... One of my investigators, Carol was alone up in room 74 when she repeatedly had cold chills up her back. It was a warm night.. Room 74 is reported to be the most haunted room in the hotel.

We also got a lot of great pictures with orbs and even some on video. The place is creepy and wonderful at the same time. I highly recommend staying in the “Bordello Room” if you are ever in Jackson, CA

NATIONAL HOTEL Jackson, California Built in 1862, this 33 room hotel is the longest continuously operating hotel in California. Located in the heart of the Gold Country near Highways 49 and 88

2.Private Residence, in West Sacramento

The owners of this home want to remain anonymous but their spirits do not.. The homeowners have come to grips with the fact that they have some permanent ”house guests.” This makes for a great H.P.I. investigation!

H.P.I GhostWriter and Paranormal investigator Paul Dale Roberts with ghostly faces and orb

I have been to the home numerous times and have seen a white light fly by me in the hallway, I've heard some pretty unbelievable EVP's, and have seen some amazing video footage taken. (while I was there). What is so great about this home is that we've come to learn that each entity has a personality, one EVP even shows they have a sense of humor!

The entity says “Wanna hear a fart?” and then you hear a child laughing.. it is truly amazing! You can be just sitting around having coffee, turn on your voice recorder and almost always get an EVP! All the EVP's and videos can be seen or heard at www.HPIparanormal.net

1. Brookdale Lodge, Brookdale, CA

My number one favorite haunted location! The Brookdale is also home of the H.P.I. Northern CA Paranormal Conference, (May 2008). We have so much ghostly evidence from the Brookdale, that one of the workers, Roger, is making a book out of it! The lodge is truly amazing with a babbling brook running right through the center of the “Brook Room”, it is the only building of it's kind.

Ripley's Believe it or Not even did a show there. We captured some great EVP's on the bridge over the indoor brook, saw some glorious orb pictures with movement, and even had one conference guest, Maria, write about her crazy night at the séance with Nancy Bradley. The story is called “A Long Day At the Brookdale Lodge”.

There are secret passageways and hidden rooms, it is so much fun to explore this lodge. There is even a room called the “Mermaid Room” where you can look into the bottom of the swimming pool through a glass window! It is said that the mobsters that resided here long ago, used to have “Mermaid” prostitutes. They would swim near the glass window for the mobsters to select them as dates for the evening. I love this place so much it is just an incredible get-away and I cannot wait to get back for the next conference!

Also see: A Long Day At Brookdale Lodge

And: HPI PARANORMAL CONFERENCE 2007 At The Brookdale Lodge

The World's 100 Most Haunted Places

The Real Haunted Hotels In Cities, America

Hotels, like airlines, overbook reservations because they know that not everyone is going to show up. But some of their inventory goes to third-party travel sites like TravelNola.com, which contract with hotels ahead of time to sell a preset block of rooms.

Book your haunted Hotel here!

Alabama
Montgomery - Tutwiler Hotel

Alaska
Skagway - Golden North Hotel

Arkansas
Eureka Springs - Crescent Hotel

Arizona
Flagstaff - Monte Vista Hotel
Douglas - Gadsden Hotel
Phoenix - Hotel San Carlos
Prescott - Hotel Vendome; Hassayampa Inn
Scottsdale - The Hermosa Inn

California
Carmel-by-the-Sea - La Playa Hotel and Cottages
Coloma - Sierra Nevada House
Coronado - Hotel del Coronado
Grass Valley - Holbrooke Hotel
Groveland - Groveland Hotel
Healdsburg - Madrona Manor
Hollywood - Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
La Jolla - Grande Colonial Hotel
Long Beach - Queen Mary Hotel
Mendocino - Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suite
Napa - Napa River Inn
San Jose - Hyatt Hotel St. Claire
Mendocino's Sea Rock Inn
San Luis Obispo - Paso Robles Inn
Santa Monica - Georgian Hotel
Ventura - Pierpont Inn

Colorado
Denver - Brown Palace Hotel
Estes Park - Stanley Hotel

Connecticut
Griswald - Homespun Farm
New London - Lighthouse Inn

Florida
St. Augustine - Casa de la Paz
Tampa/St. Petersburg - Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa

Georgia
Augusta - The Partridge Inn
Jekyll Island - Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Illinois
St. Charles - Hotel Baker

Iowa
Bentonsport - Mason House Inn

Louisiana
New Orleans - 1891 Castle Inn; Hotel Maison de Ville; Le Pavilion; Delta Queen Steamboat
St. Francisville - Myrtles Plantation

Massachusetts
Boston - The Omni Parker House
Salem - The Hawthorne Hotel

Michigan
Marquette - The Landmark Inn

Mississippi
Natchez - Monmouth Plantation

New York
Bolton Landing - The Sagamore
Grand Island - Holiday Inn

North Carolina
Asheville - Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa
Chapel Hill - Carolina Inn

Ohio
Cincinnati - Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza

Oregon
Portland - The Heathman Hotel

Pennsylvania

Bethlehem - Hotel Bethlehem
Gettysburg - Farnsworth House Inn

Texas
San Antonio - Menger Hotel
Galvez Hotel - Galveston

Vermont
Manchester Village - The Equinox

Washington
San Juan Islands - Rosario Resort

Washington, DC
Omni Shoreham Hotel; Hay-Adams Hotel; Renaissance Mayflower Hotel

Wisconsin
Fond du Lac - Ramada Plaza Hotel
Milwaukee - Pfister Hotel

Wyoming
Casper - Ivy House Inn
Cheyenne - The Plains Hotel
Jackon Hole - The Wort Hotel

GHOST TOURS OF GALVESTON

"The Best Little Ghost Tour in Texas!"

Learn more about the real ghosts of Galveston Island. For the next public tour time call our Ghost Line (requiring no reservations) for information and public tour times 409-949-2027. For Private Ghost Tours and other information call the office line at 832-892-7419.
Prices: $15 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under.
The Tour Group Meets In Front Of The Railroad Museum At Strand And 25th Streets

Voted as one of the Top Ten Ghost Tours In America. "See The Real Haunted Texas Spirits and ghosts of this authentic haunted City and meet wih the real Ghostman of Galveston, Dash Beardsley!"

Reservations are recommended. Bring a camera, you never know what you will get on film. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. In case of rain, please call the office to check tour schedule.

Group private tours available. Ghost Tours of Galveston,Texas