She was scared. One could see that in her eyes that night. I had seen that look many times in the past. It was the look of a person who had seen a ghost, a frightening ghost.

The young woman in question was a volunteer helping during one of the ghost tours offered at the historic Olivas Adobe in Ventura, California, and her job was to greet the public as they came in. Those who took the tour that night did see things and managed to take pictures of mysterious “orbs” in the old 1847 hacienda that night, but the poor volunteer got the worst of it. I doubt she will volunteer again.

She was alone at the gate to the parking lot with her clip board. Her job was to greet people and check them in from the sign-up list. She later said she felt odd as if someone or something was watching her. Then, something caught her eye. She turned and, by the flagpole, not ten feet away, she saw a woman standing there. The figure was wearing a long white dress and had long black hair that hung below her shoulders. The most startling thing about the woman were her eyes--she had none! The place were eyes should be were nothing but bloody pits, as if her eyes were cruelly ripped away by some fiend. The figure of the eyeless phantom then slowly vanished.

Over the years there have been many sightings of ghosts at the historic Olivas Adobe, but no one has ever told of such a horrific apparition. Not long after that encounter, one of the women on the tour inside the house asked who was on the site, because she saw a woman with long hair and a long white dress from the balcony. The woman was walking in the rose garden! Who is the mysterious Lady in White and what happened to her eyes?

An answer came from another group that visited the site months after the sightings of the mysterious lady.

They found the upstairs children’s room most active with cold spots and thing even moving. A sort of code was set up using dowsing rods. From this crude attempt at spirit communication a bizarre story came forth.

The ghost, spirit or essence called herself Maria and she confessed to be a Native American servant girl who once worked at the house. The house needed many servants to operate and many were former Native Americans from the California Missions. She said that she was murdered in the house and buried not far away. A Yankee visited the ranch and was a guest of the Olivas Family. He saw Maria and wanted her. He presented the young girl with simple gifts and fancy words. At last, he lured her into the storage room off the kitchen. When she complained, he took a knife and cut out her eyes! After he had his way with her, the Yankee strangled her, hiding the body under some bags of goods. He then left the hacienda, riding south toward Los Angeles.

The cook found the body not an hour after the killer had left and alerted the family. They were livid that their hospitality was repaid with such barbarism. The Olivas son’s mounted their fine thoroughbred horses and went in pursuit. Their fine animals caught up to the fleeing Yankee near Saticoy Springs. One of the sons, a skilled vaquero, lassoed the murderer by the neck and pulled him from the saddle. They dragged him back to the adobe where the victim’s father waited in tears. He ran to what was left of the Yankee and stabbed him in the heart. The killer was, most likely, dead at this time, but vengeance was called for. The murderer’s body was tossed into the quick sand of the near-by Santa Clara River and never found.

Not one bit of evidence exists that this story is true, but, justice was swift in old California and such a reaction seems in keeping with the times. The ghostly presence said that she was glad that justice was swift and her abuser and murderer was slain. Is this the answer to the story of the eyeless ghost woman? Who can say? Many times, when a ghost can tell their tale they just vanish away. Let’s hope the ghost woman has moved on to a better place, that place we all must go when our time comes.

Olivas Adobe History

The Olivas Adobe, located in Ventura, California, is an adobe built in 1837 by Don Raymundo Olivas.

Olivas received approximately 2,250 acres as part of land grant from Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado, which he named Rancho San Miguel, in recognition of his service at the Presidio of Santa Barbara. The land had originally been part of Mission San Buenaventura, but was appropriated during the secularization of the missions.

He expanded the building in 1849 to two stories, making it the only such building in the area. He and wife and their 21 children lived here until 1899. It later became part of Max Fleischman's holdings (of yeast and margarine fame), and it was he who donated the land and the house to the City of Ventura.

The adobe is rumored to be haunted by a woman ghost and is listed as one of Ventura County's few haunted locations.

The adobe is registered as California Historical Landmark #115 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NPS-79000570).

The Olivas Adobe is located at 4200 Olivas Park Dr. in Ventura. The grounds are open daily 10:00am to 4:00pm and the adobe is open on weekends 10:00am to 4:00pm For more information call 805-644-4346

Official Web Site: Olivas Adobe Historical Park

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General Ghost Hunting Tips

Always go and inspect the area you wish to ghost hunt in daylight so you are familiar with the area. Look for dangerous places and obstacles that you will not be able to see in the dark.

Look for no trespassing signs. Make sure you are not trespassing. If you are on private property you are risking getting a ticket or arrested in some areas. You can get permission from many owners and or Cemetery or haunted building caretakers.You should by all means notify the local Police that you will be in a grave yard "taking pictures" so they are aware of our presence.

Make sure you bring you ID. (drivers license, etc.)

Never go alone. This is just common sense.

Find out all you can about the history of the locale. Newspapers, town historians, WWW and books. We have a haunted places in America listings here.

These are many "Haunted" places you can start your ghost hunting

Haunted Cemeteries - Come explore some of the world's most haunted cemeteries. The World's Most Haunted Cemetery may make you a real believer in ghosts. Some say the black ghost dogs guard these lonely places. Here is a collection of true ghost stories from the world's most haunted Cemeteries. This list will have some familiar names, and some places you never expected to be haunted. Paranormal activity is an really a very international affair, and ghosts and apparitions intermingle with the living everywhere day and night. When it comes to the number and regularity of ghost sightings and unexplained events, these real haunted Graveyards, Cemeteries and burial spots can't be beat.

HAUNTED HOUSES - Americas' Most Haunted Houses - Haunted Houses | Haunted Mansions | Haunted Plantations. A haunted house is defined as building that people live in that is a center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena. Some haunted houses are known to be haunted by the ghosts of dogs. A haunted house may contain ghosts, poltergeists, or even demons.

Haunted Schools and Libraries - Haunted Buildings, Their Ghost Stories and Ghost Photos Haunted Theaters - Probably the most popular place for a ghost to appear (if you don't count cemeteries) is a theater. Certain aspects of theater folklore involve hauntings, such as the "ghost light" and the attribution of mishaps to the work of a ghost, so it's unlikely that all these theaters were really the sites of murders, or are really haunted.

Haunted Battlefields - American Battlefield Ghost Hunters always suggest that planning ahead can often make the difference between a good ghost hunting trip and a great trip to National Battlefield Park.Some tales tek if ghostly dogs haunting the many battlefields in America. Explore these pages to discover the essential things you need to know before you leave home—how to get around the park, where pets are allowed, how to stay safe, and more important a ghost photo or ghost story to read and plan to investigate.

Haunted Travel - There’s more to experience on a real haunted Vacation than most people can fit into one normal vacation – sun, sand, ancient historic sites, secrets of the dead and past, unique nature-based experiences in exotic locals, and non-stop ghostly haunted and paranormal thrills. All this sounds something like the latest Indiana Jones Movie doesn't it? Also See: Haunted Vacations

Haunted Hotels, Motels, B&B's Guest Houses - Investigating a Haunted Hotel
THE Best Haunted Hotels in America Listed By State. Do you know what experts suggest before you book your stay in a haunted hotel? Planning your own Stay Overnight in a Haunted Hotel or Haunted Motel or B&B?Visit Here to learn what the experts think you should know! An overnight stay in one of the Haunted America Tours Top 10 Hotels can sometimes change the heart of a "True Skeptic"!

Haunted Historic Locations - Many historic buildings, because of their age, have had more time to have spirits attach to it. These buildings are often open the public and can give you a easy place to start. From the lost and lonely haunted hot spots in America Black Dog ghosts have been said to roam. Many locations even have known histories of hauntings and you may be able to gain access to the building after hours after speaking with the caretakers. MOST HAUNTED PLACES IN THE WORLD

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Haunted Museums - Visit Haunted America Tours own Online Haunted Chambers of the Bizarre. Can inanimate objects such as paintings, a doll or a pile of bones be really haunted? Strange images appear in haunted paintings, Skulls are said to scream and strange looking items disturb us. Some spend the day browsing through but would you spend the Night at the Museum? "Real ghost photos - real ghost stories." you decide! Come with us now and take a haunted tour of this virtual online haunted collection of the worlds most haunted collection of the strange and unexplained. Free Admission too! Please any visitors to this web site Haunted Musem Gallery, This is not reccommeded for the highly sensitive!