While Halloween isn't for another two months, in my opinion it’s always a good time for a fun haunted adventure. Some more haunted than others, I have compiled a list of the Bay Areas most haunted and historical locations. Continue reading if you dare!
1. Claremont Hotel Club and Spa, Berkeley, California.
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The Claremont Hotel opened in 1915. Before it was a hotel, in the 1800s stood a castle-like home that was burned to the ground in 1901 and guests of the hotel have said they can smell smoke in their smoke-free rooms. On the fourth floor, which is said to be the most haunted, witnesses have seen flickering lights and TVs that come on by themselves. The culprit is said to be a ghost of a little girl who died there at age six, either in the hotel or in the fire. Some have caught a glimpse of her and her favorite room is Room 422.
2. The Faculty Club at UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
The Faculty Club has been in existence since 1902 and has been used for meetings and lodging of university staff, alumni, and students. It is said that room 219 is haunted by the ghost of a long dead man. While that is all the details given, will you request a stay at room 219 to tell the tale of this legend?
3. The Bordello, Oakland, California.
The Bordello is an old house that was built in 1887 and was once a saloon and brothel. The Bordello is said to have active paranormal activity from chairs being moved to figures of men and women sighted around the house. The ghosts that wonder the house are not bothersome yet very present. Historical records suggest there was a bar fight leading to a stabbing in the saloon in the early 1900s. Local ghost hunters have come and recorded video at the site and have had success of communicating via flashlight by asking yes or no questions.
4. USS Hornet, Alameda, California.
This retired aircraft carrier, historic landmark, and museum is said to be the most haunted warship in the world. An aircraft carrier is a dangerous place. Sailors have walked into aircrafts spinning props, been sucked into their air intakes, and blown off deck by their exhaust. In its 27 years of active service, more than 300 people have lost their lives aboard the ship. Crew and visitors have reported a number of strange incidents, sightings, and sounds such as doors opening and closing by themselves; tools that vanish only to reappear after a long search; spectral sailors that move through the ship as if carrying out orders from another age; and the feeling of being pushed or grabbed when no one is around.
5. Angel Island, Belvedere Tiburon, California.
Angel Island is considered the “Ellis Island” of the West where immigrants who wanted to head to the mainland were detained until it was clear for them to go through. The process was devastating to some. Some immigrants were shamed, humiliated, and starved. Some died before making it through either by disease or suicide. One girl who hung herself is said to have a presence that can be felt when visiting the island. Some have reported to be attacked by a ghost or have seen wandering souls of deceased immigrants. (The first photo is a photo my Uncle took of the abandoned hospital. He took this photo during a recent visit to the island and confirms that it is very eerie!)
5. The Black Dahlia grave site, Oakland, California.
This past summer I grew interested in the history of the Black Dahlia aka the murder of Elizabeth Short. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, Short was murdered in 1947 and is one of the oldest unsolved murder cases in Los Angeles. The reason I am including it on the list is during my research I found that her resting place is at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. I am unsure as to why she was buried in Oakland, but I have read that she came to live in Vallejo with her father at age nineteen until they moved to Los Angeles in 1943. After Short’s death her mother moved to Oakland to be near her daughter’s grave.
I have yet to visit the grave but plan to. Although I’m sure the grave itself is not haunted, it is a very historical grave site.
Have you had any paranormal encounters? Share with us in the comments below!
