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All the United States California San Diego Whaley House
AO Edited

Whaley House

San Diego's most historic and haunted home.

San Diego, California

Added By
alyx
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Whaley House   Joe Mabel/CC BY-SA 3.0
Portraits of the Whaley family still hang throughout the house. Several members who died in the house are believed to haunt its rooms.   alyx / Atlas Obscura User
  Lampshade1660 / Atlas Obscura User
Whaley House living room   Gregg O'Connell/CC BY 2.0
Whaley House stage   Gregg O'Connell/CC BY 2.0
Whaley House dining room   David & Karyn/CC BY 2.0
  Lampshade1660 / Atlas Obscura User
  Lampshade1660 / Atlas Obscura User
The furnishings of the Whaley House.   alyx / Atlas Obscura User
The Whaley House, which served as a county courthouse and theater, is open to the public all year. (Alyx Sariol/Atlas Obscura)   alyx / Atlas Obscura User
Whaley House   Smart Destinations/CC BY-SA 2.0
Halloween 2022  
October 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
October 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Whaley House   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque on the home   IronQueen / Atlas Obscura User
Halloween 2022   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Courtyard   IronQueen / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Once home to Thomas Whaley and his family, the Whaley House is recognized for its historical significance in San Diego's Old Town neighborhood. Built in 1856 the home is a two-story Greek Revival designed by Whaley himself. It was built using bricks from Whaley's brickyard and was the only construction of its kind in San Diego at the time.

Aside from housing the Whaley family, the home also served as San Diego's first commercial theater, a general store, and the county courthouse. The house is currently furnished in tribute to the many functions it served before being turned into a museum.

What's most unusual about the home is the numerous reports of hauntings by docents; visitors; and, yes, Regis Philbin. The Travel Channel's "Most Haunted" show designated the Whaley House as the most haunted home in the United States.

Volunteer docents in period costumes are quick to point out rooms that are said to be haunted by Whaley family members who died in the home and others who were hanged on site.

San Diego Ghost Hunters hosts a Whaley House Museum Paranormal Investigation Tour on the last weekend of every month. Paranormal investigation techniques and tools are utilized throughout the tour, which provides access to several roped-off rooms. It's clear that the Whaley House is well-known for its paranormal sightings and reports; the museum even charges more for evening admission to visitors hoping to leave a little bit shaken.

Related Tags

Haunted Architectural Oddities Eccentric Homes Architecture Homes

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Added By

alyx

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Rachel, Gizmo Chaos, Lampshade1660, ccesare...

  • Rachel
  • Gizmo Chaos
  • Lampshade1660
  • ccesare
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • blimpcaptain
  • IronQueen

Published

April 10, 2011

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Sources
  • Whaley House (San Diego, California): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaley_House_%28San_Diego,_California%29
  • The Whaley House: America's Most Haunted: http://www.viewzone.com/whaleyhouse.html
  • The Whaley House Old Town San Diego: http://gothere.com/sandiego/Ghosts/Whaley/default.htm
  • http://adamspictureblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/whaley.html?q=whaley+house
  • https://realhauntedhouses.co.uk/whaley-house-museum/
  • https://realhaunts.com/haunted-museums/whaley-house-museum/
Whaley House
2476 San Diego Avenue
San Diego, California, 92110
United States
32.752515, -117.19445
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Nearby Places

El Campo Santo Cemetery

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Explore the Destination Guide

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San Diego

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