Top Three Haunted Spots In California

Hauntings, spiritual activity, and just weird yet interesting happenings in general has always been something that has interested me. I became interested in all of these mysterious happenings early in life and much like music its a passion that I hold close to my heart and keep myself informed and updated on. The state of California is known for some of the exciting travel places that it offers, and most of the places that get the most business are in fact the Haunted buildings here. Based on that knowledge I decided why not write a hub about my top three locations here. I can guarantee that every place listed in this hub is known by at least 9 out of ten people on this site, and around the world alike.

This is my number three pick. The Winchester Myster house is a landmark located in San Jose, California and is by far one of the most popular haunted houses in the America. This house has dailey tours for millions of visitors each year.

The History

The house was originally own by Sarah Winchester, she was the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, she moved to California shortly after her husband and daughter's death. The story goes that the house's construction started in 1883 and the construction on it didn't end until 1922. The reason the construction on this wacky house ended then because of Sarah's death. Now most people wonder why she kept building on to this house, why she spent most of her life dealing with construction workers. Well it's a simple answer really, the ghost told her to do it. She was under the impression, due to a medium, that her family was cursed because of the many lives the winchester rifle took and the curse, in return, took her husband and daughters lives. The medium told that the only way the curse wouldn't take her life was if she moved out west and started construction on a house for them, the catch being that the house could never stop being built onto. Of course many people believed she was a batty woman but the main thing that gets people now a days is, was she really insane or is there something going on in this house that no one knows about?

The House Itself

This is an extremely unique house. It has doors that lead to walls, staircases that lead to ceilings. My friend, who visited this house and took the tour, told me that there's a room in there that has one way in and three ways out, the way she entered was not the way out. There's also doors that drop off to the landscape below or even the kitchen below. Let's just say, without a tour guide you're most likely going to end up falling down two stories or even running into a cieling while climbing a staircase.

The Reported Spiritual Activity

There's been many cases that have been documented in this house. From claims of book pages turning on there own to witnessing of fog like people this house has almost everything. Other then the ones I've already mentioned there's been banging of doors, voices being heard, cold spots and dancing spots of lights.

Haunted Or Not?

This is something that will never be determined really. There's doctumented happenings of it being haunted and there's a lot of people that say its not. It's really one of those things that you can't really say and all you have to do is visit this place yourself. Or you can do one better and just find the episode of Ghost Hunters where they investigated this place. However they found nothing.

This famous jail, said to be haunted by the past inmates is my number two pick. I've heard about Alcatraz more times then anything. So that leads me to know that it's by far the best choice for a number two spot. Besides, who doesn't like haunted prisons, especially the one known for holding the worst criminals?

The History

Alcatraz started off as a military fort, the construction on it was finished in 1859 and the fort was officially up and running. However the first deaths documented on Alcatraz was in 1857, when a landslide took two mens lives away. It was soon realized that the location of Alcatraz was a perfect spot for a prison, with this information during the civil war many of the soldiers were sent to Alcatraz to be held. However the fort title still stood during mos of the war, it wasn't until 1861 that Alcatraz was named a prison, but not the prison we know it to be, it was named as a military prison for the Department of the Pacific.

During the war the population in the military increased prison, forcing them to build a temporary wooden prison in 1863. It was later replaced with many connecting structures built by the prisoners as punishment and ended up being called the Lower Prison. After the war more prisoners were sent to the island, for example, anyone that celebrated Lincoln's death, other military convicts and even malcontents of society.

Eventually even Native Americans started finding themselves inprisioned in Alcatraz, along side all the other criminals. This brings up another documented death of Alcatraz. In 1873 Paiute Tom was sent to Alcatraz from Camp McDermit, two days later he was shot by a guard. No one knows why or how, the documents of the reasons he was transferred and killed were lost. Later on, Barncho and Sloluck, two more Native Americans were sent to Alcatraz after being convicted of participating in murder and being sentenced to hang along with four others. However the president spared the boys due to there youth and sent them to Alcatraz. While there Barncho died of tuberculosis and Sloluck was released in 1878 to his Indian Tribes Territory.

During the Spanish - American war in 1898 many men that were sent back brought diseases with them causing Alcatraz's hospital to fill. The end result of this was many more deaths on the island. When all of this was going on, the first escape attempt was made. Four men tried to paddle out of Alcatraz only to be brought back to there prison by the currents, doesn't that just suck?

By the 1900's another block of cells were built due to the growing population of Alcatraz, this block that was built was called the Upper Prison. However, both of these prisons were high fire hazards and an oil lantern fire almost caused the Lower Prison to be completely destroyed in 1902. When the big earthquake of 1906 hit San Fransisco the city evacuated 176 prisoners and transported them to Alcatraz. Later this caused the leads of the island to realize the fire hazards and start construction on concrete barracks, again making the prisoners build it.

In 1907 the military realized the uselessness of keeping Alcatraz a fort as well as a prison and officially made it a Military Prison. They replaced the soldiers with prison guards and built a huge cell house over the spot the original barracks buildings stood and the mote.

The year 1915 brought yet another change for this Military Prison. Alcatraz was renamed the Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks. The men convicted of less serious crimes were able to attend military training, remedial education, and vocational training. Most of the men that attended these were returned to active military duty. Where as the men with serious convictions didn't get this chance and were dishonorably discharged when they were done serving there time.

When the change came on in Alcatraz, it turned into a minimum security prison and the prisoners were only locked in there cells at night. Of course anyone can see the problems with this, except them. This brought on many escape attempts. Many men tried to flee the island by boarding boats to the main land, using driftwood, swimming, and even one trying to escape by using a ladder. The most successful attempt was in 1918, four prisoners escaped using a raft and the guards assumed they drowned, however they later showed up in Sutro Forest, however, only one of the men were recaptured.

By 1933 the army decided the prison was too expensive and with the rise of gangsters, mobsters and those criminals alike, the current president found Alcatraz to be the perfect location for a super prison. In 1934 the military prison was officially signed over to the Bureau of Prisons. All the military prisoners were transferred to Fort Jay, New Jersey and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with the exception of 32 inmates that were to stay in the new prison because of the severity of there crimes.

On January 1st of 1934 the transformation of Alcatraz began. They had officially started to make this place escape proof. The effort of the U.S. Attorney General, Homer Cummings, and Director of the Bureau of Prisons, Sanford Bates made this prison a legendary one. After building this concrete prison James A. Johnston was appointed as the first Warden. He picked his own officers to be guards. Him and Sanford Bates got together and made Alcatraz's guiding principles under which the prison would operate. The system was based around awards for the prisoners that actually abide by the rules, such as reduced terms and other things of the like, and harsh punishment for the ones that stepped out of line. One of the regulations set by these men were that no man could be sentenced to Alcatraz in the courts, instead they had to be sent there from other prisons for trying to escape or committing really awful crimes. Thus bringing on Alcatraz's population of the worst of the worst criminals.

To be honest this prison has an extremely long history and many reported deaths. It also has a list of famous criminals. All in all Alcatraz's history is extremely long.

The Hauntings

Alcatraz is said to have everything. From people that have been killed, died or committed suicide there to a mysterious man with glowing eyes that seems to be evil. There's numerous reports on this site and hauntings from it. It's even said that one of the inmates on Alcatraz were killed by strangulation, here's the thing though, he was in a confinement cell and no one was with him at the time. The inmate was heard in the night yelling and screaming about a man with glowing eyes harming him, the guards ignored the pleas to let him out and in the morning found him dead. There was finger prints in his neck and an investigation into it showed that they were not self inflicted. Other reports include your typical cold spots, apparitions, sudden emotional outbursts, touching when no one is around, voices, mists, and banging of doors.

Haunted Or Not?

Honestly, I would most definitely say Alcatraz is in fact haunted. There's really no doubt in my mind about it with its history and all the pain it caused on its prisoners. I can't speak for the rest of you but you can also go visit it yourself.

If anyone says they haven't heard about this ghost ship then I really don't know what to say. Out of the list I've made The Queen Mary has to be the most famous haunted place around in California.

The History

This ship ran for a long time as a military transport during World War II to a cruise liner. The Queen Mary was known to transport people of wealthy stature, sick military personnel and even stowaways. Now knowing all of this she had her fair share of deaths on board. This shipped is now docked permanently in Long Beach, California.

The Hauntings

This boat is said to have many ghosts roaming around it. Engine Room 13 is said to be haunted by a 17 year old boy thats life was taken when he was crushed trying to escape a fire. The reports from there are hearing banging on the pipes and the engine room door being hot and sightings of a bright light with smoke around it.

Amongst this one the pool area is said to have heavy activity when it comes to apparitions along with the front desk area of the hotel. The Queen Mary is also said to have a vortex in the hall of the changing rooms. This vortex has been pointed out many times.

Haunted or Not?

I believe that its completely plausible that the Queen Mary is in fact haunted. Ghost Hunters did an episode on it and they really didn't find much aside from cold spots, but then again what can they come to a conclusion about when someone was trying to make the place look haunted? The question of whether this place is haunted or not is still up in the air. If your feeling brave though you can also plan a few nights stay in there hotel.