An icon in Outdated City San Diego and nationwide for ghost hunters, the Whaley Home Museum is a well-liked addition to many San Diego itineraries. This Greek revival-style house is an official California Historic Landmark, a museum, and a mystical hotspot.
The home was inbuilt 1857 by Thomas Whaley, and it was the positioning of a number of tragedies which have led to its haunted popularity.
The house opened to the general public in 1960 as a museum and has had a live-in caretaker since 2007. A number of excursions and tickets can be found, together with self-guided daytime excursions, guided night excursions, and even an after-hours paranormal investigation tour.
Fast Historical past and Who Haunts the Whaley Home
Thomas Whaley, the unique builder and proprietor of the house, was a New York Metropolis native that relocated to California hoping to capitalize on enterprise alternatives as a result of gold rush.
Upon its completion in 1857, it turned generally known as the best home in Southern California, constructed with bricks made on the Whaley property. Whaley Home hosted San Diego’s first industrial theater, a county courthouse, and a bilingual normal retailer.
Many imagine that ghosts hang-out the Whaley Home. In 1858, child Thomas Whaley Jr. died of scarlet fever in the home, and it’s believed that his ghost nonetheless haunts the property.
Moreover, in 1885, the Whaleys’ daughter Violet died by suicide on the home’s second ground. Her ghost can be stated to roam the premises nonetheless.
Nonetheless, essentially the most important dying related to the Whaley Home is the execution of James Robinson, a convicted thief, who was hanged in 1852 on the property.
The Whaley household dwelling was constructed on the identical spot the place the gallows as soon as stood. Guests to the home have reported seeing Robinson’s ghost lurking within the hallways, or feeling his presence across the web site the place he was executed.
Whaley Home Go to Highlights
Listed here are some highlights of the historic Whaley Home:
- Authentic Antiques and Furnishings: The Save Our Heritage Group (SOHO) has labored exhausting to revive many elements of the house to seize the texture of the mid to late 1800s. There are items on show which are unique to the Whaley Home.
- Vigorous Tour Guides Make for an Entertaining Expertise: Many guests comment that their tour information was their favourite a part of the expertise. They’re educated, and these tour guides do their greatest to get into character to ship a humorous and unforgettable expertise.
- Paranormal Investigation Tour: This guided tour takes place after hours. On this tour, you’re proven rooms not accessible to most of the people throughout regular enterprise hours. You’re additionally provided with ghost searching and monitoring tools.
- Glorious Location for Procuring and Consuming: Outdated City is a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers and locals. Peek inside artisan outlets, get pleasure from world-class meals, and expertise dwell music and a energetic vibe, all inside strolling distance of the Whaley Home.
- Historic Significance: The Whaley household is usually referred to as “The Pioneer Household of San Diego.” The Whaley household was integral in bolstering San Diego’s rising financial system by opening shops and companies within the Outdated City district and serving to San Diego blossom in its infancy.
Issues to Know Earlier than Visiting the Whaley Home
Earlier than visiting the Whaley Home, try important particulars like hours, ticket costs, close by meals, present outlets, and parking.
Tickets and Hours
The Whaley Home is open day by day. Reservations should not required for daytime excursions however will be useful throughout summer season months or weekends.
Guests can select from three ticket choices. A daytime self-guided tour prices $13.30 per particular person, and a night guided tour prices $18.00 per particular person. The after-hours paranormal investigation is $94.05 per particular person.
Admission can be lined by the Go San Diego All-Inclusive and Explorer sightseeing passes that embrace varied different San Diego sights similar to San Diego Zoo, USS Halfway Museum, and the Outdated City Trolley, which might help you get to The Whaley Museum from stops across the County.
PLEASE NOTE: Go San Diego passes should not qualifying tickets for the annual Youngsters Free San Diego promotion in October.
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Cafes and Eating places Close by
Although there aren’t any onsite choices for meals, there’s a plethora of fine eats inside strolling distance of the Whaley Home.
Proper behind Whaley Home although is the New Orleans Creole Cafe, housed in a late Nineties constructing. You can even try Outdated City Mexican Cafe, Cafe Coyote, or Harney Sushi for some high quality meals after having fun with your tour. There’s additionally a cigar lounge and olive oil store close by.
Reward Store
There is a wonderful present store onsite referred to as the Whaley Home Museum Store. Past carrying your typical souvenirs similar to t-shirts, mugs, and magnets, this present store additionally carries an assortment of Mexicana-themed gadgets similar to sugar skulls and Dia De Los Muertos items.
The store additionally carries a wide range of paranormal-themed items, similar to books and ghost-hunting kits.
Parking
Free parking is positioned simply north of the Whaley Home off Harney road. The car parking zone is thought to replenish shortly, so come early and with loads of time earlier than your tour begins to safe a spot.
There are additionally different small parking heaps positioned all through the Outdated City San Diego in addition to road parking.
High 5 Distinctive Information Concerning the Whaley Home
Uncover extra in regards to the legendary Whaley Home with these attention-grabbing info about this fashionable San Diego vacation spot.
- America’s Most Haunted Home. It was deemed “America’s Most Haunted Home” by a number of sources, together with LIFE Journal and The Journey Channel. It was even formally acknowledged as haunted by the US Commerce Division within the Nineteen Sixties. The Whaley Home has embraced the nickname and even trademarked it for advertising and marketing functions. The Whaley Home is talked about and featured in a number of paranormal television reveals, books, and guides.
- Photographic Proof for Ghosts on Show. It’s commonplace for cell telephones and cameras to be prohibited at some historic websites. This isn’t the case on the Whaley Home. Taking footage is inspired! A lot so that there’s a whole part on the Whaley Home for “ghost encounters” the place they share guests’ footage which will or could not function spirits, ghosts, or paranormal exercise. When you seize one thing eerie, submit your photograph or use the #whaleyhousesd hashtag on social media to share it.
- Home of Many Makes use of. Moreover being the primary dwelling constructed formally in Southern California, the Whaley home additionally turned San Diego’s first industrial theater. It additionally served as a county courthouse and a normal retailer. The house turned an vital piece of the group, even inflicting division between Outdated City and New City residents within the late 1800s.
- Resulting from Repeated Tragedy, The Whaleys Moved Out. After a number of relations’ deaths, together with Thomas Whaley’s daughter’s suicide, the Whaley relocated to downtown San Diego. The Whaley Residence sat vacant for a few years afterward till Thomas Whaley’s son Francis moved again in and made efforts to revive the house within the early 1900s.
- The Haunting Started Earlier than the Whaleys. The haunting historical past doubtlessly started earlier than the Whaleys moved in. It’s reported {that a} man named Jim Robinson was held on the house web site earlier than Whaley bought it. Thomas Whaley even witnessed the hanging himself. Since then, a number of members of the Whaley household have handed away within the dwelling. The property additionally was the positioning of a gallows and cemetery earlier than Thomas Whaley bought the land.
Why We Love This Haunted Home
The most important motive to like the enduring Whaley Home is its versatile exercise choice that pulls historical past buffs, ghost hunters, households, and curious vacationers alike.
For those who spook simply and don’t like ghost tales, this is usually a enjoyable and lighthearted choice for a daytime self-guided tour. Through the daytime excursions, you possibly can go at your personal tempo and focus as a lot or as little on the haunted facet.
Moreover, the home is a well-preserved instance of mid-Nineteenth-century structure and affords a glimpse into the lives of one in all California’s pioneer households.
Moreover its historic and paranormal attracts, we love the situation. There are numerous enjoyable issues to do in Outdated City San Diego with Whaley Home towards the highest of that record. Remember to embrace time to discover the eating places and buying within the space. When you’re contemplating staying within the space, examine our record of greatest Outdated City San Diego inns.