:: Courtesy of the Whaley House Museum website Few houses in San Diego are as historically important as the Whaley House. In addition to being the Whaley Family home, it housed a granary, the County Court House, San Diego's first commercial theater, various businesses including Thomas Whaley's own general store, a ballroom, a billiard hall, school, and polling place. Significant events, such as the seizure of the court documents and records in 1871, and the suicide of Violet Whaley in 1885 profoundly affected Thomas and Anna Whaley. These events, as well as the hangings which occurred on the property before the house was constructed, have suffused the Whaley House with an air of mystery and added to its reputation as something more than just California State Historic Landmark #65. According to the Travel Channel's America's Most Haunted, the house is the number one most haunted house in the United States. The alleged hauntings of the Whaley House have been reported on numerous other television programs and been written up in countless publications and books since the house first opened as a museum in 1960. Although we cannot state positively that the Whaley House is really haunted, the voluminous documentation of paranormal occurrences at the site makes a compelling case. But, if there are ghosts at the Whaley House, who are they and why are they here? The earliest documented ghost at the Whaley House is "Yankee Jim." James (aka Santiago) Robinson was convicted of attempted grand larceny in San Diego in 1852, and hanged on a gallows off the back of a wagon on the site where the house now stands. The local newspaper reported that he "kept his feet in the wagon as long as possible, but was finally pulled off. He swung back and forth like a pendulum until he strangled to death." Although Thomas Whaley had been a spectator at the execution, he did not let it dissuade him from buying the property a few years later and building a home for his family there. According to the San Diego Union, "soon after the couple and their children moved in, heavy footsteps were heard moving about the house. Whaley described them as sounding as though they were made by the boots of a large man. Finally he came to the conclusion that these unexplained footfalls were made by Yankee Jim Robinson." Another source states that Lillian Whaley, the Whaleys' youngest daughter who lived in the house until 1953, "had been convinced the ghost of "Yankee Jim" haunted the Old House." A visitor to the museum in 1962 mentioned that "the ghost had driven her family from their visit there more than 60 years [earlier], her mother was unnerved by the phantom walking noise and the strange way the windows unlatched and flew up. "Many visitors to the house have reported encountering Thomas Whaley himself. The late June Reading, former curator of the museum, said, "We had a little girl perhaps 5 or 6 years old who waved to a man she said was standing in the parlor. We couldn't see him. But often children's sensitivity is greater than an adult's." However, many adults have reported seeing the apparition of Mr. Whaley, usually on the upper landing. One said he was "clad in frock coat and pantaloons, the face turned away from her, so she could not make it out. Suddenly it faded away." The specter of Anna Whaley has also been reported, usually in the downstairs rooms or in the garden. In 1964, Mrs. Whaley's floating, drifting spirit appeared to [television personality Regis] Philbin. "All of a sudden I noticed something on the wall," Philbin reported. "There was something filmy white, it looked like an apparition of some kind, I got so excited I couldn't restrain myself! I flipped on the [flash]light and nothing was there but a portrait of Anna Whaley, the long-dead mistress of the house." Other visitors have described seeing or sensing the presence of a woman in the courtroom. "I see a small figure of a woman," one visitor said, "who has a swarthy complexion. She is wearing a long full skirt, reaching to the floor. The skirt appears to be a calico or gingham, small print. She has a kind of cap on her head, dark hair and eyes and she is wearing gold hoops in her pierced ears. She seems to stay in this room, lives here, I gather." None of the Whaleys fit this description, but the house was rented out to numerous tenants over the years. Perhaps the mysterious woman in the courtroom was one of these. Another presence reported by visitors and docents is that of a young girl, who is usually found in the dining room. Psychic Sybil Leek encountered this spirit during a visit in the 1960s. "It was a long-haired girl," Sybil said. "She was very quick, you know, in a longish dress. She went to the table in this room and I went to the chair." Urban legend has it that this is the ghost of a playmate of the Whaley children who accidentally broke her neck on a low-hanging clothesline in the backyard, and whose name was either Annabel or Carrie Washburn. There are no historic records of any child dying this way at the Whaley House; nor is there record of any family named Washburn residing in San Diego at the time. It is believed that the legend was started by a one-time employee of the Whaley House, in an effort to add to the house's mystique.Even animals aren't left out of the singular occurrences. A parapsychologist reported he saw a spotted dog, like a fox terrier, that ran down the hall with his ears flapping and into the dining room. The dog, he said, was an apparition. When they lived in the house, the Whaley's owned a terrier named Dolly Varden. The Whaley House stands silently watching over San Diego Avenue as it has done for a century and a half. Every day visitors come from around the world to tour the historic museum. It contains so much history within its walls, that even the non-believer will enjoy the tour. For believers and skeptics alike, the house draws them back time and again, in search of those elusive ghosts. As media personality Regis Philbin once said, "You know a lot of people pooh-pooh it because they can't see it. But there was something going on in that house."

The following San Diego Whaley House Museum Ghost Hunting Tours attendee submissions have not been investigated by the sdGH team and does not endorse them as official paranormal phenomenon. If you attended a past investigation tour and would like to submit haunting evidence, email the team here.

A Whaley welcome First time investigators, Tim and Vicky from Santee, California, joined March 2010's Whaley House Museum Ghost Hunting Tours and received quite a chilling welcome as Tim entered Violet's upstairs bedroom. Luckily, he switched his video camera to record a split second before entering, allowing him to capture the friendly voice. As Tim tells it, "It happened as soon as I stepped into the room, a simple "hi". It sounded as though it was spoken directly into my right ear. It was a very loud, clear whisper, and there was no doubt that it sounded feminine. Luckily my camera's microphone picked it up. Initially, I thought it might have been my girlfriend, but as I responded back to the voice, I turned to see no one was near me. Vicky's footsteps can be heard as she approaches me from the staircase's landing to see what had me excited.This may sound kind of odd, but along with hearing it, I also felt it." The vocalization occurs immediately upon clicking play and is then repeated three times.

Violet makes her presence known? Independent investigator, Jerry Reynolds, who is known for his regular investigations of the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, joined the sdGH team's May 2010 Paranormal Investigation Tour. Inspired by the possible video capture of Whaley daughter Violet 's disembodied voice within her upstairs bedroom (seen above), Jerry thought he would try his luck exploring the second story alone with a stop at Violet's room as the tour group was quietly occupied below. He appears to have recorded EVP of a female-whispered "sure" after Jerry asks if Violet is present. The EVP is repeated three times after the full length experience plays.

The following San Diego Whaley House Museum Ghost Hunting Tours attendee submissions have not been investigated by the sdGH team and does not endorse them as official paranormal phenomenon. If you attended a past investigation tour and would like to submit haunting evidence, email them here.

Whaley House "Tanner" [ evp | real time | unknown ] Kiayanna P. of San Diego, California, gives us a nice EVP captured during an organized tour group session within the dining room. After reviewing her recordings with help from the sdGH team, an EVP "Tanner" was found after it's asked what spirit presences might be in the room. Mr. Tanner was the short-lived theater director when the house offered a performance stage. Ovilus Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC) device responses "family names" [ evp | real time | unknown ] As part of the Whaley Tour, team founder, Maritza, demonstrates experimental Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC) devices to guest investigators. Among them, the Ovilus purports to work on the the basis of assigning pre-programmed dictionary words by environmental EMF frequencies that are manipulated by spirits. The result is the Ovilus "speaking" single words. Kiayanna P. of San Diego, California, provides this recording taken as she, her husband and two friends were the recipient of interesting communications from the Ovilus the night of October 2011's tour. One friend, Aaron, had his name repeated several times as was his aunt's (Marion -- also the name of the Whaley's granddaughter), his grandfather's (Will), his mother's (Sarah's) and not pointed-out by Aaron in the recording, "Potter", an ancestral name just discovered weeks before during genealogy research. None of these proper names spoken by the Ovilus are in it's dictionary of 512 words. Whaley House Museum "Hello, Colleen" [ evp | real time | unknown ] Before the 10:30pm starting time of its monthly Whaley House Museum Paranormal Investigation Tour, it is common for team members to explore the upstairs level as the audio-visual presentation is being assembled in the courthouse below. In this EVP capture, a female presence, maybe Mrs. Whaley, appears to call team investigator, Colleen, by name while saying hello. Only three other people were in the house at the time of the capture: Team founder, Martiza, was also exploring the upstairs with Colleen while team member, Matt, was downstairs in the courtroom chatting with a docent as heard in the background. Ovilus Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC) device response "Silly Maritza" [ evp | real time | unknown ] As a feature of the Paranormal Investiigation Tours, sdGH founder, Maritza, provides guests a demonstration of several instrumental trans-communication (ITC) devices within the home's master bedroom. While setting-up the equipment before August, 2011's tour, Maritza is heard calling-out to a Whaley family member as the original, first generation Ovilus in "dictionary mode" lays untouched on the room's floor. What's offered by the Ovilus is quite amuzing. Both "silly" and "Maritza" are words not programmed into the onboard dictionary. Whaley House Museum "possible child vocalization" [ evp | real time | unknown ] Tory H. and Caitin W, from San Diego, California, present us with this interesting recording of a sample dining room EVP session on July 29, 2011's tour. After Tory asks if there are any spirits present who like to watch the ongoing reseach conducted by San Diego State's archeology department within the house's back yard, a possible child vocalization can be heard. Team tech director, Matthew, was conducting the session and confirms the sound was not heard by the group real-time within their environment. Was it true spirit communication? It can't be said for sure, but it's another instance to ponder as the room has become one of the most active at the museum. Whaley House Museum "breath" [ evp | real time | unknown ] While participating in a group dining room EVP session on October 22, 2010's late night tour, sdGH tech director, Matthew, inquires to how Mr. Whaley is feeling that evening. Troy A. and Julia D. of San Diego, CA, capture an anomalous breath from their recorder that was posiioned on the dining table many feet away from any participants. Was it Mr. Whaley rersponding? Whaley House Museum "yes" [ evp | real time | unknown ] Troy A. and Julia D. from San Diego, CA, were standing between the House's master bedroom and theater entrances during October 22, 2010's tour. As their attention focuses on a misfiring snapshot camera, an otherworldly "yes" is captured on their voice recorder. Whaley House Museum "child vocalization" [ evp | real time | unknown ] While conducting an EVP session to ten tour guests in the house's downstairs dining room October 29, 2008, sdGH founder, Maritza, senses the spirit of a small child. She calls out for communication and what appears to be a child's response is heard by everyone in attendance. The voice can be heard twice: once at the 17 second mark and again at 22 seconds. Though a train passing by the house during the first vocalization, it still can be heard. The second response is clear with no interruption and has been amplified and repeated three times. Where the voice originated from is quite a mystery. Head docent, Victor, was a witness to this event. Positioned outside the dining room door at the base of the stairs leading to the house's second level, he thought the voice originated from the dining room. Maritza's tour group heard it emanating from the staircase where Victor was sitting. No young children were present on this very late night tour.

The following San Diego Whaley House Museum Ghost Hunting Tours attendee submissions have not been investigated by the sdGH team and does not endorse them as official paranormal phenomenon. If you attended a past investigation tour and would like to submit haunting evidence, email the team here.

During the March 2011 tour, Yvette M. discovered this interesting blurred artifact in a photo taken looking into the Whaley guest bedroom.

During a recent tour, sdGH founder, Maritza, and several guest investigators were attempting communication with Thomas Whaley using experiemental electronic equipment. The above photo was taken when it was felt Mr. Whaley was in the room. Is this the shadow of his spirit?

James R. from San Diego, CA, sent us this photo shot in the theater during the November 21, 2009 Ghost Hunting Tours. He gives us this background: "I came across this pic, one of the first ones we took, when we had headed upstairs while everyone else was still gathering their ghost hunting tools or waiting downstairs. We were the only two people upstairs at this time. When I flipped through this picture, it gave me chills." It gives us chills, too, and deserves further investigation during our next tour. Nice catch, folks.

Michele and Leslie from San Diego, California, were guests of sdGH's March 2009 Investigation Tour and sent in this photo: "We did not see anyone / anything in the left pane of glass when taking the shot. However, upon review, we both see what looks like a young girl with long hair in the right pane. 'Young girl' was our gut reactions, and when you place it to scale against the chairs, that���������������������������s about the right height for a young girl -- perhaps 10 years old or so?"

Jennifer of Santee, CA, presents a photo of an apparent back shadow shape shot while invesigating the master bedroom during October 22, 2010's tour. She says the EMF meters peaked and the ITC instrument, The Ovilus, was heard to say "Top Hat" and "Whaley" as the image was taken.