The Whaley House

San Diego's most historic and haunted home

Category Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes

Image of The Whaley House located in  | The Whaley House, which served as a county courthouse and theater, is open to the public all year. (Alyx Sariol/Atlas Obscura)

The Whaley House, which served as a county courthouse and theater, is open to the public all year. (Alyx Sariol/Atlas Obscura)

Source atlasobscura.com
Image of The Whaley House located in  | The Whaley House, which served as a county courthouse and theater, is open to the public all year. (Alyx Sariol/Atlas Obscura) Image of The Whaley House located in  | The furnishings of the Whaley House. (Alyx Sariol/Atlas Obscura) Image of The Whaley House located in  | Portraits of the Whaley family still hang throughout the house. Several members who died in the house are believed to haunt its rooms. (Alyx Sariol/Atlas Obscura)
Architectural Oddities http://atlasobscura.com/category/architectural-oddities Eccentric Homes http://atlasobscura.com/category/architectural-oddities/eccentric-homes

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 1857, 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.

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  • Hours Seasonal.
  • Website The Whaley House Museum
  • Address 2476 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, California, United States
  • Cost Daytime: adults: $6.00; seniors (65-plus): $5.00; children (3-12): $4.00; children under 2: free. Evening: adults: $10.00; children (3-12): $5.00; children under 2: free.
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