Amy’s Ghost Hunt At The Whaley House
Ghostly Activities Club member, Amy, took a trip to The Whaley House, a notorious haunted place in San Diego. Of course, she took pics and videos of her spooky travels. Check it out after the jump.
Table of contents
Amy’s Ghost Hunting Experience
This was Amy’s second trip to Whaley House. During her first adventure about six months ago, she may have been cursed or hexed as a sudden illness overtook her, and she fled back to her hotel for safety. As for her second visit …
Overall, not much happened at the Whaley House. However, sometimes, she had robust conversation with a spirit on her GhostTube app.
Amy did give me some scoop on the infamous gallows located on the lot:
The arch in the parlor was were the gallows was located before the house was built and is rumored to be a gateway to the spirit world. The room that Roger is standing in with the display cases is Violet Whaley’s room and he is standing in the spot where I saw an outline of a woman in a dress similar to one she was photographed in.
Amy Beal, April 2025, Paranormal Investigator
To book a tour, visit the Whaley House site (not an endorsement or sponsorship).
Note: Amy paid for her tour with her own money, so there’s no expectation of a good review or mentions for the Whaley House.
Whaley House Tour Gallery
Don’t forget to read the captions for some trivia and eyewitness accounts.
👻 The Haunting of the Whaley House
The Whaley House is widely considered one of the most haunted houses in America and with good reason. The paranormal activity seems to come from both the site’s gruesome past before the house was built and the misfortunes of the Whaley family who lived there. I gotta say, this reminds me of a cursed house as well as a haunted house.
🪦 The Notorious Gallows
Before Thomas Whaley built his brick home in 1857, the land was the site of public executions. The most infamous hanging was James “Yankee Jim” Robinson in 1852. He was convicted of attempted grand larceny and sentenced to hang, a punishment considered excessively harsh even at the time. At the time, thieves weren’t sentenced to death unless they killed someone during the criminal act.
But it wasn’t just the execution … it was how it happened.
Yankee Jim was reportedly too tall for the noose and the cart beneath him. Instead of a quick death, he slowly strangled to death over several agonizing minutes, struggling for air while the crowd watched.
When Whaley built his house just five years later, he knew about the gallows. In fact, he attended Yankee Jim’s execution and still chose to build there (which tells me Mr. Whaley was a sick f***).
Not long after moving in, the Whaleys and their guests began hearing heavy boot steps stomping around the house, especially upstairs. Locals and paranormal investigators alike believe Yankee Jim still stalks the property, angry and unsettled.
🧟 Ghosts That Haunt The House
Yankee Jim Robinson
As mentioned, his ghost is said to linger in the upstairs hallway and courtroom area. Guests report:
- Unexplained footsteps
- Cold drafts with no open windows
- An oppressive feeling of being watched
Thomas Whaley
The home’s builder and patriarch, Thomas has been seen in the study and stairwell. He appears as a stern man dressed in 1800s formalwear. Some psychics claim his spirit remains to “protect” his legacy.
Anna Whaley
Thomas’s wife is one of the more frequently seen spirits. Visitors report:
- The scent of her perfume
- A woman in 19th-century dress in the downstairs rooms
- Her reflection appearing in mirrors or windows, especially during dusk (Amy may have seen her!!!!)
Violet Whaley
Perhaps the saddest of the spirits. Violet committed suicide at the age of 22 after a humiliating divorce, shooting herself in the chest with her father’s pistol. Her depression reportedly stemmed from social disgrace.
Her presence is strongest near the stairway and upstairs bedrooms. Signs of Violet’s ghost include:
- Unexplained crying
- Cold spots in her room
- Feelings of overwhelming sadness or despair
Thomas Whaley Jr.
The infant son of Thomas and Anna died of scarlet fever at just 18 months old. Visitors say they’ve heard baby laughter, footsteps, and even seen small handprints appear on the walls or mirrors.
🪞 Other Ghostly Claims
- Curtains move on their own even when there’s no breeze.
- Chairs rock without anyone nearby.
- Ghostly photos: Guests often report blurry or translucent figures in their photos, especially around staircases and doorways.
- The courtroom (yes, the Whaley House used to serve as San Diego’s courthouse) is another hot spot for EVP recordings and shadow figures.
Find more about the Whaley House’s history.
Sources
“Whaley House Museum.” Whaley House San Diego, Historic Tours of America, www.whaleyhousesandiego.com.
“Whaley House.” Old Town Trolley Tours San Diego, www.trolleytours.com/san-diego/whaley-house.Whaley House+1Old Town Trolley Tours+1
“Whaley House (San Diego, California).” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaley_House_(San_Diego,_California).
“The Haunted Whaley House.” Ghost City Tours, ghostcitytours.com/san-diego/haunted-san-diego/haunted-whaley-house.
“The Whaley House | Old Town’s Most Haunted House.” US Ghost Adventures, usghostadventures.com/americas-most-haunted-trending/the-whaley-house-old-towns-most-haunted-house.
“Ghosts, History Mingle at Whaley House.” DVIDS, www.dvidshub.net/news/65097/ghosts-history-mingle-whaley-house.
“Gallows, Ghosts, and Paved Over Graves: A Visit to San Diego’s Whaley House.” Atomic Redhead, atomicredhead.com/2019/07/15/gallows-ghosts-and-paved-over-graves-a-visit-to-san-diegos-whaley-house.
Thanks for reading Ghostly Activities. If you’ve had an experience at The Whaley House, let me know in the comments below. Much appreciated. Take care!
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Jacob Rice has documented ghosts and ghostly activity since 2007. Jake began his journey in Chicago and founded the ghost hunting club also called Ghostly Activities. Now, he calls the mysterious Pacific Northwest his home.