Whaley House and Museum

One of the highlights in San Diego is the famous (and haunted) Whaley House in Old Town.

The 158-year-old house was home to the Whaley Family and also served as the first general store in San Diego, a court house, a theater (pictured above), a ballroom and a school.

But the history of the Whaley house includes a much darker side. In addition to the list of things the house used to be, hangings happened on the property before the building was constructed. The family was also plagued by the suicide of Thomas and Anna's daughter Violet Whaley in 1885.

According to the Whaley House Web site, the house hosts ghosts from its past.

The first ghost is Thomas Whaley himself. People have smelt cigar smoke on the front porch of the house when no one else is around or when no one in the surrounding area is smoking.

"Yankee Jim" Robertson is another ghost known to haunt the area. He was convicted to death in 1852 and hanged on the same area that the house is on. People have heard heavy footsteps and have seen a 6-foot tall shadow figure in the corner of their eyes.

Even the Whaley's dog, Dolly Varden can be seen in various parts of the room, especially in the theater.

Visitors can tour the house with a tour guide for a fee of $5.00 in the day time and $10.00 at night. For all prices and hours, click here.