Monday, October 12, 2009

Haunted Places In San Francisco

Abandoned Army Hospital ~ Many soldiers died and their ghosts still haunt this hospital in Park Presidio. It is fenced off, but you can find ways either under the fence or over it. Many windows have been boarded up but a basement door towards the back of the building is open. Also, many windows are busted out and it is musty, graffiti-filled, and very spooky. You can hear footsteps, see reflections of light, and sometimes a cold draft. Even S.F.P.D. will not enter. - The police patrol the area and it is VERY possible you will get arrested or ticketed.

Abraham Lincoln High School ~ late at night, toilet paper can be heard unraveling in the girl's bathroom by the main office. also, in the girl's bathroom by the band room, feet can be seen in the stall when no one else is there and someone whispering "hi". And the room by the cafeteria is locked and no one is allowed in there because a girl was raped and murdered in that room.

Alcatraz ~ Voices in the former eating area as well as the cell blocks are heard when no one else is around. Footsteps and the sounds of cell doors opening and closing also echo throughout the corridors. People have reported feeling "cold spots" in certain areas and the feeling that they are not alone, even when they are.

Bay Bridge ~ While driving on the lower deck at night towards Oakland direction, drivers would hear knocking on the windows. Some saying that they saw a headless man running next to their cars at the same speed of the cars. He was believed to be the victim of the 1989 earthquake.

Cameron House ~ Located on Sacramento St. in Chinatown, San Francisco. Once owned by Lady Cameron, the basement of the house was a refuge for Chinese immigrant from lives of prostitution and slavery, among the obvious discrimination and hell that was once Chinatown. She sealed the doors in the basement to protect the immigrants from inspections by the police. If she can't open the doors, they can't inspect and then arrest and possibly kill the rooms of people. However, the people were able to come in and out through a secret passageway. Apparently, rumors spread about her philanthropy and some people came and burned down the house. Everyone in the rooms died. Now, the restored Cameron House (turned church) sends chills up spines. The basement doors are still sealed, but every door contains a red charm and a gold charm to seal in the spirits, as well. Furthermore, the pipes that run along the ceiling run to the end of the hall forming an "X" over a door with the script: "do not enter." Photographs taken in the house have shown white figures in the background. Supposedly, these photos are nonchalantly mingled in with normal ones and kept in photo albums at the site. This possibly happened around the 1930's or so. It might be the late 1800's or the early 1900s. Most likely early 1900's.

CCS Elementary School ~ There is an urban legend of an elderly church-going woman who was murdered by being pushed from a steep staircase, and whose body was later disposed of in the nearby dumpster. It is said that when young girls use the bathroom near the staircase, you can hear her praying. Hail Mary...

Golden Gate Park ~ There's a police officer ghost that roams Golden Gate Park. People will get pulled over and get speeding tickets by this guy, but when they go to file it through the courts they'll find out that the officer listed doesn't exist. He's been dead for 10 years. Anyway, the story goes that if a cop in the park is trailing you, you need to go outside of the park first before you pull over. And once you do, the ghost cop will disappear.

Haskell House ~ ghost of Senator Broderick pacing back and forth.

Neptune Society Columbarium ~ Located at One Loraine Court, San Francisco. Originally part of the Odd Fellows Cemetery, the Columbarium still stands over Geary Boulevard near Stanyan Street. This repository of the dead is not only wonderful eye candy, but has been a place of ghostly sightings as well. One encounter included a visitor having felt a hand on her back. When the woman turned around, no one was there. But a eerie white handprint remained on her blouse. Now a registered city landmark, the Columbarium is open to the public. Donations are encouraged.

Ocean Beach Sutro Bath - The sutro baths have quite a history behind them, as well as the tunnel that lies directly to the right of the old sunken building. It has been said that many people have been sacrificed at the end of this tunnel, and if you go at night fall and light a candle at the end of the tunnel someone will come and pick it up and throw it into the water that rushes up just beyond the rocks.

Orchard Supply Hardware ~ There is a story of girl being murdered and raped in the warehouse area of the store 1 yr before it became Orchard. Employees have seen a figure walking and she is heard footsteps that seem to be the sound of high heels (No one wears high heels), screaming and laughing, as well as boxes moving. She likes to blow in men's ears and girls with long hair often feel a slight tug. One report of a worker that had just shrunk wrapped a pallet. The power went out and there is a 5 sec delay for the generator to kick on in that 5 sec something completely unwrapped the pallet.

Queen Anne Hotel ~ Located at the corner of Sutter And Octavia, the Queen Anne Hotel is an elegant Victorian style hotel, which dates back to the 1890's. With free access to all of the floors and some of the rooms, it's a great place to perform an investigation. If you want you can spend a night or so in Miss Mary Lakes Room. Before the hotel even was a hotel, it was a school for girls since few girls had access to schools back then. Miss Mary Lake was the teacher. She was dedicated to her work. But when the school was closed down she was heart broken and as she eventually died. Her spirit remained. Room 410 top floor is where you can find her room.

San Francisco Arts Institute ~ Supposedly built on a cemetery in the early 1900 after an earthquake, it is haunted by a few restless spirits.

Strawberry Hill ~ Stowe Lake Golden Gate Park - It has been said that in the 1920's or 30's a woman became pregnant & hide the pregnancy from her family. She disposed of the child and killed her self in the reservoir. At night if you're at Stowe Lake you may see her walking around Strawberry Hill looking for her baby.

The Mansions Hotel ~ The ghost of the original owner's daughter, Claudia, can be seen and heard by staff and guests. She has also been known to communicate to "yes" and "no" answers.>

Trinity Episcopal Church ~ Reports a gray figure coming out of the men's bathroom and disappear through the wall on the other side of the hall. Also experienced, strange drafts, 3 directional; shadow of a person, and an apparition in a white suite.

USCF Medical Center ~ Intensive Care Nursery haunted by women that have died in childbirth. Many children haunt Pediatric. 8th floor was so bad it had to be exorcised.

Washington High School ~ It has been said that the boy's 3rd floor restroom, is haunted. At night, or at later hours after school (when not as many people are around), people have reported seeing a figure standing by one of the stalls then vanish.

Haunted Places In Florida

One of the top resort areas in the United States is Florida. With its warm climate and tourist magnets, it is a preferred place for the young and old alike. However, a number of haunted places can be found mixed with some of Florida’s top travel destinations.

St. Augustine is not only one of America’s oldest cities but is also believed among its most haunted. Many people don't leave St. Augustine without some sort of paranormal experience.

The Casablanca Bed and Breakfast
has a long history of ghostly apparitions. The inn, situated near the harbor, is considered to be haunted by the ghost of the old lady who not only inhabited the premises but also assisted bootleggers. Legend tells of the woman alerting her cohorts by waving a lantern in the night air. Today, people moving on the harbor claim to see the lantern swinging, letting them know that the coast is clear.

The Castillo de San Marcos is an old Spanish fort located in St. Augustine. People touring the facility have been known to hear yelling, screaming and cannon fire. The apparition of a young soldier has been seen staring longingly at the nearby harbor. However, when approached, the apparition will vanish.

St. Augustine has seen its share of catastrophe through the centuries. The yellow fever epidemic took an tremendous toll on the city’s populace. One victim of the epidemic, a young girl named Elizabeth, was found dead by the city’s gates. Travelers have seen the ghostly image of the girl in a white dress dancing along the gates in the wee hours of the morning.

Orlando is renowned for being the location of Disney World, one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Although travelers come from all over the globe to enjoy its lavish theme parks and resorts, Orlando is also home to a number of haunted sites.

The Peabody Hotel is one of the more popular luxury hotels located in Orlando and is known for its Peabody Duck march. However, the hotel is not exempt from hauntings. A number of people have experienced unexplained cold spots in various parts of the hotel. There have also been reports of apparitions in the hallways.

Not all ghostly apparitions are friendly. In Orlando’s Rouse Road Cemetery, the specter of a man from the mid 1800’s is believed to haunt the premises. A sudden chill in the air followed by the sounds of an owl signals his appearance. It is believed that the man’s spirit is angry and restless while his body lies buried in an unmarked grave.

Not far from Orlando is one of the country’s most popular seaside destinations. Young and old alike flock to Daytona Beach each year to bask in the sun and to have an opportunity to have a ghostly encounter. The main stretch of interstate that connects Daytona Beach to Orlando has had a number of ghostly sightings. On a number of occasions, particularly on a long, lonely piece of roadway, a apparitional car was reported. The vehicle winds along the roadway without switching its lights on. When somebody gets nearer to the car, it abruptly vanishes.

Daytona’s Orange Avenue Bridge is another notable haunted place. Many visitors have reported seeing a woman dressed in nightwear walking along the bridge. The woman inexplicably disappears when anyone has came near her.

Gainesville. Gainesville is most well recognized for being the home of the University of Florida. Even the university can boast an assortment of ghastly events.

Built in the early 1900’s, the university’s Thomas Hall Dormitory is one of the oldest buildings on campus. It is believed that the ghost of a previous employee still haunts the property where he spent much of his time. Banging on the dorm’s heating system can be heard even when it is not engaged. A terrible accident in the building that houses the College of Education took the lives of a number of little kids. Today, a person visiting the place can hear the laughter and voices of the children who are still playing in the corridors after all these years.

Although not in addition to acknowledged as some other cities in Florida, Brooksville still has its percentage of hauntings. Brooksville’s Spring Hill Graveyard has been in use since the 1800’s. People have reported seeing ghosts drifting about the gravestones of assorted family members. Voices and a toddlers crying can be heard during the dark hours.
The Brooksville Heritage Museum was once a private residence before being changed. Some think the former owners of the mansion still wander the property. A number of unexplained visions and disturbances, such as loud whispers and slamming doors, have occurred.