Step inside Old Town San Diego’s most infamous residence: the Whaley House. Built in 1857 on the site of a gallows, this Greek Revival home became a stage for family tragedy, restless spirits, and decades of ghostly encounters. From the cursed hanging of Yankee Jim Robinson to the tragic death of Violet Whaley, the house has soaked up more sorrow than sunshine. Today, it’s a museum by day — and one of the most haunted tourist attractions in America by night.

In this episode, we explore the documented history (San Diego History Center), the official museum accounts (Whaley House Museum), celebrity testimonies (Regis Philbin, 2001), and paranormal investigations (Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures) that built the Whaley House legend.

Highlights You’ll Hear

🌑 The botched hanging of Yankee Jim Robinson and reports of his spirit pacing the halls [San Diego History Center]

🏚️ How Thomas Whaley built his “dream home” on cursed land [Whaley House Museum]

💔 The tragedies that shattered the Whaley family — from scarlet fever to Violet’s suicide [San Diego Union-Tribune, 2019]

👻 Reports of apparitions, phantom footsteps, cold spots, and even ghostly bread [Whaley House Museum; Ghost Adventures, Travel Channel]

📺 How the Whaley House became a pop culture icon, featured on TV and remembered by Regis Philbin [Philbin, Regis! My Story (2001)]

Sources & References

Whaley House Museum – Official Site: https://whaleyhousesandiego.com

San Diego History Center – Whaley Family Records: https://sandiegohistory.org

San Diego Union-Tribune (2019). San Diego’s Whaley House lives up to haunted reputation

Travel Channel – Ghost Adventures: The Whaley House episode

Philbin, R. (2001). Regis! My Story. New York: Hyperion.

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