Freelan Oscar Stanley built and opened the Stanley Hotel in 1909. It’s bold architecture is striking against the stunning and scenic backdrop of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. However, it’s location was strategically chosen to assist Mr. Stanley with a bout of tuberculosis. Fresh air was the main and only form of treatment for the disease at the time. For over 100 years the Stanley Hotel has catered to upperclass vacationers, but today it is mostly known […]
It’s fitting that one of the biggest cities in the world also has some pretty big history. New York City is haunted by its past and contains some of the best ghost stories in the United States. Here, I have compiled the most haunted places in New York City. The White Horse Tavern is one of Manhattan’s most cozy pubs. It dates back to the 1880’s when it first opened as the Longshoremen’s Bar, but […]
Fall River, Massachusetts, USA
On the morning of August 4, 1892 a house in the sleepy town of Falls River, Massachusetts became a heinous crime scene, capturing the public’s intrigue. Two of the home’s occupants were brutally murdered, each being hacked several times in the head with a murder weapon suspected to be a hatchet. This event thrust the victim’s daughter, Lizzie Borden, into murder suspect infamy. Abby Borden, Lizzie’s step mother, was the first to be murdered within the […]
San Francisco, California, USA
Alcatraz Island provides a striking contrast to the tranquil San Francisco Bay. A looming penitentiary perched atop jagged rock, surrounded by clear blue water, which is more turbulent than it first appears. Ghost stories have been circulated about Alcatraz for many years, dating back further than the prison it is best known for keeping. Years before being inhabited, Native American’s from the Bay Area were aware of Alcatraz Island. They referred to it as ‘Evil […]
San Francisco, California, USA
Nestled away in the quiet residential neighborhood of San Francisco’s Richmond District rests many of the Bay Area’s deceased. The Neptune Society Columbarium bears the task of holding the remains of over 8,000 dead San Franciscan’s. The columbarium is one of San Francisco’s oldest, having been around since 1897. Today, the building stands proudly showing off its beautiful Neo-Classical architecture. Yet, it wasn’t always in such pristine condition. Originally, the Neptune Society Columbarium was part […]
San Diego exists at the very South of California and is said to be the state’s birthplace. It is a wealthy, vibrant city laden in history from its early, Spanish and Mexican influences. Locations surrounded by such heavy history and containing old, beautifully restored buildings often come with the mystery of hauntings. San Diego is no exception to this, containing many extraordinarily haunted buildings. Here are 5 seriously haunted places in San Diego you can […]
I developed a love of travel, of history, and things that go bump in the night thanks to my Mom. In fact, one of the reasons ghostvacation.com came about is to tell the spooky stories of historic places and influential people that I loved so much growing up. And one of the things I’ve most been fascinated with are the tales of the ghosts of our dead Presidents. I got as much of this as I […]
In 1850 a man named Yankee Jim Robinson made his way to San Diego, California. Shortly after his arrival he was prosecuted for being a thief and hanged from the back of a wagon. Another man, Thomas Whaley, stood in the crowd to witness this execution. He later purchased the land on which the hanging occurred to build his family home and business, the Whaley House. Today, the Whaley house is the center of much of Old […]