HAUNTED HISTORY: BAY AREA GHOST HUNTING
HAUNTED HISTORY: BAY AREA GHOST HUNTING!
Some towns have whale watching in the autumn months. Some towns have butterflies.
Benicia has ghosts.
We’re one of the oldest cities in California, dating all the way back to the Gold Rush, and some of that history… refuses to leave. Ever since Benicia’s founding nearly two centuries ago, there have been stories of sightings all over town. Countless spirit mediums, local residents, and even TV’s Ghost Adventures all swear to the town’s supernatural bonafides.
There are five sites in particular that continue to be a hotbed of supernatural activity, to this day. With the spookiest day of the year fast approaching, we’re going to tell you where to go looking for your own celebrity ghost sighting (all while enjoying fun Halloween shopping and activities around town).
1. Spend the night… if you dare!
Start off by checking in for an overnight stay at Benicia’s Union Hotel, featured on a 2019 episode of TV’s Ghost Adventures. By day, this charming vintage building (largely unchanged since 1852) can be found amidst the city’s beautiful First Street shopping and dining options, just a few blocks from the waterfront. Built during Benicia’s rowdy days of saloons and brothels, the hotel offers guests an authentic experience of what it would have been like to visit California during a bygone time.
By night, however, guests of the hotel have reported seeing a variety of ghostly phenomena. Most notable is the ghost of Ann Marie – who took her own life in the 1800s – peering out through the windows of allegedly-vacant rooms. Other paranormal hotspots in the hotel include the Victoriana room on the second floor, the downstairs restaurant (where music, voices, and a woman in an old wedding dress have been observed after closing), and a tall man in a black suit (wandering upstairs, late at night).
2. A Taste of Something Spooooooky!
Things aren’t always what they seem in Benicia. Today, Sailor Jack's restaurant is a popular waterfront seafood destination (once frequented by author Jack London), but the building was originally the home of a sea captain in the 1860s, before being transformed into a brothel.
Despite a recent remodel, that colorful history has lingered. Employees and patrons have often reported seeing unexplainable occurrences: paintings jumping off the walls, objects moving of their own free will, and Carl, a resident ghost with a love of fine cigars and finer ladies.
3. Supernatural Souvenirs
Formerly the home of Old Jorgenson’s saloon building, Angel Heart 4 You and the other shops at the corner of First Street and E Street are home to a pair of supernatural fellows who have been confirmed by multiple mediums and paranormal investigators over the years. An older spirit, George, is most often found in the historic elevator, accompanied by a ghostly scent of whiskey from the shop’s days as a saloon. Benicia’s youngest spirit, a 9 year old boy named Mark, lingers near the shop’s entrance.
While you’re there, Angel Heart 4 You is also home to a variety of metaphysical books and gifts - you can even learn more about yourself by
booking a psychic reading, healing session, or past life regression with the shop’s many readers and healers.
4. Ghosts With a Flair for the Dramatic
The Benicia Theater Group's appropriately-titled production DeathTrap is running from Oct. 20 - Nov. 12. Catch this thrilling comedy at the historic B.D.E.S Hall, built more than a century ago.
According to legend, members of royalty who visited this theater long ago were so enamored with the magic of the theater, they refused to leave – even after death. Today, the building’s walls feature photographs from such royal visits, and apparitions are routinely sighted of young girls and an elderly woman in beautiful gowns. There have also been documented cases of floating orbs, footsteps in empty hallways, cold spots, and flashing lights.
Not to worry, these are friendly ghosts. They just really love live theater (even though they aren’t exactly alive).
5. Dog-Friendly, Even to Ghosts
Benicia is well-known as one of the more dog-friendly towns in the Bay Area, with its winding natural trails and pet-friendly parks, beaches, shops, & restaurants (just try Pups & Purrz for some treats, grooming, and doggie clothes).
It’s also, apparently, dog-friendly to the undead.
One of the beautiful coastal homes on D Street is famously haunted by an old man and his faithful dog. Angry that the home was relocated from Napa many years ago, these two ghosts have stubbornly refused to leave; a show of rebellion against the people who moved a house they clearly felt still belonged to them.
More Halloween Fun
So Many Scarecrows: Throughout the month of October, Benicia businesses throw down to see who can make the wildest & most creative scarecrow in the annual Scarecrow Contest. Though voting has ended, visitors can still enjoy the more than 30 scarecrows on display all along First Street.
Halloween Events This Saturday: Bring out the whole family, even the furry ones, to the Halloween Costume Contest & Sidewalk Stroll + Canine & Critter Costume Contest. Local merchants on First Street get into the spirit of the holiday for all to shop and enjoy. At noon there will be a Canine & Critter Costume Contest on the First Street Green with awards and treats.
The festivities start at 10am on Oct 28th.
Dive Deeper into Benicia’s History: Round out your ghostly journey into the city’s past with a trip to the Museum of History, Benicia. The museum just opened an additional location, downtown, and offers visitors a detailed & interactive journey into the city’s incredible history. For a special treat stop by for one of their History Talks or First Friday at the Museum events.
Make sure to ask about the Benicia Battery – a WWII bunker occasionally open to the public that is said to house some ghosts of its own!
