I have lived almost all my life in San Diego and refused to take the Whaley House tour, just because I've known the history of what happened on the grounds and was pretty scared as a kid. I've had some really weird incidents happen to me in Old Town and far too many occasions have felt a heaviness whenever I would pass by the old Whaley House, my old office was in Old Town. When my best friend wanted to check out the Whaley House for our birthday trip, I was hesitant but said yes. She was visiting from out of town and she loves all things scary and I wanted to make sure she had a good birthday too. We ended up getting a late night reservation which was pretty cool, it made for a lot less foot traffic and I was able to find parking right across the street. We checked in at the gift shop and waited for our turn. Our guide was Heather, she was so fantastic, super welcoming and gave us so much history of the Whaley family. She even told us her experiences, the house itself definitely feels lived in, there is so much energy in here, so if you're a little sensitive like me be ware. I felt like I wanted to cry more times, than I should. My one irk was that the group before us, their guide said, "Say hello to Violet Whaley for us," it seemed like a toss away statement but as you learn the history of the Whaley family I was just so disgusted at her words. Violet Whaley suffered from depression and took her own life on the grounds. It still irks me that a guide would say that to another group and then proceed to tell her group that ours just didn't know who Violet was yet. Uncool. Would definitely recommend anyone come to San Diego and wanting to check out the history to take the tour. read more

See all

This was an unplanned stop when we visited old town San Diego but boy am I glad we decided to do the tour. Great history given and a wonderful old house to see with a spooky history. Both our tour guide and the guy signing us up were fun and informative. ETA: apparently they want to be called CAST and the social media manager cast member is a bit touchy about it read more

We visited the Whaley House Museum for the first time and had such a cool experience! I had never been before, so it was really interesting getting to walk through and learn more about the history of the house. The Old Town San Diego area itself is absolutely beautiful and honestly such a fun place to walk around and explore. The staff at the Whaley House were super nice and welcoming, and our tour guide was so sweet and was more than happy to answer any questions we had. Admission was $15, which I thought was pretty reasonable. The tour and the house itself are definitely on the smaller side, but I actually liked that it felt more personal and wasn't overwhelming. Overall, it was a really good experience and I'm glad we decided to stop by! I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in Old Town, especially if you enjoy history or just want to do something different while exploring the area. read more

See all

A must-do when you're in Old Town San Diego! The Whaley House is full of fascinating history and is beautifully preserved. Even if you're not into ghost stories it's a fun and unique experience that's well worth the visit. You can take a self tour, guided tour or night tour and other fun options. Definitely add it to your Old Town itinerary! read more

See all

We went here on a Monday evening for their 5pm tour with a docent. It's great to walk around Old Town to visit the souvenir shops beforehand too. We were able to find a parking spot after driving around a bit so buffer extra time for that. We had purchase our tickets in advance online and that was easy to do through their website. Check in was a breeze at the museum store. This is my fourth time doing this tour. It's a fun tour to bring out of town guests to. There is the history of Old San Diego with a little bit of haunting spice to it. This time we were with a young man who was doing stuff to make us jump which was annoying. My last few tour guides offered more info about the house. For example, they spoke more about how the stage was tilted, the performances there, etc rather than tell us a few details about the troupe renting the space and then leaving is to explore the upstairs on our own. read more

See all

This attraction is located in Old Town San Diego and is described as the most haunted house in the US. It was reminiscent of the Winchester Mystery House in SJ where I reside, but the execution of the tour not as effective. We went on the evening guided tour on a Sunday night which lasted about 40-45 minutes. The discussion of the venue's history was pretty good, and our tour guide seemed to be putting in the effort. But for being referred to as "most haunted house", the experience was lacking. Any mention of anything spooky about it was not emphasized, rather just quickly mentioned and lost in the discussion. Idk, maybe you have to pay extra for the "paranormal investigation" or "ghosts and gravestones" tickets to get something more. But it was worth experiencing as a one-time thing, and I did appreciate learning about the history of the house. read more

See all

We attended the paranormal tour and it was the most amazing experience I can remember. My wife and I live local so we thought of a staycation, let's try it and stay at the Cosmopolitan. Fun weekend and if you are thinking about it, do it! Ed was our investigator and he had any type of equipment you will need. It was exciting the minute you walked in. Old town is the best area in So Cal!! read more

Had a great experience at the Whaley House in Old Town San Diego! The staff was fantastic--friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly engaging. They really brought the history, stories, and paranormal side of the house to life and made the entire visit even more enjoyable. Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in history, the paranormal, or both! And on a slightly more personal note... if anyone happens to know the beautiful lady in pink and shorts who was on the 6:45 PM tour on August 21, tell her the guy from the tour would love the chance to take her to dinner. read more

See all

I went with a group of friends on Aug. 22 to do the after hours paranormal investigation and we had a great time! Right off the bat, our tour guide, Ed, was such a kind and quick-witted host. You could tell this was more than just a job to him and that he was genuinely passionate about the house and making sure guests had a great experience. He was loaded with interesting stories and was super helpful whenever we had questions about the equipment or what we were supposed to do. I was surprised by how much freedom this tour gave us. I expected that we might be more supervised, have more rules about how we used the equipment, or be limited to certain areas, but we were given access to all of the equipment and were free to move throughout the house. It made the experience feel much more immersive. It was a really cool experience, and we may or may not have interacted with a ghost by the name of Tomasito toward the end of our investigation. Either way, that moment was definitely the highlight of the night! I highly recommend this tour to anyone who's curious about the paranormal or just wants a unique experience at the Whaley House! read more

See all

The Whaley House is a historic house and museum located in Old Town, San Diego, California. It is the oldest brick structure in Southern California, built in 1857. The Whaley House was a central pillar amongst the Old Town San Diego community. From 1857 to the early part of the 20th century, the Whaley House became the gathering place for the entire San Diego community. Besides being the Whaley family home, it was also San Diego's first commercial theater, the second county courthouse, and a bilingual general store. The Whaley House primarily served as the residential home for Thomas Whaley and his family. Thomas Whaley arrived in San Francisco around 1849, during the famous California Gold Rush. He then went to San Diego in September 1851. Two years later, Whaley went back to New York and married Anna Eloise Delaunay on August 14, 1853. Together they returned to California, arriving in San Diego on December 7, 1853. On August 22, 1857, the Whaleys moved into their new home, now known as the Whaley House. While the Whaley House might seem perfectly normal, it also has a dark side. The house and property were the sites of multiple violent and bizarre deaths, hangings, and even suicide. As a result, it's widely believed that various members of the Whaley family and others haunt the home where they endured so much sorrow! Now as a museum, the Whaley House fully embraces its haunted past and allows it to live alongside the building's historical significance. Guests can partake in self-guided tours during the day and guided tours in the evening. We visited this historic house on Black Friday in 2025 during our trip to San Diego. We had a great time visiting the Whaley House. The staff were very friendly, cooperative, and knowledgeable about the history, incidents, tragedies, and folklore of this house. For those seeking a more immersive experience, Whaley House offers an After-Hours Paranormal Investigation. These small group investigations begin at 10:30 PM. Guests can use a variety of paranormal investigating tools, including EMF readers, thermal cameras, spirit boxes, and dowsing rods. read more

See all

I took day off bed by a,local native of San Diego and have been to old town over a thousand times I decide D to take San Diego trolley tour take in sights and get the early evening walking tour of Whaley house. The tour guide was informative and brought the history out . I did not know that the courtroom was an all encompassing room back in the,days. None of the whaley house members,were hired on the site. But there is a,cemetery down thestreet. When I took my first tour was back in like 1994 at night with the other trolley haunted tours. The house is,relatively small but filled with tons if historical pieces that creates frightful ambience. read more

Visited the Whaley House Museum on a Saturday around noon, and the weather in Old Town was absolutely perfect. I had been telling my daughter about this haunted house for a couple of weeks leading up to our visit, and she was so excited--it was basically all she talked about. We even watched some YouTube videos beforehand. I definitely leaned into the spooky factor, mostly because I remember coming here in sixth grade and wanted my kids to enjoy it the same way I did. Our guide was dressed in period clothing and gave us a brief overview with some interesting facts before letting us explore on our own. The house isn't very large, but it's well laid out, full of history, and there are plenty of rooms and details to check out. Even without anything over-the-top scary, it was still a fun and engaging experience--especially for kids who love a good ghost story. read more

See all

Best $25 I've spent. The tour old lady "Ghoulie Julie" was very exciting to have as a guide. She made the stories come to life about the Dead made it spooky and gave good tidbits and information on the Whaley House while adding a little humor of her own. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I did the Whaley house night tour and it was so cool! I've been doing the day tour since I was a kid but this night tour has a spooky vibe to it so if u like that, check it out :) and ghoulie Julie was our tour guide and she was so funny and informative- she also took the time to tell us some cool stories after the tour ended which I much appreciated! We will def be going back for another night tour someday! read more

$25 a person for the night tour. We're terrified!! Here we goooooo.... my daughter said it is a "Must Do" because of Sam and Colby lol Shout out to their YouTube haha I love history and I hear there's a ton of it here.The outside area is really neat, and you can definitely walk down the road to get yourself a cup of hot cocoa before walking in or maybe a shot of tequila depends on how much courage you need. We're taking the 9 pm tour and it's a little bit chilly.So bring a sweater if you get cold.Easily Julie!!! You were a fabulous tour guide. You even made me jump!! I did not girl scream though! Lol I definitely smelled Pipe Tabaco and no joke. Felt like something touched my shin!! Seriously.Julie knocked it out of the park that was hamstown, one of the best tours I ever went on. Thank you.My daughter was stoked and absolutely loved every moment. The history is rich in the architecture is beautiful.We highly recommend that you go read more

See all

Maude was our tour guide and she was wonderful! I very much enjoyed her macabre style she added to our tour. read more

Whaley House Museum - Nursery - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Me and my girlfriend Emmeline had just ate nearby when we realized the Whaley House museum was just up the street from us. My girl and I love haunted houses and the paranormal and also love learning about old towns and their history. We got tickets at a great time and were 2 of the 3 people in the tour so we got the place to ourselves with the lovely tour guide Maud. Maud was very knowledgeable about the house and the history of the family and property. She made the tour feel inclusive and answered our questions with enthusiasm and a great sense of humor. Thank you so much for the experience! read more

See all

Had a fun time taking my mom here, but it wasn't what we expected. We got about a 10 minute speech about the history of the family, but it didn't delve into the paranormalness of the house. Would've been nice to hear more about "America's Most Haunted House." This was pretty much just a museum where you can't walk around half the rooms. Giftshop was closed too. I've actually never seen the giftshop open, which is weird. Honestly, that's probably the spookiest thing about this place. read more

See all

Pretty awesome, but spooky place. We walked the outside of the museum. Would love to take the tour one night. read more

See all

What a great house in the area. It was nice to see historical items, hear the stories of the time and self-guide through the home. Love that the home had a theater in it! The home was so much larger than expected from the outside. Not many homes do you visit with a court and theater already in them. Loved hearing the history and our guide Maude was amazing! read more

See all

Absolute peak. Mrs. Hannah Sullivan was amazing and a great host. I can't say I felt any dark or mysterious energy but I would definitely recommend taking a tour, very interesting history. 10/10 would do it again. Maybe the night ghost experience. read more

Whaley House Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The idea of this place is super cool, execution for me was super lacking considering the price tag associated with it. It claims to be "America's Most Haunted House" but bears very little evidence/stories to back it up. It's a self guided tour with a very brief intro in the beginning by a staff member. Yes, there were a number of deaths on the property but very little was spoken on the "haunted" part of it. How do you make that claim but then don't have TONS of stories or panels talking about the various unexplainable things that have happened on the property? Historically, very cool to walk through the original (quiet small) house and see all the cases and read the labels about the items and house, but I just felt very underwhelmed overall. For me, it did not deserve a near $14 per ticket price. Maybe the guided night tour is more worth it for a little extra money Otherwise, staff was nice read more

Whaley House Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Was a cool experience! Learned a lot of history. It's located in a good spot & so much to read/look at! Would definitely recommend

Hannah provided an very informative and interesting tour of the most haunted house in old town San Diego. She was able to share the Whaley House history and tragic story. If you're curious about paranormal activity, it's worth a visit. read more

Whaley House Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

I've watched a video on this place and was excited to check it out myself! Ghoulie Julie was a fantastic tour guide and very informative. Love that this part of history was so well preserved! read more

Whaley House Museum - Backyard Outside - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Arrived late, take total responsibility with that but the front desk lady was not nice or friendly. My partner originally talked to the lady, Zelda, and reported a very condescending and rude tone--overall, I really wish she was more willing to work with us instead of being snarky. I don't care that she denied us entry at first, I'm more disappointed she was being rude to my partner. Rescheduled eventually to a later time. Tour was fine, Maud is a great and fun guide. read more

Came on vacation to San Diego found out about this house came to check this out was really interesting and cool. History did the tour. Our tour guy was really good informational made an entertaining. I had a good time with my family. They have a little souvenir shop as well. They do recommend to show up a little early just to check in. Customer service is good helpful read more

Whaley House Museum - Whaley House Museum -2025 - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

We spent $16 per person for the day-time tour, which felt pretty steep but worth it based on it being considered one of the most haunted houses in the country. The tour began outside and our guide asked us to remain quiet while she shared the story of the house, as any interruptions would cause her to lose track. The guided portion was outside and the courtroom area. The rest of the house you view at your own pace. It's not a large house, so our overall visit didn't take terrible long. She mentioned a haunted doll but didn't say which one. I thought one in the bedroom looked too obvious to be haunted, but apparently that was the one. I didn't even take a good picture of it ha. I will say a painting in the living room did kind of give me chills. It felt like the woman was looking straight at me. I'd say overall this is worth a stop if you like spooky things, but maybe indulge in the night tour instead for added creepiness. read more

See all

My family and I went on the guided tour, and I highly recommend it to anyone planning a visit. It's a must-do experience if you want to truly appreciate the history of the house. Our guide, Maud (I hope I got her name right), was fantastic. She narrated the history with genuine passion and brought the story to life in a very engaging way. The little extra touches she added throughout the tour really enhanced the overall experience and made it even more memorable. read more

My daughter wanted to come here because it has been talked about in a lot of podcasts and by YouTubers that she follows. We did the daytime tour, $14/person. Julie was our tour guide; she was great. They tell you a little history of the property, and then you can look around on your own. There are other people working inside who can answer all your questions. Most of your questions anyway, because there are many mysteries about the place. We enjoyed the experience though there was little-to-no paranormal activity observed by us. But I guess you can never be SURE a ghost isn't following you! This is one of those things that if you want to come to, I'm not going to try to talk you out of it, but if you don't think you are interested I'm not going to try to convince you. We were not disappointed at all, but our expectations were not too high - we just wanted to see this place that a lot of people talk about. The nighttime tour sounds like it might be a little more exciting, but it does cost more. read more

Whaley House Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Definitely worth experiencing. Went on a Tuesday night with my family and we had a great time! Tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable. read more

Whaley House Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

We had fun during a day tour of the Whaley House Museum. Maude was our guide (meaning they started us off and gave some background on the house and family) who was entertaining and seems to very much enjoy their job! They were friendly and engaging with the group while still delivering insightful information that made us want to explore all the nooks and crannies of the home. The home itself was presented well with staged artifacts throughout the home. Most of the individual rooms were roped off (probably because people destroy things) but you were able to view the rooms effectively. I enjoyed the stage area a lot and appreciated the atmosphere the organ music gave - so cool. The creeky floorboards throughout made people engage in conversations as we toured the home. read more

See all

I had just the best time doing the paranormal investigation/night time ghost tour with our tour guide and "paranormal expert," Nick, in early November. For the cost of the tour, I would say it is well worth it. You get almost two hours in the house and special privileges to enter certain rooms that are often blocked off during the day time tours. You learn how to use a variety of gear like Rem pods and Dowsing rods which add to the experience. The house is dark and the tour is small enough that you don't really get in other people's way. In addition to the paranormal aspects of the experience, you get to know some historical information which helps add to the ambiance. A great experience and well worth the price. I'd totally recommend if you're willing to embrace the paranormal. Special shout out to Nick for making the experience extra entertaining and fun. read more

Had an exciting ghost tour experience on Halloween night just to add to the theme. Had a great host guide us through the museum with all the stories and sights for us to see and experience. Highly recommend if you're into the supernatural, spooky and ghosts. read more

A historic landmark in Old Town San Diego. Set on California's 101 Route it is a classic staple to tour. Whether you are a tourist or native you will enjoy this beautifully preserved property. It's a nice activity to do at least once. read more

Whaley House Museum - Side of the Whaley House. - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Spooky stuff. Good public parking options nearby. Our tour guide was involved and fun! I kind of wish the group sizes were a little smaller for the house size. I also wish we could see more of the rooms but I do understand the preservation of history! read more

See all

Ghouly Julie was amazing! Knew what she was talking about and was definitely a part of the experience. Love to hear about the Whaley House as an old town regular! read more

Like I've said before my wife and I like to do the haunted things so the Whaley house was right up our alley. Located in the old town San Diego area it's relatively small place. The docents were very well versed in the history and stories. It's a self guided tour with docents located thru out to answer any questions and relay tales. One story is of children seeing a dog tht was only visible to them as well as hearing the piano/organ upstairs in the small theatre. Was very interesting place. We did not have any paranormal experienced nor did we catch anything on the photos but we checked off the box for being there. It's always fun to go places you've seen highlighted on TV. read more

See all

Overpriced tourist trap. It was over a $100 for our family to tour this place and sad to say, it was very disappointing. My daughters love haunted houses and scary movies so begged to do this tour. The guy who introduces the place is entertaining. That's about all the good things I have to say about the place. It took us all of ten minutes to see the whole place. You can't go in any of the rooms and you just stand and look around and read an occasional plaque about what happened. Maybe it's better at night ‍but I would not recommend this because I felt completely ripped off by the end. read more

Whaley House Museum - Only interesting room - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Attended the evening tour for the Whaley House. You arrive to check in at the gift store on the right. They will give you a sticker to wear to show that you are a paid guest. The Whaley House is iconic so I'm glad that I got to experience it at least once. Pros: -parking lot is close to the Whaley house up the street -you get to hear a little bit of history of the Whaley family and what happened on the property. Cons: -this all depends on your guide, but our guide kept on trying to scare people with loud noises like slamming doors. It got old real quick. -there were no restrooms to use. We were told at the gift shop that the closest restroom was across the street at Cafe Coyote. -other people who didn't pay for the tour could just join in and listen when we moved outside. Other: -there are two levels so stairs are involved. -the guide does have a tip box at the end of the tour, so bring cash. There was also a Venmo code. read more

See all