The Bay Area is well known for its diverse and influential culture, but it is also popular for its variety of ominous locations and history. During this time of year, the Bay’s eerie undertones come to life and they tend to allure large crowds.
Here is our list of some of the most uncanny locations that you must see this Halloween season in the Bay Area for a proper spook.
See also: Best Scary Movies Set In San Francisco
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One of the most popular attractions of the Bay Area is Alcatraz island. Alcatraz is a retired prison island located within a few miles from the San Francisco shore. The island is well known for previously enclosing some of America’s most notorious criminals. These criminals include Al Capone, Alvin Karpis, John Anglin, and many others.
Today, Alcatraz is hosted as a major tourist attraction. Many who visit believe that there are spirits/ghosts who still reside in various cells and sites across the island. Which contributes to the island’s uncanny reputation.
For those who want to get the full haunted experience of the island, we recommend attending the alluring Alcatraz “Night Tour”.
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525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose / Website
Within San Jose, resides the infamous Winchester Mystery House. The Winchester Mystery House is known for being one of the most mysterious and abnormal locations in the entire Bay Area.
Before it became a tourist attraction, the house was owned by Sarah Winchester. During her residency in San Jose, Sarah consistently renovated her house to become the 160 room mansion that it is today. She allegedly continuously renovated her mansion to house all of the spirits who had died from the Winchester rifle.
Today, many claim to have a variety of paranormal interactions/instances while exploring the house. For those who are interested in touring the house, you can find more information here.
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Colma, CA / Website
Colma is a small town that borders San Francisco. What makes this town unique is that its abundance of gravestones out numbers the current population of living residents. As a result, the town has become known as the “City of Souls”. Colma is estimated to be the residence of 1.5 million dead people. While there are around 1,700 current living residents.
If you are interested in visiting or learning more about Colma you can find more information here.
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707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda / Website
The USS Hornet is a retired aircraft carrier from WWII. The Hornet is currently located in Alameda and is an appealing tourist attraction. During its years of operation, many who served unfortunately lost their lives onboard the Hornet. As a result, many who tour the aircraft carrier today believe that it is haunted based on alleged paranormal interactions/experiences.
If you desire to explore the haunted aircraft carrier, the Hornet offers a haunted night tour to tourists. You can find more information about the offered tours here.
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37029 Mission Blvd, Fremont / Website
Down in Fremont right by the quaint town of Niles popular for their cute antiques and silent film history is Niles Canyon where Charlie Chaplin himself was known to film his famous movies. This area is a gorgeously scenic drive through the East Bay Hills which, as urban legends say, is sometimes also dotted with ghost sightings at night, particularly of a "white lady" spectre who allegedly fell off of her Victoran wagon. You may end up seeing her hitching a ride in your backseat from the rearview mirror!
See also: San Francisco Locations Seen In Film And Television
Photography by: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
