The Whaley House — Second Floor

Built in 1857 on the site of San Diego's first public gallows, the Whaley House is officially recognized by the U.S. Commerce Department as one of only two authenticated haunted houses in California. 'Yankee Jim' Robinson — hanged on the gallows site in 1852 — is felt as a heavy presence in the upper hallway, causing dogs to refuse entry. Thomas Whaley himself appears in the parlor in a long black coat. His daughter Violet, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the house, is the most frequently photographed apparition in the garden.