Discover the state’s ghost stories and urban legends!
Cemeteries in California are unlike any other. Some date back to the Gold Rush; others are so modern they show movies on the lawn all summer long. These cemeteries have become cultural hubs that celebrate both the dead and the living. Tourists flock there for several reasons, but the legendary hauntings are a big draw.
Every cemetery has its fair share of ghost stories, but some hit harder than others. The lore behind these famous resting places is fascinating, like the infamous person, or ghost, who visited a silent-screen heartthrob’s grave for decades and a sympathetic witch who looks over the small mining community only miles from my childhood home. If you’re looking to spend spooky season among tombstones and ghosts, add these cemeteries to your list.
Northern California
Rose Hill Cemetery
Location: Nortonville Rd, Pittsburg, CA 94565
Located in Black Diamond Mines, this Bay Area cemetery has a deep history rich in both success and tragedy. Now a 6,000-acre regional preserve, hikers enjoy an afternoon jaunt, often unaware of the dark history residing in the abandoned mine shafts.
Before it became a coal mine, it was occupied by Native Americans until colonizers repurposed the land for their gain. Mining began in the 1850s and retrieved nearly 4 million tons of coal between 1850 and the early 1900s. At the time, the area was broken up into several boom towns, most notably Nortonville.
Sarah Norton was married to the town’s founder, Noah Norton. She was a midwife in the area and was on her way to help a client. Tragically, she was thrown from her buggy and killed on impact. Her ghost is known as the White Witch and is rumored to roam the mines and cemetery where she is buried.
Allegedly, she didn’t want a funeral, but when the town went through with one anyway, a massive storm broke out during the ceremony. They postponed it to the next day, but then, livestock in the area stampeded through the street, causing the community to ditch celebrating her life altogether.
When I was growing up, we went on a field trip to the mines. I was in 3rd or 4th grade. I told the ghost story of Sarah Norton and how her apparition has been seen rising above her gravestone in the cemetery and through the abandoned mineshafts. Known as the White Witch, she scared everyone I shared the story with. I got in trouble for making other kids cry, but now here I am, writing an article about Sarah.
Black Diamond Mines and Rose Hill Cemetery are worth the trip. The mine charges $5 to park and $2 to bring a canine friend along. Hike up to the cemetery and enjoy the beautiful view of Mt. Diablo. Be sure to say hi to Sarah, as she’s likely lurking behind you.
The entire city of Colma
Location: Colma, California
Colma, located just outside of San Francisco, is a necropolis. To its 1,500 living residents, it has 1.5 million deceased. Cemeteries take up 73% of the city’s land. This began in the early 1900s when health concerns and rapid population growth led San Francisco not only to forbid new burials, but to move out the city’s dead residents. Every grave within city limits was moved to Colma, and it remains San Francisco’s destination for the dead.
The city has 17 active cemeteries that are the home to Bay Area trailblazers and victims of tragic events. Abigail Folger, heiress to the Folger Coffee fortune, was murdered along with Sharon Tate and their friends by Charles Manson’s ‘family.’ The energy is undeniable. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, being in a necropolis can be unnerving.
Of course, ghost stories travel far in a city like this. Each cemetery has its own legends. One of the most prominent is from Olivet Memorial Park. In 1997, people from around the world traveled to Colma to see an image they claim was a sign from god. It was a sapling on a tree that resembled the Virgin Mary. It became a place of worship, with many feeling her presence there.
Woodlawn Cemetery has an especially creepy story. A police officer patrolling the area saw an old man covered in blood. He had sunken eyes and fresh blood on his head. He turned around to help him, only to find he had completely disappeared.
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Location: 1000 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818
California’s capital has a long, interesting history. In the 1800s, Sutter’s Fort was a booming agricultural and trade community for European colonizers. With a large population comes death. The settlers needed somewhere to bury their dead. They tried one spot, but constant flooding made it hard to maintain. In 1849, Captain John Sutter, the fort’s namesake, donated 10 acres for a new cemetery.
Come the early 1850s, a cholera outbreak was responsible for over 600 of the cemetery’s first burials. It was as if Sutter saw the future, preparing the city for a devastating loss of life. Throughout the late 1800s, the cemetery expanded and now covers 30.44 acres. The land is the final resting place for nearly 25,000 people, many of whom were prominent pioneers and immigrants of Sutter’s time. Sutter himself is buried here.
The cemetery’s most prominent spirit is May Woosley. She died shortly before her 13th birthday following a mosquito bite that caused her brain to fatally swell. There is a good reason her soul may continue to stick around. Her parents worked with mediums to contact their daughter to ensure she made it safely into the afterlife. Did conjuring her spirit keep her roaming the cemetery?
People often report hearing a little girl giggling inside the cemetery’s gates. She’s made herself known to several people, including the museum docents.
Southern California
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Location: 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Hollywood Forever Cemetery is one of the most peaceful places in the world to me. It’s quiet, the lush landscaping is comforting, and the visitors are typically respectful. I’ve always said it felt like home there, which doesn’t go over too well with the wrong crowd. While it’s perfect in many ways, it can also be a bit eerie.
The Cathedral mausoleum is allegedly a paranormal hotspot. It all started and continued with the passing of silent film heartthrob Rudolph Valentino. When he died in 1926 of complications from an appendectomy, fans around the world were devastated. Fans gathered in mass outside his funeral service, with some describing their behavior as rioting.
He was laid to rest in the Cathedral Mausoleum by June Mathis, who directed Valentino in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” Valentino was in debt, and his family couldn’t afford a final resting place. Mathis has already purchased two crypts in the cemetery and donated one to her long-time friend and colleague.
Immediately following his placement in the mausoleum, a mysterious woman dressed in all black would visit and leave flowers on the anniversary of her death. While copycats popped up, the original Lady in Black was Dita Flame, who allegedly grew up with Valentino. When she passed away in the 80s, the Lady in Black didn’t stop visiting his grave. People still report seeing her apparition and other mysterious women in black lurking around the mausoleum.
Valentino himself is rumored to haunt the halls by his final resting place. He’s not the only celebrity. Visitors have reported seeing Douglas Fairbanks in the reflective pool near his grave. They also claim to hear laughter and vintage music coming from the area. Some have even heard Judy Garland softly singing by her crypt. Imagine that free show!
If you’re looking for ghosts, the Cathedral Museum, the Masonic Lodge (now a music venue), and the Garden of Legends are where you should start. People report feeling watched, capturing orbs on camera, and hearing disembodied voices.
Evergreen Cemetery
Location: 204 Evergreen Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Evergreen Cemetery isn’t like Hollywood Forever, but it does have a claim to pop culture fame. The Ivy Chapel, which welcomes you to the grounds, was used for a funeral scene in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” The scary stories surrounding Evergreen didn’t only unfold on the big screen.
You’ll find that this cemetery isn’t nearly as well maintained as others. The sad truth is it’s likely because it’s the final resting place for many people of color. During LA’s early years, cemeteries were segregated. Evergreen was one of the few that offered plots for Black, Asian, and Mexican Americans and immigrants. The grounds are filled with overlooked culture.
Showmen’s Rest is a section reserved for another overlooked group. Dedicated entirely to carnival and circus performers, over 400 people who were mocked in life now rest in peace.
Several entities are believed to haunt the property, but one specific story has become an urban legend over the decades. In 1947, a boy meets a girl at a dance; they hit it off, and she’s stunning. When he walks her home, she stops at the Evergreen gate and vanishes. She’s known as the Vanishing Girl.
The ghost rumors go back to Prohibition, when kids would play in the cemetery and report seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Security guards have continued to witness apparitions and disembodied voices. Evergreen is also home to LA’s potter’s field, a mass grave for unhoused and unclaimed people. It’s not surprising that some spirits may linger here, feeling uncared for in life and death.
Los Angeles Pet Cemetery
Location: 5068 Old Scandia Ln, Calabasas, CA 91372
Where do Hollywood’s beloved pets go when they cross the rainbow bridge? Los Angeles’ premier pet cemetery. During the industry’s golden age, several stars laid their companions to rest here. Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, and Mae West are just a few who buried pets here. By the way, it’s West’s pet monkey, if you were wondering. However, the most notorious story is an actor’s dog rumored to haunt the grounds just like his owner does at Hollywood Forever.
Valentino was an animal lover. He shared a strong connection with his dog, Kabar. When Valentino died, Kabar, though thousands of miles away, let out a howl of pure pain. Their bond was one only true animal people could understand.
No one seems to know exactly what he was, as the dog breed varies by source. What we do know is he was a big dog, and people feel his energy close to his resting place. However, he is not a threatening spirit. Visitors have reported panting noises and the feeling of a dog licking their hands, as if he was itching to play. It appears that haunting is a family tradition.
Other notable burials include Tawny, one of the original MGM lions, and Petey the dog of “The Little Rascals.”
El Campo Santo Cemetery
Location: 2410 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
I would be remiss not to include one of the oldest cemeteries in California. El Campo Santo in San Diego is filled with lore. Established in 1849, it’s believed to be one of the most haunted graveyards. Many of the city’s early residents are buried there. Anyone from respected indigenous leaders to crooks hanged at the local gallows calls this place home.
San Diego began to expand, and with that came the end of dirt roads. In 1889, a section of the cemetery became paved over with concrete. If anything is sure to wake the dead, it’s blatant disrespect of their resting place. Could this be what sparked the cemetery’s hauntings?
A prominent spirit is that of Antonio Garra. He was executed by firing squad near his final resting place. People have reported sudden temperature dips near his headstone and immense sadness while standing over the grave. Some have even fainted!
Near the cemetery, some have experienced mysterious car troubles. Batteries completely drain, headlights flicker, and alarms sound for no reason. I like to think it’s the spirits of those who were paved over, getting back at San Diego drivers.
If you dare to go at night, be warned: visitors have reported seeing floating apparitions. Located down the street from America’s most haunted house, I would tread lightly.
