Santa Cruz’s “spooky” history can be found both on the screen and in the news. The city, renamed “Santa Carla” was portrayed as a nest for vampires in the cult classic, “The Lost Boys.” In the early seventies, when Santa Cruz was terrorized by two serial killers and one mass murderer, the once-sleepy beach town was dubbed the “murder capital of the world.”
In honor of Halloween, here are my top five super-scary Santa Cruz spots.
1. Rispin Mansion, 2200 Wharf Rd, Capitola
This 92-year-old mansion has 22 bedrooms and has remained vacant for over half of its existence. The legendary curse begins with Henry Allen Rispin, a wealthy man from San Francisco, who bought the mansion with the intent of turning it into a resort. Instead of opening up what would have been known as “Capitola by the Sea,” he endured misfortune that resulted in the death of his only son, a divorce, and complete financial ruin.
Nuns occupied the mansion in the 40’s and 50’s until they moved to a more inland location. It remained vacant for over 40 years, owned by the city of Capitola. In 1998, builders had hoped to invest in a multi-million dollar venture to transform it into a bed & breakfast. It took over a decade to get the plans approved by the city. A few days before they were to start the project, an unexplainable fire gutted the mansion. The city ultimately boarded up the empty structure.
In 2012, Santa Cruz Ghost Hunter Team investigated the mansion. A psychic/medium felt there were both good and bad energies and that the mansion was more of a vortex for the other side. The spirit of a nun seemed to protect the mansion from a source of evil. One Ghost Hunter Team member experienced a feeling that her hair was being pulled and touched. One investigator was “pushed” and almost fell down a flight of stairs. At 3 am the team prepared to leave the mansion, and the lights kept going on and off. Then as they were walking out, a team member noticed a distinct bootprint of the back of the pants of the investigator who had almost fallen down the stairs.
Another team visited the mansion on a Sunday and had an opposite experience; there was a warm and almost spiritual ambiance.
2. Sunshine Villa (Hotel McCray), 80 Front St, Santa Cruz
The Sunshine Villa, previously the old McCray Hotel, possesses plenty of history within its walls. Before the classic Victorian was built on the property in the 1860s and became a hotel in 1879, the Ohlone Indians performed sacred rituals there and the location as burial grounds. The Hotel was also the “California Gothic” inspiration behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Bates Motel in the 1960 thriller, Psycho.
The property was abandoned for nearly a decade. Police reports state that while the building was condemned, it was occupied by drug dealers, homeless people, and cultists. The cultists are said to have held satanic rituals throughout the building. Notorious serial killer Herbert Mullin resided there in the late 1970s, during the peak of his killing spree.
Former employees of the Hotel McCray claim to have been touched by an unseen force. Another resident claimed that while living at the hotel, he would see a blue mist materialize in one of the rooms. Windows and doors are said to open and close on their own. Housekeepers and other staff members have reported, “Cold rooms, mysterious blue lights, and the voice of women calling from the shadows,” according to a Metro Santa Cruz article.
In the 1980’s, the property was remodeled into an assisted living residence. Workers witnessed many unexplainable events, such as a light turning on and off on its own in an unoccupied room, as well as the feeling of being touched.
3. Santa Cruz Mission (Holy Cross Church), 130 Emmett St, Santa Cruz
Built in 1791, the current Holy Cross Church was built on the location of the original mission church in 1889, and it remains an active parish of the Diocese of Monterey.
The Santa Cruz Mission holds the legend of Padre Andrés Quintana. The Father was known to beat the Ohlone Indians with an iron whip while they were working at the mission. One dark, stormy night on October 12, 1812, Father Quintana was ambushed by several members of the tribe. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Andrés Quintana, as well as a few Native Americans, are buried underneath the Holy Cross Church located across from the Mission.
In 2012, Aubrey Graves visited the mission and recorded an EVP of some tribal drumming. Then on the 200-year anniversary of Father Quintana’s death, they visited and this time felt that Quintana’s strong presence did not want them there. After walking to the side of the mission, they saw a ghost of a middle-aged woman in a white gown walking across the street and then disappear before reaching the other side of the road.
Many believe the priests’ spirit still curses and roams the area, known as “Haunted Hill,” trying to inflict pain and poverty on anyone he can. Witnesses claim his ghost has been seen dressed in a brown robe and sandals standing at the altar inside the mission. His ghost and the spirits of others have been reported to wander through the park just across the street at night.
4. Mt. Madonna Inn,1285 Hecker Pass Rd, Watsonville
The Mt. Madonna Inn, a former hot spot for dining, dancing, and drinking is located between the cities of Watsonville and Gilroy. The inn spreads out over 14,000 square feet, but its doors have remained chained and locked for nearly two decades.
The Ohlone tribe once called the hills of Mt. Madonna their home. Sickness eventually riddled the land, and hundreds of Ohlone people died, and their bodies were burned or buried on the rolling hills.
In the early 19th century, Henry Miller, “the cattle king” and one of Gilroy’s founding fathers, bought up hundreds of acres in the hills of Mt. Madonna and began plans to build a mountain estate located at what is now Mt. Madonna County Park. Even though considerably wealthy, Miller succumbed to much tragedy. His youngest child, 8-year-old Sarah was thrown from her horse and crushed to death. Many people claim to have seen the apparition of young Sarah in a white dress roaming the County Park and walking the road towards the Inn. In addition to park rangers having heard a young woman scream from inside the building, lights have been seen to turn on and off when it is known that no one is inside.
After the Miller’s mansion burned in a mysterious fire, the property was sold a couple more times, and both times the buildings burned down due to more fires. In 1943, the Mt. Madonna Inn was constructed. A horse stable on the property remains to this day, and people claim to hear the phantom charging of horse hooves.
Between 1930 and present day, the hills of Mt. Madonna surrounding the Inn became a dumping ground for murderers and a popular suicide spot. Dozens of victims were found, including many who succumbed to horrific car accidents on the treacherous roadways of Hecker Pass.
5. The Plunge at The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has had a couple of deaths in the past, including on the Giant Dipper roller coaster, but the stories of “The Plunge” instantly caught my eye.
The building which now houses the miniature golf course known as Neptune’s Kingdom was once used as a heated, indoor saltwater swimming pool known as The Plunge. At least five drownings took place within the structure. They were all men, and four were just teenagers.
The first drowning took place in 1935 and the final deaths happened together in 1959 when a 15 and 16-year-old both from Castroville drowned in the deep end.
The building is said to be haunted by the drowning victims. A staff member claimed to have ghostly encounters while working in the restaurant. He felt that he was being watched and then cooking utensils started flying off of the shelves, nearly hitting him! Past employees have had unexplained encounters on occasion, such as seeing bright white translucent faces flash in the video monitors in the miniature golf course. Others have claimed to see dark, sinister shadows form and glide as if swimming throughout the course.
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