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Whaley House Museum

Whaley House Museum

Whaley House Museum
4
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
About
One of the most historic buildings in Old Town San Diego, the Whaley House was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley, a San Diego pioneer, as his family home. Over the course of history the Whaley House has served as a general store, county courthouse and theater. It has been said that the Whaley House has “witnessed more history than any other building in the city.”
Duration: < 1 hour
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Admission tickets
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£11.27
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Top ways to experience Whaley House Museum
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Old Town
How to get there
  • Old Town Transit Center • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Justin
    174 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spooky night tour
    This is the second time I've been here but the first time doing the night tour. We had Nick who was really cool. He's more into the investigative side of things instead of the history. You get full access to the building without restriction, he explains what to do and how to use the equipment. Then, its go time! We were just 5 people, and we totally had some weird things happen to us! Completely in the dark, no lights except our phones. Would totally do it again.
    We're so happy to hear that you had such a great time! Thank you for sharing your experience here. Come and visit us again!
    Written 15 February 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 28 January 2024
  • googees
    London, United Kingdom546 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolutely fantastic late night paranormal investigation
    When my friend first said “do you fancy going on a late night paranormal investigation at the ‘Most Haunted House in America’, I immediately said “er, I wouldn’t have thought so”. But, in the end, guilt made me say “ok, I’ll do it”. For the first 45 minutes, I wished I’d stuck to my guns, but within an hour, I was absolutely LOVING it. Nick, our guide, was absolutely fantastic. He was honest, transparent (not like a ghost, but just very upfront about things). He gave us some background on the house, showed us how to use the ghost detecting equipment, took us into the house, and let us loose. I’m not going to go too into detail, but I will say this; any scepticism I had about spirits/the paranormal prior to the investigation has now been erased. Things happened, I saw things with my own eyes, experienced things with my own hands, and honestly, will never be a doubter again. The two best pieces of kit I used were the dowsing rods, and the Ovilus. Both threw up things that can’t be faked or staged, and I’m a new believer!
    We're so happy to hear you had a great time! Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience. I'm sure Nick also loves seeing his name on here. We hope you'll come back for more next time you're in one of our other destinations.
    Written 15 February 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 13 February 2024
  • Angela3950
    Eureka, California1,507 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts
    When skeptics like us, go to a haunted residence (we’ve been to a few), you try to get in the ‘spirit’ of the experience and play along. The grounds were well maintained, full of old buildings, moved there from other places. The docent, Hunny, was funny and serious, in the proper mix. Rooms in the house are decorated with actual items from the family and got you in the mood of the era. Probably more fun for actual ghost hunters but still glad we went to see it.
    We're delighted to hear that you had a wonderful time in our museum. Your feedback means a lot to us, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future!
    Written 24 April 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 April 2024
  • MarcfromQuebec
    Montreal, Canada3 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Save your money
    Just a plain old house. The tour explains the lifes of those who lived there without any mention of what type of panarormal activities have been reported and what the interest of this house is from this perspective. Disappointing. Would wished we would have not gone. Also, the San Diego all-inclusive does not include the night tour. We feel we waisted our money. The guide also made a point to remind us at the end he expected a tip. We simply left. Marc and Suzanne, Montreal Canada
    We were sorry to read our tour did not meet your expectations. We stand behind our efforts with a Satisfaction Guarantee. You can read about it by selecting, "100% Satisfaction Guarantee" on our website, trolley tours dot com. Or, go directly to trolley tours dot com/guarantee.
    Written 15 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 May 2024
  • Gemma Z
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great
    Tour guide was nice and informative. Ghoulie julie. Went in store room immediately heard loud footsteps running upstairs(very loud) . We could hear a woman talking to someone also. Didnt like the living room part , my throat started to feel pressure and tighten up. Over all very good experience.
    We're glad you had a great investigation! Thank you for the review!
    Written 17 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 May 2024
  • Kirsten
    Toronto, Canada75 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Take the Free Shuttle to the Evening Tour!
    We really enjoyed our haunted evening tour. I will say that the tour itself did feel a little rushed at only about 30 minutes but it was so much fun to hear the spooky stories surrounding the Whaley House and our guide, Hunny, was a good storyteller. I highly recommend the free shuttle from downtown – it was a quick drive and I had an old-fashioned trolley all to myself!
    We're glad you had a great time! Thank you for the review!
    Written 9 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 7 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles398 reviews
Excellent
147
Very good
104
Average
87
Poor
34
Terrible
26

Ainsley K
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
I 'm not a review writer but this experience made me upset enough to finally write one.
I used to go to Whaley all the time before covid and now its finally open again, what a disappointment! Its a new corporate trolley group running it now. Just beware if you go on their trolley ghost tour which advertises the Whaley house, you have to pay even more to get inside the house. It's over $50 for a half hour of elementary-school level special effects rushing you through the mostly empty building, which is half the cost to go to Disneyland for an entire day of fun where they do a good job of faking a haunted house. This was a bad job of faking being a museum.
Written 10 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello 431ainsleyk, We were sorry to read that you did not enjoy your experience at the Whaley House. We have been working hard to get the Whaley House up to the standards both the house and our guests deserve. We are putting the finishing touches in place and apologize we let you down. The price of our Whaley House tour is $10.00 for our day tour which is self-paced to ensure you have as much time as you like in the house. Our Night time tour is $14.00; the tour is approximately 30 minutes. It is a guided tour through the historic Whaley House and the surrounding grounds. Our CASTmembers will regale you in the tales of the spirits from the past and the paranormal. Currently, the Ghosts and Gravestones tour does not enter the Whaley House, it includes the grounds only. This information is located on all of our websites and at the top of the page on our Trusted Tours website. We offer a satisfaction guarantee located on the customer service page of our website.
Written 14 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

George
Sunderland, UK36 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Friends
Really confused how this museum rates so highly. As a group we were quite nervous whilst waiting to enter however it was disappointing from the introduction.

The tour guide introduced the place at the fastest of paces meaning that information was missed. Also, the museum is very staged with flickering lights and artificial scents meaning that it automatically loses any form of integrity.

We could forgive all of that if the museum had any substance which it didn’t. There were about 5 information placards spread out over the 3 rooms. We asked the ticket office when waiting how long the tour would last which he answered about 30 minutes… honestly we were in and out within 5 minutes.

If visiting get a picture of the outside and save your $14 entrance fee.
Written 12 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you @gc19932022 for visiting the Whaley House Museum. Our Daytime Self-Guided Tours allow guests to enjoy the museum at their leisure with a brief introduction to start them off. As guests explore the museum, we've installed informational text panels to help folks become familiar with the history and family. We definitely recommend folks to check out some the images on these wonderful panels. Of course, guests can always chat with any of our helpful history tellers roaming the museum. To help with the ambiance we do have flicker lights but, interestingly enough, we don't have any artificial scents--perhaps you may have had an encounter! We are very sorry you did not enjoy your experience with us. Perhaps you might enjoy our Evening Guided Tour, a 30 minute guided tour with one of our history tellers guided you room by room with the history and mystery of the Whaley House. Thank you for your comments. It is observations like yours that helps us provide a better service and we do hope that your next experience is a more positive one. We offer a satisfaction guarantee located on the customer service page of our website, trolley tours dot com, under the subheading "our guarantee".
Written 14 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Debbers5917
San Diego, CA3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Solo
I am a SD native and have visited the house many times with field trips. This is the first time I have actually enjoyed the tour. Before, you would walk the house alone and read info about the family and history. It was dark and boring. This is now a narrated tour with a little flair. Keeps you involved and interested. The house is now fully involved, no plexiglas barriers. It is accurately decorated for a house of that time period and the people telling the story are amazing! I highly recommend this stop in your Old Town travels. History does not need to be boring to learn things.
Written 6 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the supportive review. We appreciate you coming back to the Whaley House, as it was closed during the pandemic and is now under new management. Please keep stopping by as we have a lot of great things planned for the house. Also as a San Diego resident you are eligible for the Hometown Pass which gets you BOGO admission to several tours and attractions, including the Whaley House day tour. You can sign up for it here: https://www.hometownpass.com/user-registration?city=SanDiego.
Written 6 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kelly
Phoenix, AZ10 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
We did the ghost tour. It was fun to see the house and hear its "spooky stories" from the guide. However, the house did not feel very spooky. It felt pretty rushed compared to similar tours I've done elsewhere. You didn't get much time to look around inside, but rather moved room to room hearing short stories about the past residents. I don't necessarily think it was worth the price, but our guide was great.
Written 28 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diana
Mobile, AL6 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
I was pretty disappointed with the Whaley House because I had been hearing about it for years!! Was looking forward to a ghostly visit because that is the reason I came!! They gave us a piece of paper for us to read and then let us loose to wander around on our own. No talk about the "ghosts" or anything. Took about 10 minutes to go through the rooms and saw nothing but old furniture. The museum next door was the highlight of the visit because of the cute dolls of Edgar Allen Poe and Nikola Tesla and the nice lady that we talked to. Also, it is situated on a cool street right in the midst of Old San Diego so all was not lost. Had a blast walking up and down the street where it was situated. I would recommend for the location not the house.
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nathaniel L
Siletz, OR105 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This place was cramped and dark. I think that they deliberately keep it dark in here because it is supposedly haunted. I wasn't scared. I didn't see a ghost and no ghosts showed up on my camera phone. It's not worth the ten bucks unless your really into this stuff.
Written 20 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Allison P
Burlington, NC46 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
The museum was ok.. pretty small but still fine.. but what I am not happy with is that they used my city pass and still charged me!! I bought the city pass to do three activities in San Diego.. and then had to show the city pass so that I would get discount to Whaley house..(discount when you bought a trolley ticket) they asked me if I wanted to use my city pass for this and I said no because it’s so cheap compared to the other activities.. and so I paid for the ticket and found out they used my city pass too!! I emailed Whaley house today and haven’t heard back. Definitely not worth it!!
Written 30 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, I am sorry for this situation, will you please contact me directly at guestrelations@historictours.com.
Written 1 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Holly s
Boston, MA14 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Solo
Instead of visiting the self-guided tour during the day, I opted for the evening “Most Haunted House in America” tour. Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. Instead of just telling a totally compelling story of the tragedy and despair of the Whaley family, the presenter spent half his time relying on gimmicks and singling out audience members for laughs.

As was promised in the advertising, little was shared about the paranormal activity researched on the Discovery Channel. And, I think the presenter gave a different account of Yankee Jim who was killed at the site. I visited Jim’s grave in the cemetery down the street and read that account, but, you should check for yourself.

Although tickets were only $20, I think the audience, the Whaley family and house deserve better. The company behind this tour should seriously consider rewriting its script to tell a truly haunting story.
Written 10 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, We were sorry to read you did not enjoy your time on the Whaley House Museum evening tour. We offer a satisfaction guarantee located on the customer service page of our website, trolley tours dot com, under the subheading "our guarantee".
Written 17 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

indybrad
Indianapolis, IN273 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
Whaley House Museum

San Diego

Great history and intrigue

833881924

We make this stop each and every time we are in San Diego. It is considered one of the most haunted houses in the US.

You can google it!

We have yet to experience anything specific but I always feel tingling in my spine and my daughter always feels a heaviness upon entering the home.

Many of the people that work there have had paranormal experiences.

Next visit might be the one where we see something.

Hopefully

So with the visit!
Written 9 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Susan C
17 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Couples
So disappointing. Don’t waste your money.

We love doing historic house tours and were looking forward to touring the Whaley House Museum. We learned very little as the tour was self-guided and the wall plaques were less than adequate. I had to keep asking the person stationed in the house to tell me why the rooms/furnishings were special. She did not volunteer any information on her own. Then she disappeared. We were not told we could to around the outside of the house - just saw as we happened to walk that way.

We were in the house about 15 minutes. Will tell anyone I know going to San Diego to not tour the Whaley House.
Written 30 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were sorry to read your visit to the Whaley House Museum did not meet your expectations. You can read about our Satisfaction Guarantee by selecting, "100% Satisfaction Guarantee" on our website, trolley tours dot com. Or, go directly to trolley tours dot com/guarantee.
Written 1 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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WHALEY HOUSE MUSEUM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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