Thomas Whaley arrived in California around 1849, during the famous California Gold Rush. Upon arrival, he set up a store with George Wardle on Montgomery Street in San Francisco. It was there where he sold hardware and woodwork from his family’s New York business, Pye & Whaley, as well as offering mining equipment and utensils on consignment. Born on October 5, 1823, the young entrepreneur came from a Scots-Irish family, which immigrated to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1722. Alexander Whaley, Thomas’ great-grandfather, was a gunsmith and participated in the Boston Tea Party. During the Revolutionary War, he provided flintlock muskets for soldiers and the use of his house on Long Island by General George Washington. Thomas’ father, Thomas Whaley, carried on the family gunsmith business, and served in the New York Militia during the War of 1812. He married Rachel Pye, whose father, William, manufactured locks in Brooklyn.

Whaley’s entrepreneurial spirit and sharp business acumen, acquired in part from his education at the Washington Institute, helped him flourish in San Francisco. Thomas Whaley capitalized on his success by establishing his own store on Montgomery Street. After an arson-set fire destroyed his buildings on Montgomery Street in May 1851, he relocated to Old Town San Diego on the advice of Lewis Franklin, a merchant who operated stores in San Francisco and Old Town. Whaley set up various businesses with Franklin, Ephraim Morse, Francis Hinton, and even his brother, Henry, and amassed enough money to return to New York to marry his sweetheart, Anna Eloise DeLaunay, the daughter of French-born parents, on May 14, 1853.

Shortly after their marriage in 1855, Thomas and Anna returned to San Diego. It was then that Thomas Whaley purchased the land and set forth on his journey to build the finest home in California. By 1858, Thomas and Anna Whaley had produced three children: Francis Hinton (named for a business partner), Thomas (who died at just 18 months of age), and Anna Amelia. Later in life, the Whaleys welcomed three more children: George Hays Ringgold (named for a business partner), Violet Eloise, and Corinne Lillian.

When most folks think of San Diego, they picture undeniably gorgeous beaches, breezy beautiful weather and the vibrant cultural and artistic attractions. But for those who have an affinity for the paranormal, San Diego’s famed Whaley House is widely regarded as the most haunted house in America. With its rich and dark past, spine-tingling cases of spiritual encounters and inexplicable events, its haunted pedigree is second to none. 

Although the Whaley family’s unfortunate past plays a key role in the Whaley House’s haunted history, many believed the home was destined doomed to be a paranormal location before construction even began. The property was infamous amongst the community as the site where local thief Yankee Jim Robinson was publicly executed. Thomas Whaley was nevertheless unfazed by the location’s grim history and continued to build his dream home. The eerie legacy of the Whaley House continued to grow as the family was struck by tragic deaths, as well as paranormal and spiritual encounters that many still experience today.

Learn more about the incredible haunted heritage of America’s Most Haunted House^®.

Recognized as America’s Most Haunted House^® and shrouded in mystery, ghost-hunters flock to the iconic Whaley House, grounds of the original Old Town gallows site. Join us on our after-hours, chilling paranormal investigation. You’ll have exclusive access to the very rooms where the Whaleys lived and died, not accessible to the general public tours.

This chilling new adventure gives guests exclusive access to the latest ghost-hunting equipment as they attempt to connect with lost souls. With the help of our experienced guides, each guest will be provided with and trained to use an array of traditional and state-of-the-art ghost hunting equipment or feel free to bring your own. With a wide variety of tools of the trade, you’ll attempt to find evidence of ghosts and other supernatural beings.

Join us for a spine-tingling evening unlike any other as you connect with the “other-side”.