Haunted Salinas, CA

HAUNTED SALINAS, CA
Paul Dale Roberts, HPI’s Esoteric Detective
Halo Paranormal Investigations
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Sacramento Paranormal Haunted Hotline: 916 203 7503

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Salinas, California, is considered haunted by locals, with numerous reports of ghostly activity in historic sites, schools, and rural roads. Key locations with alleged paranormal activity include the Steinbeck House, Salinas High School, and the notoriously haunted Old Stage Road. Let’s take a closer look at some of these haunted locations. When I lived in Monterey, CA I visited the Steinbeck House, hoping to experience something paranormal. Unfortunately, I did not experience or witness anything paranormal and I went to the Steinbeck House 6 times. My brother Andy Soyo had a unique experience in Salinas, CA, he ran into Cesar Chavez who was a labor leader and civil rights activist. There have been recent reports that people nowadays sometimes see the apparition of Cesar Chavez out in the lettuce fields.

Salinas High School (1882):
Reports include ghost-like voices, screams, and cold chills in the bell tower, as well as unexplainable sensor activity in the cafeteria. Many locals consider this the most haunted building in Salinas. Some believe the bell tower is haunted by a former student named Jennifer. Legend has it that Jennifer was bullied in school and committed suicide by driving her car into a tree. Some students believe that Jennifer is seeking out the students that bullied her and doesn’t realize that she is dead.

The Steinbeck House:
The boyhood home of author John Steinbeck is said to have a mysterious presence, featuring silhouettes in windows and phantom sounds of doors opening and closing. The boyhood home of author John Steinbeck is widely considered one of the most haunted sites in the city. Even Steinbeck himself once wrote that he saw “things walking at night that it is not good to see”. Modern reports include sightings of a silhouette in a downstairs window and mysterious disembodied footsteps. Reports of paranormal activity include a dark, oppressive presence, and the sound of doors opening and closing. Visitors and staff have reported seeing a shadowy silhouette in the front room window. Others have described a presence that enters, moves around, and leaves. Investigations, including those featured on the television show *Ghost Adventures*, have explored claims of a dark, heavy energy within the home, with speculation that a portal might be drawing spirits to the location. In 2022, the Ghost Adventures crew investigated the home, reporting experiences with equipment malfunctioning and, according to online claims, a contentious interaction with the location. While some report fear, others, including Elaine Steinbeck (John’s widow), have described feeling a peaceful presence, suggesting John’s spirit still enjoys the home. The house, located at 132 Central Ave, currently operates as a restaurant managed by the Valley Guild.

Old Stage Road:
The Ghost Car/Mustang Sighting is a common tale. Witnesses claim that they were chased by a driverless white Ford Mustang or other phantom vehicles. The Woman in White (La Llorona) is often seen, sometimes described as a weeping figure searching for her children or a woman who was murdered. Some visitors have said the Woman in White will appear in the backseat of your car. Visitors have reported hearing screaming, seeing phantom figures, or feeling unexplained, violent “thunks” on their cars. The area around the former Lagunita school, the “Hangman’s Tree,” and various bridges are considered high-activity areas. The road is historically associated with violence, accidents, and tales of bodies being dumped in the area. Some visitors to Old Stage Road claim that they have seen an ugly troll that walks sideways across the road. If you run over the Old Stage Road Troll, you will fall victim of being in a severe car accident that will occur within a week’s time.

201 Main St (Old Bank):
An old bank building where patrons have reported noises, including a woman calling for an altar, following a fatal, historic robbery. Some locals and visitors have reported seeing the Ski Mask Phantom. Lonnie Sinclair of Carmel says that he visited the bank and was confronted by a man with a ski mask on, outside of the bank. Lonnie pulled out his wallet and raised his hands, thinking he was being robbed. Lonnie dropped his wallet and went down to pick it up. When he stood up straight, the Ski Mask Phantom was gone. Lonnie realized he ran smack dab into a ghost.

Chualar Road:
A spot on this road is supposedly haunted by a Woman in Black who appears to drivers. The paranormal reputation of Chualar Road in Salinas is primarily defined by sightings of a vanishing female apparition and its historical connection to the “Chualar Tragedy,” one of the deadliest traffic accidents in U.S. history. The Ghostly Woman of Chualar Road is also known as the Woman in Black. This ghost has black hair and is seen walking along the side of the road at night. Multiple witnesses claim that as they drive past her, she simply vanishes. One specific report describes a motorcyclist who was thrown off his bike by an unseen force. He blacked out and, upon waking, saw a woman with black hair standing directly over him; she disappeared as soon as he blinked. Some drivers have reported striking a woman who suddenly appeared in front of their vehicle. Upon stopping to help, they find no person, no body, and no damage to their truck. Locals say the haunting originates with the Chualar Tragedy (1963). Much of the area’s haunted reputation stems from the Chualar Bus Crash on September 17, 1963. A freight train collided with a flatbed truck that had been illegally converted into a makeshift bus carrying 58 farmworkers. The accident killed 32 bracero workers and injured 25 others. The crash occurred at a railroad crossing near the intersection of Foletta Road and River-Chualar Road, about a mile outside Chualar. A memorial at the site, easily accessible via modern Foletta Road, commemorates the victims. While the tragedy is often cited as a reason the area is “haunted,” specific sightings of the workers themselves are less documented than the general “ghostly woman” legend.
Chualar Road is often mentioned alongside other nearby “haunted” locations in the Salinas Valley. One of those places is Crazy Horse Canyon Road. This nearby intersection with Old Stage Road is a frequent site for reported sightings of La Llorona (the Wailing Woman), a crying figure dressed in white who appears on deserted roads after midnight. Then there is Los Coches Adobe. I investigated Los Coches Adobe with 3 HPI (Halo Paranormal Investigations) investigators and we did obtain 5 EVPs of people speaking Spanish. Los Coches Adobe is located in nearby Soledad, this historic site is home to the “Lady in Black.” Visitors have reported feeling a presence pushing down on their chests, sometimes leaving perfect handprints on their skin when they wake. Last, but not least is Old Stage Road. Locals report phantom cars and the ghosts of women approaching vehicles to ask if the occupants have seen their dead children. “The Ghost Tracks” While some enthusiasts associate the “handprints on the car” legend (where the spirits of children push a car to safety over train tracks) with the Chualar bus accident, this is likely a misapplication of a famous urban legend from San Antonio, Texas. In the San Antonio version, putting a car in neutral on the “ghost tracks” supposedly results in it being pushed over the rails, leaving tiny handprints in baby powder sprinkled on the bumper. This DOES NOT happen at Chualar Road. This is a case where one legend mixes up with another legend.

HAUNTINGS NEAR SALINAS:

Fremont Peak:
Shadowy figures are reported to sprint across the road. Locals have said that “Lanky Man” has been seen running on the side of the road. At times Lanky Man is running so fast, he is keeping pace with your vehicle. Lanky Man is described as being skinny, dark, almost a stick figure and is about 7 feet tall. Psychic Medium Deanna Jaxine Stinson says that there is a portal at Fremont Peak and the shadowy figures, and Lanky Man are interdimensional beings.

Stokes Adobe (Nearby in Monterey):
Known for shifting furniture and disembodied voices.