Point Sur Lighthouse

Sitting 361 feet above the surf, Point Sur Light Station has been operating since 1889. It is one of California's oldest and most remote lighthouses, built to guide ships along the treacherous Big Sur coast. Despite its bright light, at least a dozen shipwrecks occurred in sight of the lighthouse, including the 1894 wreck of the Los Angeles that claimed six lives. Ghost Adventures filmed an episode at this haunted lighthouse.

Perched 361 feet above the crashing Pacific surf on a massive volcanic rock, Point Sur Light Station has guided ships along California's treacherous Big Sur coast since 1889. Yet despite its powerful beacon, at least a dozen shipwrecks occurred within sight of the lighthouse, including the tragic 1894 sinking of the SS Los Angeles that claimed six lives—women and children among the dead. The souls lost to these rocky waters are believed to have followed the lighthouse's guiding lamp back to shore, where they now wander among the living.

Paranormal investigator and longtime docent Julie Nunes has documented as many as 20 spirits at Point Sur using EVP recordings, identifying 12 by name. Ruth's presence lingers in the restored 1950s kitchen where she once cooked for her family; she still closes the doors, seemingly protective of her domain. The voice of Catherine Ingersoll, a Danish immigrant married to lighthouse keeper John F. Ingersoll, was captured on audio saying "Pokey, go to bed"—a maternal command to her daughter Estella, whose childhood nickname was documented in historical records. Their daughter's spirit has reportedly bonded with investigators, sometimes heard singing or responding "I'm ready" when asked if anyone is present.

Former lighthouse keeper Tom Henderson manifests around the property where he once played cards with fellow keepers. Henderson witnessed one of Big Sur's most dramatic tragedies—on February 12, 1935, he watched the USS Macon, America's largest airship at 785 feet long, break apart in a storm three miles offshore. "At times it looked like some torn-up newspapers, not quite that color, but of that appearance," Henderson testified, describing fragments falling from the sky as the dirigible plunged into the sea. Two of the 83 crew members perished.

A tall man in dark blue 19th-century clothing frequently appears near the lighthouse tower and visitor center, believed to be a shipwreck victim or former keeper. Volunteer docent Sheila Fraser, whom colleagues call "the level-headed Canadian," once saw an apparition of a woman in turn-of-the-century dress while cleaning the head keeper's house early one morning. During the 2012 Ghost Adventures investigation, Zak Bagans' team captured EVPs including "careful," "Michael," "Admiral," and "I'm sick," along with unexplained crying sounds and the figure of a man in a dark blue suit in the Triplex Quarters.

The lighthouse was automated in 1972, and the last families departed in 1974, leaving behind the deserted houses, workshops, and barn that now cling to the rock's edge. But the keepers and their families—along with the souls who perished in the surrounding waters—seem reluctant to leave this remote and hauntingly beautiful station. "These are nice ghosts," Julie Nunes assures visitors. "Nothing evil or malevolent ever happened here." Today, moonlight ghost tours raise funds for lighthouse restoration, offering guests a chance to encounter the many spirits who call Point Sur home.