SANTA BARBARA HAUNTINGS | Luxury Realtor Cristal Clarke

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Over the years, Santa Barbara hauntings have been a popular attraction among visitors, especially during the spooky season. But exploring the haunted side of the American Rivera is not only for tourists. Local attractions and ghost tours are a great way to explore our fine city in a totally new light while learning a little about the eerie history of Santa Barbara.

Boo! Did you know that our sleepy beach town is filled with an array of mysteries and histories dating back to the time when the Chumash Indians thrived here and were later colonized by the Spanish? Well, our fine city has plenty of creepy, hair-raising, unbelievable ghost stories surrounding sacred Chumash land and historic buildings, including:

Facade tower of Mission Santa Barbara against backdrop of mountains and blue sky — Photo by Earl Wilcox on Unsplash

Santa Barbara Mission and Jail
Ghosts, monks, and nuns supposedly haunt the Santa Barbara Mission. Believers have also seen the ghost of a murdered woman manifest as a cold mist that haunts the nearby jail.

Santa Barbara Community College
Check out the grassy area closest to the ocean of Santa Barbara Community College. A lady in white reportedly haunts it. She often appears wearing a white, flowy dress with her white shawl after sunset. Legend has it she disappears in a misty blue light or runs towards the bluff's edge only to jump off towards Shoreline Drive. Many stories surround her haunting ways. Some believe she’s a Native American killed by Spanish soldiers. Others say she’s a woman who died while giving birth and now searches for the comfort of her husband. College students claim she committed suicide by running over the grassy area and diving off the bluff.

Image courtesy of Wiki Commons

The Lobero Theatre
As California's oldest, continuously operating theatre, The Lobero is ripe with ghost stories. So much so that the staff leaves a light on all night, every night, called the Ghostlight. The most common ghastly encounter involves a former stagehand and night watchman, Harry Pideola. Harry, who passed away in the theatre, is said to stomp around at night and play tricks on the staff. Another ghostly figure is frequently seen in the crowd or wings of the stage, wearing a top hat and tails.

Casa de la Guerra
The former residence of the 5th commandant of the Presidio de Santa Barbara, Jose de la Guerra y Noriega, is now purportedly haunted by a mysterious woman in black. She often appears distressed and upset by anyone who sees her. But, those who’ve seen her say she’s harmless.

The Big Yellow House
Located in Summerland, a town founded by Spiritualists, this former restaurant is said to be haunted by multiple spirits. And if you want to check it out, beware: these spirits congregate down in the former wine cellar.

Painted Cave
Ghostly voices recorded on tape, strange flute music, and supernatural orbs have been reportedly seen in this cave which is covered with pictographs. The story behind these unexplained phenomena reportedly has to do with a guerrilla war staged by Native American rebels against Spanish missionaries. The rebels were eventually caught and executed, but believers say their spirits are alive inside the cave.

Stacked barrels deep inside a dark wine cellar — Photo by Daniel Vogel on Unsplash

Santa Barbara Spooky Ghost Tours

As you can see from the list above, you don't have to travel far to invoke the thrill of the unknown resulting in a jolt of instant panic for those who are into an adrenaline rush. If that’s you, but you’d rather experience the ghoulish side of the American Rivera surrounded by other living souls, you’re in luck. Santa Barbara Ghost Tours offers a number of spooky, fun group tours designed to introduce you to our friendly ghosts. Just make a reservation…if you dare…

Santa Barbara Ghost Tours
There are several ghoulish tours to choose from to experience what’s known as the city of friendly ghosts. The most popular, The Veil is Lifted Ghost History & Mystery Tour, is a dog-friendly adventure beginning with a spiritual protection package for all who dare to join in the fun. Other tours include the Wine Tasting, Ghost History & Mystery Storytelling Walk Paranormal Pairing, where you can wine taste with the spirits.

Santa Barbara hauntings are fun to experience, but you probably wouldn’t want to live in a ghostly zone. Not to worry. There are many exquisite homes for sale in the area that aren’t haunted (as far as we know). I would be happy to arrange a tour of any property currently on the market in Montecito, Hope Ranch, or any of Santa Barbara's upscale communities. Just call me at (805) 886-9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. Happy Halloween!

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Client Reviews

“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”

- S.N. Decker Ph.D.

“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”

- Johan and Paula van den Berg

“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”

- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

- Rob & Judi Kelch