Santa Barbara MTD

4 days ago

👻 Destination Haunting is back for Week 2! 🚌🎃

Our journey into the eerie history of Santa Barbara County continues — and this week, we're heading somewhere that has apparently been talking to ghosts since before it was haunted. 👀

Our 2nd haunted destination of the season takes us to:

📍 The Big Yellow House — Summerland
🚌 Getting there: Line 20
🚶 Closest stop: Ortega Hill & Evans — about a 2-minute walk

🏚️ The Haunting of the Big Yellow House

If anywhere in Santa Barbara County was going to have a few ghost stories, Summerland probably had a head start.

Founded in 1883 by Henry Lafayette Williams as a Spiritualist colony, the community became a gathering place for people who believed the living could communicate with the dead, often through mediums and séances. For decades, a séance room even stood at the center of town before it was demolished during the construction of Highway 101 in the 1950s.

So, you know...the ghosts were basically invited. 👻

According to Ghosts of Santa Barbara & the Ojai Valley by Evie Ybarra, the Big Yellow House itself was once the site of lively Spiritualist séances and later operated as a restaurant for many years.

And apparently, some visitors never checked out.

Stories surrounding the house tell of three distinct spirits.

During the 1970s, when the building operated as a restaurant, a ghostly woman was reportedly seen on the second floor after the restaurant had closed for the night.

Another apparition is said to be a beautiful young woman dressed in clothing from the early 1900s, who has reportedly appeared in the parlor and powder room.

And then there's the basement. 👀

Legend says the spirit of a man murdered there when the space served as a wine cellar in the 1920s still haunts the room. Late at night, people have reportedly heard boxes being moved and witnessed lights turning on and off on their own.

Three spirits. One very yellow house. And a town literally founded by people trying to communicate with the dead.

Honestly, Summerland...you weren't exactly discouraging this. 👻😂

Whether the stories are history, legend, or something a little harder to explain is up to you.

But if you decide to investigate for yourself...

Just remember: MTD can get you there.

What happens after you get off the bus is between you and the ghosts. 🚌💀

📷 First photo: Ghosts of Santa Barbara and the Ojai Valley by Evie Ybarra
📷 Additional photos: johnhendersonrealestate.com

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John Henderson | Santa Barbara Real Estate

johnhendersonrealestate.com

Santa Barbara real estate agent, John Henderson, welcomes the opportunity to serve you today in whatever phase of real estate you may be in. Work with him now!