Orange County Paranormal Society

Sometimes, people take the stories they read on the internet too seriously. In this case, I'm talking about stories of hauntings and paranormal activity. Sure, listings of haunted places, such as The Shadowlands, feature intriguing tales of local hauntings in your area...but are they necessarily true?

The answer is a big NO!

The problem with those types of sites is that any Joe Schmo with an internet connection can make entries and even make amendments to existing entries. Nothing is researched or verified. The website takes the user's word on it and unfortunately there is a plethora of false stories included in these listings. These lists are also poorly maintained, with many locations no longer in existence.

Since OCPS was created on the pure fact of scientifically trying to prove or disprove a haunting, we decided to share with you the list of SoCal's most notable "haunted" locations, and the truth that lies beneath the story. All disproved locations were a direct result of an investigation or thorough research and contact with the location's owner or official.

1. K-Mart - 10870 Katella Ave. Anaheim, CA

If I had a nickel for every "haunted" K-Mart I've read about, I could clean up on the next blue-light special. It's the same stories over and over, most commonly the claims of things falling off shelves. First, this K-Mart is not haunted. Period. Second, take the time to think that the merchandise which is stocked on the store shelves is put there by half-asleep first year community college students who are running on 3 cans of Monster. There's going to be a time or two where an item isn't completely secure and will fall off the shelf given the smallest vibration.

2. Stanley House - 12174 Euclid St. Garden Grove, CA

Just because a house is old and has historical value doesn't mean it's haunted. There is also no historical reason as to why the Stanley House might be haunted. Aside from one or two posts scattered on the net, there are no concrete accounts of actual paranormal activity. I guess any home built pre-1900 has to be haunted, right?

3. Black Star Canyon - Santa Ana Mountains, Orange County, CA

There are many stories about why Black Star Canyon is "haunted", however, there is little fact that supports it. The claim to the famous "indian massacre" started because people have claimed to hear tribal drums late at night and think it's paranormal. The drums actually come from the squatters up there, who have drum circles and bonfires. Throughout the research we've done on the place, we have yet to find reliable evidence of any massacre. The indians who lived up there were a very small tribe. Due to the overpopulation of grizzly bears at the time, no tribes really wanted to inhabit the canyon. There are a few websites that go into huge stories about a massacre, but other reliable historical documents we read only mention a small skirmish over supposedly stolen horses. It has been near impossible to find the actual truth about the place. It's like an urban legend that keeps getting spread, and every new person that tells it changes some of the details.

4. Los Rios Street - San Juan Capistrano, CA

The stories of Los Rios Street are no doubt some of the most popular in Orange County. The question is, is there any truth to them? I can tell you that after extensive research and meeting with the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society, there have been no documented ghost sightings within the past 30 years. In fact, the current stories which are out there are attributed to less than a handful of people. Just like the number of "haunted K-Marts" that are out there, the number of stories about a "white lady" are no exception. Just google white lady and see what kind of results come up. It seems to be a favorite amongst ghost story tellers. Another "sighting" on Los Rios Street is that of a headless monk. This one is interesting, considering monks were never a fixture of the mission nor the area itself, let alone one ever being beheaded. I believe it is mutually agreed upon by most locals that the stories of Los Rios Street are just that - a product of inhibriated bar patrons needing something to talk about.

5. Yorba Family Cemetery - Yorba Linda, CA

The pink lady - if you've spent enough time in the O.C., it's almost impossible to not know about this legend. Alvina Yorba de los Reyes apparently lost her life back in 1910 when on the way home from a school dance, the buggy she was riding in crashed and ejected her. Rumor has it she was wearing a pink dress that night. Here's the problem: research done of the county's burial records show that there was indeed an Alvina Yorba de los Reyes who died in 1910 and is buried at the Yorba cemetery. Confused? That's because the records show that she was 31 years old and died of pneumonia. In shock yet? I'm not done. Chris Jepsen of OC Archives revealed that retired Yorba Linda librarian Mary Ruth Erickson made up the story of the pink lady because she needed a Halloween tale for a children's story time. I guess this explains why The OC Parks Dept. won't let anyone try and get a glimpse of the pink lady after the stickly enforced 10pm curfew. Could it be that they know this story is pure myth and not fact? You be the judge.