Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Photography By: Carol Sullivan
Locations Featured:
Mission Inn
Overall: Recommended
Links:
View More || View Less
YOUR HOSTESS
dystopia Magazine's Editor of
Theater & Entertainment
You know her, and we love her.
The wonderful Carol Sullivan, with her great passion of travel and scares, initiated dystopia Magazine's Haunted Tours section to keep you in the know of everything scary around America.
Check back for her next installment!
|
|
 Photography By: Carol Sullivan
In 1873, a woman named Eliza Tibbets received two Brazilian navel orange trees from a friend at the Department of Agriculture and soon the fruit's successful cultivation started a California Gold Rush of a different sort; the California citrus industry was born. By 1875, thanks to the booming citrus industry, Riverside was well established as the wealthiest city per capita.
Captain Christopher Columbus Miller, a land surveyor, arrived in Riverside with his son, Frank, in 1874 for work on the Gage Canal. Captain Miller loved the area and built the Glenwood Tavern in 1876, but it was little more than a 12-room boarding house.
Not long after, for a whopping $5,ooo , his son, Frank, purchased the tavern from him and began expansion on the grounds. The young Frank Miller wanted to create a luxurious European resort; where people would come from far and wide to spend a season, not just a weekend.
The Mission Inn began to grow. Construction of the enormous hotel lasted from 1902-1931; eventually completing the four sections of grand buildings styled after the California Missions. Bringing treasures from his worldly travels, Frank also had the builders incorporate these antiques into the very walls and pillars of the impressive hotel. Grand courtyards, wings of lavish guest rooms and even an ornate chapel with a gold sculptured wall attracted many a traveler and guest.
  Photography By: Carol Sullivan
But, it seems, not all of the residents of the Mission Inn are paying guests. According to the staff and visitors, the Inn's numerous ghosts are an ever-present reminder of its colorful past.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Riverside to attend the Mission Inn tour; an informative and fascinating hour that I truly enjoyed. Our guide, the soft-spoken Barbara, took our small group through the enormous and ornate buildings where we learned some of the history of the Inn. Though Barbara had no tales of the supernatural that she was willing to share, I did notice a moment of discomfort in her eyes after she had led us down the spiral Rotunda staircase. With its low railing and uneven cement steps, I could tell that it was less than a safe stairwell; I was keenly aware that one wrong slip and over-the-railing I'd go. When we reached the stone floor at the bottom, a young lady with us on the tour asked if anyone had ever fallen from the 3-story high stairs or committed suicide there. I spun around to see Barbara's reaction to the question. She gave me a strange look and said softly; "We don't talk about that."
I didn't pursue Barbara any further about her comment, but I had no trouble believing that stair-well to be the location of some strange occurrences or even deaths. So, I did a little digging and found some fascinating accounts from people who really were willing to talk of their ghostly encounters at the Inn.
In room 373, a few guests have been awoken during the night by an unseen ghost tapping softly on their right cheek. One guest even said that she heard eerie whispering in her ear throughout the night, and got little sleep at all during her stay. During those nights, she had been afraid to open her eyes, for fear of seeing the ghost for herself.
It is also reported that in room 215, blue orb-like lights, the size of bowling balls, have been seen during the night; dancing and bouncing around the room. These orbs have so frightened some of the guests; it is said that a few have promptly checked-out in the middle of the night. I also had heard that the two-story honey-moon suite has also scared a few newlyweds from their stay, though I could find no actual reports or details of events in the fabled room.
The Mission Inn is reportedly haunted by the Miller Family and tales abound; staff hearing the sounds of singing coming from empty guest rooms, guests reportedly being touched and even pushed by unseen hands, and wide-spread equipment malfunctions. Some have even seen apparitions sitting on hall benches and floating near the ceiling of the dining room.
 Photography By: Carol Sullivan
Though the Mission Inn is a great place to spend some time, it is not the only haunted place in Riverside to visit. The Old Evergreen Cemetery is also a favorite haunt of local ghost hunters. It is reported to be one of the most haunted places in the city and its numerous ghosts have startled more than a few visitors over the years. These ghostly energies make their presence known through cold spots, creepy disembodied voices and even show up as orbs in many photos. The old cemetery definitely has an unsettling air about it, especially at night.
It is also said that the California Baptist University is also haunted by some persistent ghosts. Students, staff and administrators have all reported ghostly sightings at the school which is the former location of a demolished insane asylum. The sighting most spoken of is supposedly the ghost of a young man named Jamie who died in a car accident nearly a decade ago. The troubled young spirit is often mistaken for a real person because of his interaction with frightened witnesses. It is said that Jamie was a student at the University and people who have spoken with him said that his spirit looks terribly sad and lost.
So, if you find yourself in sunny Southern California, take an hour drive east of Los Angeles and explore these three great haunted locales. It makes for an enjoyable day and you just never know who you might see, or who might just see you...
|
