Halloween on Catalina Island: fun, sun and ghosts?

Chuck Liddell, Catalina’s unofficial island historian and walking tour host, has heard the stories for years: unexplained sounds, weird apparitions, lights that switch on and off by themselves.

This year for the first time, Liddell is examining the spookier side of Catalina Island with haunted Catalina tours, set to begin on Halloween (Friday).

Haunted tours: The two-hour tours will include stops at the iconic Catalina Casino, where Liddell claims to have seen a ghost wearing a brown, three-piece suit. He also claims to have heard the casino organ play by itself.

Another spooky stop is the Holly Hill House (shown above), the landmark Queen Anne-style cottage on the bluff overlooking Avalon Bay. Liddell tells the story of construction workers who heard strange noises on the second floor while doing repair work at the house. Someone decided to sprinkle flour on the floor and the next day found small footprints.

From 1921 to 1951, Catalina served as spring training headquarters for the Chicago Cubs. Now, visitors say they have seen players in Cub uniforms walking across the courtyard of the Catalina Country Club Restaurant.

More info: The tours run Sundays through Fridays by reservation only. Adults: $15, seniors: $10. The tour is not recommended for children younger than 15. Contact: (310) 510-1356 or go to Avalon Walk-About Tours.

How to get to Catalina Island: Transportation options for getting to and from Catalina Island from Los Angeles.

– Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Photo: Avalon, Catalina Island's main town, hugs the coast. Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 2:07 pm by Hugo Martin and is filed under California, Catalina Island, Islands & Beaches, Tours & Cruises, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.