Written By Mauricio Segura // Image Created By: The Golden Bay Times Graphics Dept.
Some houses creak in the night. Others have doors that rattle, windows that refuse to stay closed, and shadows that seem to have a mind of their own. Then there is San Francisco's Haas-Lilienthal House, a Victorian mansion with 140 years of history and enough ghostly whispers to make even the bravest visitor glance over their shoulder.
Standing at 2007 Franklin Street in Pacific Heights, this magnificent mansion looks as though it belongs in a Gothic mystery. Its towering turret, elaborate woodwork, dramatic rooflines, and grand windows are reminders of an era when wealthy San Franciscans built homes that were practically castles.
But behind those elegant walls lies something considerably more intriguing than beautiful architecture.
Built in 1886 for businessman William Haas and his wife, Bertha, the 11,500-square-foot Queen Anne mansion became home to three generations of their family. Its rooms witnessed decades of celebrations, heartbreak, changing fortunes, and the everyday lives of the people who called it home.
Then, on April 18, 1906, disaster struck.
A massive earthquake devastated San Francisco, followed by fires that swallowed entire neighborhoods. Yet somehow, the Haas-Lilienthal House survived. The flames stopped near Van Ness Avenue, just a block away, sparing the magnificent residence from destruction.
The mansion would also survive the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, further securing its reputation as one remarkably stubborn piece of San Francisco history.
But surviving disasters is one thing. Surviving death might be another.
Over the years, ghost stories have become part of the mansion's mystique. Paranormal folklore collected by HauntBound describes sightings of an elderly woman sitting quietly in an upstairs room and a mysterious man dressed in what appears to be a chauffeur's uniform near the back staircase.
Other tales involve objects seemingly moving without explanation and windows reportedly opening on their own. These stories remain unverified, but they provide an eerie backdrop for a building where generations once lived and worked.
Interestingly, the chauffeur legend has a historical connection worth considering. The household employed numerous domestic workers, including a chauffeur named Morton Vrang, who built an elaborate model railroad for a young family member. Whether the reported apparition has any connection to an actual former employee is entirely unknown.
Perhaps the most fascinating account comes from someone who actually lived inside the mansion.
In a 2014 interview with Houzz, longtime caretaker Heather Kraft discussed the strange sounds she had heard while residing in the historic home. Although she said she had never personally seen a ghost there, she acknowledged hearing footsteps, voices, and laughter.
Imagine hearing laughter somewhere in an enormous Victorian mansion after the visitors have departed and the lights have gone out.
Kraft, however, was hardly terrified. She joked that living people frightened her considerably more than dead ones.
That combination of unexplained noises, colorful legends, and genuine history makes the mansion especially appealing during Halloween.
And in October 2026, the building is embracing its mysterious reputation with an unusual new attraction.
Welcome to House of Weird.
Presented by San Francisco Heritage and the wonderfully eccentric Gregangelo Museum, this limited Halloween adventure transforms the historic mansion into an immersive world of theatrical surprises, strange encounters, darkness, and sensory illusions.
The experience begins in the ballroom, where guests can enjoy themed beverages before entering the darker reaches of the mansion.
From there, things become decidedly less predictable.
Instead of a conventional haunted house filled with familiar horror clichés, visitors travel through an imaginative collection of mysterious chambers and unsettling theatrical environments. Flickering lights, lasers, ultraviolet effects, and complete darkness help create an atmosphere where nothing feels quite ordinary.
The haunted portion lasts approximately 45 minutes, while the overall experience is listed at 90 minutes. Guests can also enjoy the ballroom bar and optional tarot readings.
And there is one particularly delicious detail. Phones must be turned off during the haunted journey.
No flashlight app. No reassuring screen. Just you, your fellow adventurers, and a Victorian mansion that has witnessed more than a century of human history.
Of course, theatrical hauntings are not evidence of supernatural activity. Neither are unexplained sounds or stories passed down through the years. But the mansion's history offers something that no artificial haunted attraction can reproduce: authenticity.
These are real rooms where real people lived, worked, celebrated, and eventually passed into history.
Whether their spirits remain is a question nobody can answer with certainty.
Perhaps the greatest mystery isn't whether the Haas-Lilienthal House is haunted, but how much of the past remains hidden within its walls.
And if you happen to hear footsteps behind you while exploring its dimly lit corridors, remember that the evening's performers aren't necessarily the only characters associated with this remarkable old house.
The Haas-Lilienthal House is located at 2007 Franklin Street, San Francisco, California 94109. House of Weird continues October 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, and 31, 2026, with admission times every 30 minutes between 7:30 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $66 per person, plus applicable fees, and guests must be at least eight years old. Advance reservations are recommended. Regular historical tours are available on select Wednesdays at 12:30 and 2 p.m. and Saturdays at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. General admission is $10, with children 12 and younger admitted free. For information, call (415) 441-3000, email info@sfheritage.org, or visit www.haas-lilienthalhouse.org. House of Weird reservations are available through www.gregangelomuseum.com.
