Nob Hill Inn

Posted: 11.19.2019 | Updated: 03.31.2025

Tucked away in the fashionable community of Nob Hill, this vintage-era inn holds an air of mystery behind its ageless Edwardian exterior. Although not so different in appearance from many of the historic homes that dot the streets of this sophisticated neighborhood, inside, it holds many phantoms in its confines.

It is unknown whose structure stood before this triple-story townhouse arose from the dust of the San Francisco earthquake. However, they were undoubtedly monied enough to afford a residence in such a privileged neighborhood. It’s too bad the many ghosts inhabiting this inn aren’t able to tell us more.

Journey on to uncover the fascinating history of this neighborhood and the spirits who reside within the Nob Hill Inn. 

Hankering to peel back the layers of SF and uncover even more haunted destinations in Fog City? Book a San Francisco ghost tour with San Francisco Ghosts and plunge deeper into this city’s shadowy depths. 

Is the Nob Hill Inn Haunted? 

This unique inn is hard to surpass when it comes to haunted hotels in San Francisco. Located at 1000 Pine Street, the Nob Hill Inn is home to a vast number of spirits, many of whom are believed to be victims of the 1906 earthquake.

In fact, this quaint inn is so haunted that its specters outnumber the rooms. There is an 22 specters sprinkled throughout its 21 rooms and suites. All in all, a night in this century-old inn is bound to leave guests with a memorable stay. 

The Notable History of Nob Hill 

Before exploring the history of this historic inn, it’s necessary first to recount a little Nob Hill history. The neighborhood of Nob Hill first gained significance in the late 1800s as wealthy residents flocked to its hilly streets. Its sharp grade lent the area an air of exclusivity, distinguishing it from the bustling city down below.

This exclusive neighborhood bears strong ties to the railroad tycoons of San Francisco. In the late 19th century, several famed investors in the Central Pacific Railroad built their ornate dwellings on this picturesque slope, garnering it a new title: The Hill of Palaces. 

However, wealth would not protect these affluent families from all of life’s woes. The 1906 earthquake wreaked havoc across San Francisco. The elite neighborhood of Nob Hill was not shielded from its destruction. 

Some structures survived the catastrophic event, others did not. Although the Fairmont Hotel escaped its grasp, requiring repairs rather than a complete reconstruction, many more structures required rebuilding from the ground up. 

In 1912, apartments overtook the site where tycoon Leland Stanford’s 1876 mansion once stood. Demolished in 1968, these were replaced by the posh Stanford Court hotel.

Other grand structures appeared in the neighborhood as the memory of the earthquake faded into the past. Built upon the site of railroad magnate Mark Hopkins’ former mansion, The Mark Hopkins Hotel welcomed its first guests in 1926. 

Constructed not long after the savage earthquake, the Nob Hill Inn was originally intended as a private residence. Built-in 1907, this Edwardian-style townhouse spans three stories high with a series of windows overlooking Taylor Street. 

Today, the haunting inn stands in the shadows of many of these larger, more modern hotels. Perhaps this quaint, nuanced setting is what draws so many spirits to its charming location. 

Mischievous Phantoms Roam the Halls

The 21-room boutique hotel harbors an array of spirits inside, with some sources detailing as many as 22 ghosts within its walls. Said to be the spirits of those who died in the deadly San Francisco earthquake, they are quite the lively bunch. 

This crowd of spirits likes to entertain themselves in their endless afterlives by playing a variety of pranks on hotel guests. The eerie activity within this historic inn extends from these ghostly apparitions to otherworldly sensations. 

Guests tell tales of electrical oddities and missing items as if hidden from them. Some hear phantom footsteps ambling in empty hallways or strange knocks on their doors. Even appliances have been known to switch on and off, seemingly of their own accord. 

Spirits have also been reported to tamper with locks and tousle the rooms. According to one story, a housekeeper, having just cleaned a guest’s room, left to clean another. Upon returning to the original room she’d just tidied, she discovered the site freshly mussed as if the pesky phantoms were purposely undoing her work. 

But others have had far more tangible experiences. A few unsuspecting hotel patrons have described feeling a strange presence on their bed as if an unseen entity has taken up a seat beside them. Of course, a cursory glance reveals no one there — at least who can be seen by earthly eyes. 

Still more have witnessed rarely-seen apparitions along its uncanny corridors. A guest once complimented hotel staff on the quaint woman dressed in period attire who sat at the end of one such hallway, thinking that she was an employee. Baffled, the inn employees replied no such woman was hired. Yet, even stranger, no chair existed at the end of this otherworldly hallway. 

Ghosts of Affluence and Antiquity

While the antics of these deathless San Franciscans are intriguing, many who visit this storied site are left wondering who these spirits might be and why they linger. These undead residents of Nob Hill were likely affluent, torn from their cozy lives on the hill without warning amidst the terrifying earthquake that razed many homes.

The history of Nob Hill can be found in its very name. Stemming from the old word “nabob,” meaning a person of high status or affluence, the title suggests the type of residents once drawn to its thoroughfares. 

Its ghosts likely stem from the upper-class. Once nestled in luxury during their living years, they seek out equally lavish ones in the hereafter. Considering the historic nature of Nob Hill Inn, filled with furnishings reflective of the Edwardian period in which they passed, these ghosts may remain in this location due to its familiar comforts.

The walls of its many rooms are lined with patterned wallpaper that beckons to another area, and its windows, draped in thick swaths of tapestry-like fabric, lend rooms an aura of antiquity. Although some may find its timeless rooms spooky, the spirits seem quite at home. 

An assortment of antiques decorates the various rooms and communal spaces throughout the hotel. Some believe these old objects have only increased the number of spirits within the dwelling, carrying strange energies in their wooden bones—bringing even more spirits upon their arrival. 

Haunted San Francisco

The ghosts of Nob Hill Inn continue to knock on doors, startling guests with their unsettling escapades. To those who enter this historic haunt, be sure you lend these spirits the respect they deserve, or else they might decide to entertain themselves at your expense. 

To discover more haunted hotels in San Francisco, keep reading on our blog. For more spooky content, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok to fill your feed with spine-tingling delights. 

Yearning to hear more spectral tales of Frisco’s bizarre and chilling past in the flesh? Book a San Francisco ghost tour with San Francisco Ghosts and immerse yourself in this town’s strange and sinister history. 

Sources:

• https://www.thrifty.com/us/en/blog/cool-unusual/ghost-guide-san-francisco-most-haunted 
• https://kinokorealestate.com/blog/the-history-of-san-franciscos-nob-hill 
• https://www.adventure-life.com/united-states/california/san-francisco/hotels/stanford-court-hotel-san-francisco
• https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/intercontinental-mark-hopkins-hotel/
• https://dezithinks.com/2022/04/19/haunted-nob-hill-inn/ 
• https://www.hauntedrooms.com/california/san-francisco/haunted-places/haunted-hotels
• https://frightfind.com/nob-hill-inn/
• https://bonjourdarlene.com/2025/03/17/us-ghost-adventures-my-experience-exploring-san-franciscos-spooky-side/ 
• https://nobhillcompass.com/neighborhoods/nob-hill