Stay Eat Events Weather Beaches

Ghost Tours of Oregon Coast's Heceta Head Lighthouse BnB Offered

Published 09/16/22 at 6:05 PM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

Ghost Tours of Oregon Coast's Heceta Head Lighthouse BnB Offered

Latest Coastal Lodging News Alerts
In Seaside:
Includes exclusive listings; some specials in summer
In Cannon Beach:
Includes rentals not listed anywhere else
In Manzanita, Wheeler, Rockaway Beach:
Some specials for summer
In Pacific City, Oceanside:
Some specials for summer
In Lincoln City:
Some specials for summer
In Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach:
Some specials for summer
In Newport:
Look for some specials
In Waldport
Some specials for summer
In Yachats, Florence
Some specials for summer
Southern Oregon Coast Hotels / Lodgings
Reedsport to Brookings, places to stay; summer deals

(Florence, Oregon) – There's shades of the old flick Ghost and Mrs. Muir here, at this ancient Oregon coast lighthouse. Purportedly a harmless, even friendly spirit wanders the keeper's quarters at Florence's Heceta Head Lighthouse, scaring people but maybe even cleaning up on occasion. She doesn't dole out advice, like the ghost in the old '60s movie, but she seems like she's trying to be helpful. (Photo copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

It's in that “spirit” that the Halloween season sees the Ghost Story Tours of the Keeper's House at Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast on October 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Show up to the Heceta Head Lightstation that day and experience the history and hear ghostly stories from past B&B guests and staff of the Heceta Head Lightkeeper's House. Each tour will be approximately 20-30 minutes and limited to 15 people. Reservations and donations are required.

It's one heck of a way to dig into the atmosphere of the season.

Call 541-547-5490 or email Kelly@hecetalighthouse.com to reserve your spot. Parking is available at the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint parking lot for $5, card only.

Heceta Head Lighthouse is the only one on the Oregon coast that still has its keeper's quarters. It's been turned into that charming little BnB and in fact is on the national historic registry.

Hauntings have long been part of the lore here, and there have actually been some fairly credible witnesses to it all. For a long time, the family that owns the place has maintained they just think of the ghost as a member of the family now. She has the nicknames “Gray Lady” or “Rue,” often appearing as either an elderly woman or a grayish, smoke-like figure of a woman that quickly dissipates. One version of this long-spun Oregon coast tale is that she is the mother of a baby whose grave sits hidden somewhere on the grounds. Another version says she is the person in this secret grave.

In any case, she doesn't seem out to spook anyone.

Early stories of spotting the happy-go-lucky geist involve workmen who’ve encountered the otherworldly lady and ran off in fear. One man actually refused to finish working inside one room, and would only continue working on a window from the outside – even after he broke it. He wouldn’t even venture in to clean it up.

In the middle of the night, the family living there heard sweeping noises somewhere upstairs. The next day, they discovered the mess had been swept into a neat little pile.

Two of the more credible witnesses of this ghost are famed Oregon scenic photographers Steve Terrill (who passed away in 2021) and Larry Geddis. Terrill spoke to Oregon Coast Beach Connection editor Andre’ Hagestedt in 2001 (before the publication existed) and told him how the pair were staying at the B&B while shooting photos of the area. At one point, they spotted what looked like the figure of a woman in the window of Geddis’ room, if only briefly. When they later discovered there was absolutely no one in the building at the time, Terrill said Geddis was visibly disturbed by this.

Later, Terrill said, they discovered some small objects in Geddis’ room had been moved.

There are some other fascinating bits of Heceta Head history. Also see:
Surprisingly, One Man Connects Oregon Coast Lighthouses at Heceta Head, Terrible Tilly

Inside Heceta Head / Cliffs Near Florence: All Come from Oregon Coast Volcano 

Lost Parts of Oregon Coast: When They Blasted Rocks at Heceta Head

Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Yachats Maps and Virtual Tours


MORE PHOTOS BELOW







Photos above courtesy Heceta Head Lightstation


More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....


Coastal Spotlight


LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Oregon / Washington Coast Alerts: Flood Watch, First Big Waves of Season
Floods, lots of rain, high winds and some rather good storm watching, beach safety
Sea Lions Sick with Leptospirosis on Oregon Coast: Keep Pets, Yourselves Away
Stay clear of sick or dead sea lions. Marine sciences, beach safety
Yachats Oktoberfest Takes German Culture on Oregon Coast to New Levels with L...
A kind of accordian-palooza, there's beer, brats, wine and waves, Sept 29 - Oct 1. Yachats events
At Seal Rock's NW Curtis St.: Funky Little Oregon Coast Access with No Name
NW Curtis St., not far from Newport, Yachats or Waldport
Seaside Event Digs Into Mysterious Bayocean, the Oregon Coast Ghost Town
September 28 at 6 p.m. at Seaside Brewing. History, Seasode events, Tillamook
Central Oregon Coast Artist Shows at Florence Visitor Center
Regina 'Reggie' Oflock of Sea Gypsy Cottage Gallery. Florence events
Small Vessel Strands on Central Oregon Coast's South Beach, Cause Unknown
Fishing vessel Judy stuck on a Newport beach. Florence events, Newport events, Lincoln City events, Yachats
SOLVE Cleanup Finds on Oregon Coast Include a Whale
This carcass had been in the news before, victim of orcas. At Otter Rock near Newport. Marine sciences

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted