HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
A craftsman-style 1910 bed and breakfast on Catalina Island built by the Banning brothers, now a boutique lodge at Two Harbors, reportedly haunted by a mysterious White Lady, a fisherman spirit, and lingering presence near the cove where Natalie Wood drowned in 1981.
1 Banning House Road, Two Harbors, CA 90704
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Boutique B&B rates; ferry required from San Pedro or Long Beach to reach Catalina; check visitcatalinaisland.com for current pricing
Access
Limited Access
Hilltop property; stairs and uneven paths to reach lodge from ferry dock
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1910 · Built by the Banning Brothers who owned Catalina Island 1892–1919 · U.S. Coast Guard officer quarters during World War II · Overlooks the cove near where actress Natalie Wood drowned, November 1981
The Banning Brothers — Phineas, Joseph, and William — purchased Santa Catalina Island in 1892 and set about developing it as a tourist destination. They built the craftsman-style summer home at Two Harbors in 1910, hosting soirees and celebrations on the hilltop property overlooking both Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor. In approximately 1919, the family sold the island, and eventually the Santa Catalina Island Company, to William Wrigley Jr. of the chewing-gum family.
The house took on new roles over the following decades. During World War II it served as U.S. Coast Guard officer quarters. In the late 1950s it operated as a private girls sleep-away camp. It later served as a hunting lodge and as employee housing before being converted into the boutique bed and breakfast that operates today as the Banning House Lodge, a 12-room property under the management of the Catalina Island Company.
The lodge sits above the Two Harbors isthmus near the spot where actress Natalie Wood drowned on the night of November 28–29, 1981. Wood was aboard the yacht Splendour with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken when she disappeared from the boat and was later found drowned off Blue Cavern Point. The death was officially classified as accidental drowning in 1981, though the cause was amended in 2012 to 'drowning and other undetermined factors,' and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigation was reopened. The case remains unsolved.
Sources
According to Legends of America, Craig Owens's book Haunted by History Vol. 1 (which documents the Banning House Lodge among eight SoCal haunted hotels), and firsthand accounts reported in regional paranormal media, the lodge hosts multiple reported paranormal presences.
The most frequently encountered entity is the White Lady, a female apparition of completely unknown origin who has been spotted in multiple guest rooms standing at the window, gazing out silently, before fading. Unlike most White Lady traditions in California, no historical anchor — no keeper's wife, drowned lover, or named decedent — has been identified to explain her presence. Her identity remains a mystery.
A second presence is attributed to a fisherman's ghost, detected through the overwhelming smell of freshly caught fish combined with tobacco smoke in areas where neither odor should be present. This tradition, like the White Lady, appears in multiple independent accounts.
The nearby cove where Natalie Wood drowned in November 1981 has also generated reports of an apparition seen wandering the beach. Wood's death — officially 'drowning and other undetermined factors' as of 2012 — remains unsolved, and accounts attributing a beach apparition to her ghost circulate in paranormal literature and local lore. These claims should be understood as folklore in the context of a real and still-investigated tragedy.
Notable Entities
Stay in one of the 12 rooms of the historic 1910 Banning Brothers summer home, perched on a hilltop above Two Harbors with panoramic views of both Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor.
Some links on this page may earn HauntBound a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial picks are independent. Full disclosure
See current room rates and availability at Banning House Lodge.
Check rates and bookRates come from booking partners, so a small property may not be listed. Book direct with Banning House Lodge
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Free Guide
10 verified stops, rated for families, mapped in order. Free.
One email to confirm, then the guide link. Unsubscribe anytime.
Long Beach, CA
The RMS Queen Mary was constructed at John Brown & Company's Clydebank shipyard beginning in 1930, launched September 26, 1934, and sailed her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936. Requisitioned as a troopship in 1939, she carried 810,000 soldiers under the nickname 'The Grey Ghost.' The ship has been permanently moored in Long Beach, California since December 1967.
Bisbee, AZ
The Oliver House was built in 1909 by Edith Ann Oliver and her husband Henry Oliver to house executives of the Calumet & Arizona Mining Company. The building was converted to a bed and breakfast in 1986 and operates today as a historic inn in Bisbee, Arizona.
Apalachicola, FL
The Gibson Inn was built in 1907 as the Franklin Hotel at the height of Apalachicola's lumber and shipping trade. Sisters Annie Gibson Hayes and Mary Ellen Gibson purchased and renamed it in 1923. During World War II, the U.S. Army requisitioned it as officers' quarters near Camp Gordon Johnston. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.