Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainOrange County's oldest memorial park, founded 1911, featuring one of the region's first mausoleums and crematories. Visitors on the after-dark lantern tour occasionally report hearing faint crying in the lower level of the historic mausoleum.
1702 Fairhaven Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
After-dark lantern tour: approximately $32/person through Haunted Orange County. Cemetery grounds free to visit during regular hours.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Flat memorial park with paved paths; mausoleum interior accessible.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1911 · One of the first park-style cemeteries and mausoleums in Orange County, founded 1911 · Final resting place of prominent Orange County founding families including Irvine, Moulton, and Fluor · Historic mausoleum with stained-glass installations, dating to 1916
Fairhaven Memorial Park was conceived by Oliver L. Halsell and incorporated on August 28, 1911, along with fellow investors including Horatio Forgy. Halsell's vision was deliberately park-like: flat grave markers rather than upright monuments, expansive lawns shaded by Chinese elm, Hollywood juniper, and rare gingko trees. The design aimed to create a serene space for the living to visit as much as the dead to rest.
The centerpiece of the property is its historic mausoleum, begun in 1916 under Halsell's direction—one of the first structures of its kind in Orange County. The building was completed in stages through the 1930s, when a crematory was added in the basement, also among the first in the county. The mausoleum features stained-glass installations and houses the crypts of many prominent families who shaped early Orange County: the Irvines, the Moultons, and the Fluors among them.
The 73-acre grounds have been in continuous operation for over a century, still accepting burials under Dignity Memorial management. Historical preservation groups have documented the Civil War veterans interred here, and the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society maintains archival records and newspaper documentation dating from the late 1990s.
In 2020, Haunted Orange County—a paranormal tour operator with a decade of regional event history—launched the Fairhaven After-Dark Cemetery tour, offering scheduled candlelight walks through the mausoleum and grounds.
Sources
The paranormal tradition at Fairhaven Memorial Park is concentrated in its 1916 mausoleum, particularly the lower level. According to CBS Los Angeles (October 2016, reporter Truc Dever), 'the faint cry of a child can occasionally be heard in the lower level' of the mausoleum — an independently reported account of the legend appearing in mainstream regional press. The Coast Reporter (coastreportonline.com) separately quoted Nolan Meadnis, founder and lead investigator of the Orange County Paranormal Society, who noted stories of people seeing apparitions and shadows at Fairhaven while offering a cautious appraisal of claims. Haunted Orange County, which has operated the Fairhaven After-Dark Cemetery tour since 2020, also documents the tradition through its guided mausoleum walks.
Older Shadowlands accounts described a specific 'baby wall' section of children's crypts in the lower level as the focus of the reports. A subsequent update noted that this particular configuration 'no longer exists'—the crypts have reportedly been moved or dispersed, and a closed-circuit surveillance camera has been installed over the former location. The shift in the physical space makes direct comparison with earlier accounts difficult.
No named individual is attached to these reports, and no documented historical tragedy specifically involving children at this location has been independently verified. The sounds have not been captured in published recordings. The after-dark tours led by Haunted Orange County historian Charles Spratley emphasize the historical and architectural dimensions of the site; paranormal claims are presented as lore rather than documented phenomena.
Media Appearances
A 90-minute lantern-lit history tour through the memorial park and inside the historic 1916 mausoleum. Led by Haunted Orange County historian Charles Spratley. Not a paranormal investigation, but guests explore areas with reported activity.
Explore the 73-acre park with flat markers, mature trees, and the historic mausoleum exterior. Final resting place of prominent Orange County families including the Irvine, Moulton, and Fluor families.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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