THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The Banta Inn is widely rumored to be one of the most haunted places in California. The historic roadhouse is central to the following paranormal lore:Tony Gukan (The Ghost Bartender): The most famous entity is a former 1960s owner and bartender who died of a heart attack behind the bar. Employees frequently report opening the cash register to find a column of coins neatly stacked exactly the way Tony used to stack them. His apparition is occasionally seen sitting at dining tables or playing cards.The Fire Victims: The inn’s initial haunting rumors trace back to a catastrophic 1937 fire that destroyed the second floor. The spirits of a mother and daughter who tragically died in the blaze are blamed for disembodied crying and a phantom little blonde girl seen looking through the dining room windows.Poltergeist Activity: Kitchen and waitstaff frequently document aggressive poltergeist pranks, including swinging doors moving on their own, flying inventory, cocktail glasses sliding off tables, and the jukebox randomly turning on to play oldies.
Folks that live around these parts say that since the 1930s, the Banta Inn has been haunted. The ghost of Tony Gallegos, the former of the inn who died of a heart attack in the building, has been seen. Poltergeist pranks also have occurred in the bar area.