San Diego is one damn popular city. So popular, in fact, that you don't even need to be alive to enjoy it  in fact, you may find yourself never leaving.

Like, ever.

Okay, so maybe that's taking it a bit far. But the fact is that San Diego is, among other things, a flocking-spot for ghosts, spirits, specters and whatever other supernatural creepy-crawlies you can think of. The air is thick with weird activity, especially once the lights have gone out and the sun is cowering somewhere beyond the horizon. So if you're one of those nutbars who loves being scared beyond belief, San Diego is the place to go.

Naturally when you first arrive you'll need a place to stay. But who needs to sleep these days? Check out one of San Diego's haunted hotels and begin your experience right away.

Thayer's Historic Bed n Breakfast is billed as one of the best in the area: not only does it sport comfortable beds and excellent service, but it's home to all sorts of ghostly activity. Even better, the place offers ghost hunting classes and psychic readings. (Way to cash in on dead people, guys.)

Or if you want something a bit more old-age without the classes, try the Hotel Coronado, which is over 100 years old and is the unearthly home to two women who committed suicide in the late 1900's. The halls are also said to be tread by a boy and a girl, an old caretaker and a Victorian lady who seems to love the hotel's dance floor.

Not everyone wants to sleep with the spirits; luckily for you, there are plenty of non-haunted condos and private homes to serve as your ghost-hunting headquarters. (Even Scooby had a Mystery Mobile, you know!)

Once you've staked out a hotel or condo that will keep you up all night give the sights a going-over. And though you can visit plenty of haunted places on your own, the best thing to do is probably go on a tour  and you can do so either in style or in a more conventional vehicle. In the former case you can drive around with San Diego's Ghostly Limo Tour, which has you visiting five or six haunted places a night while being chaperoned in a swanky limo. Or, if you want to save some cash, check out the Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours, which does basically the same thing for less money but with less swagger

But tour groups will only get you information, not actually let you see ghosts. You'll want to go solo eventually. And there's one place you simply must visit if you want a phantom encounter: the Whaley House Museum.

Ever since the place was renovated and opened as a museum in the 1960's the Whaley House Museum has been a home for specters, and is considered the most haunted house in the United States. Ghosts seen at the museum include the Whaley family themselves, a convict named Yankee Jim, a young girl who was a friend of the Whaleys and the Whaley's dog. Try going on an off day when the museum's not too busy and walk around alone  maybe you'll get lucky and see a few pieces of San Diego's history floating down a hallway.

San Diego. Ghost town of America. Give the place a shot; at worst you'll learn a lot about the area, and at best you'll be traumatized for life. Yay!

This guide to spooky San Diego was brought to you by Matt Bird.