Entry No. 28 — the Monterey file — filed under: house museum

Robert Louis Stevenson House

In this 1830s boarding house, proprietor Manuela Girardin nursed her husband through the typhoid that killed him in 1879, then her two grandchildren fell sick, and while caring for them she caught the fever herself and died on December 21, 1879 — the grandchildren lived. Docents and visitors still report the nursery rocking chair moving on its own and a phantom whiff of carbolic acid, the disinfectant of the era.

The move: Take the docent walkthrough of the rooms Robert Louis Stevenson rented in 1879 while broke and dining 'on the cuff' at a nearby cafe, waiting to reunite with Fanny Osbourne, then check the nursery for the chair before you leave.

• 📍 Old Town Monterey
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 530 Houston St, Monterey, CA 93940

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · hauntedplaces.org

last checked: 2026-07-20