Haunted hotel guide · Upper Lake, California
The Haunted Featherbed Railroad B&B, Clear Lake: Sleeping in a Caboose With Ghosts
On the north shore of Clear Lake, guests sleep in restored railroad cabooses around a 19th-century main house. Some of them come home with stories of cigar smoke, footsteps on the caboose steps and a man in striped pajamas.
Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast is a small, family-owned inn at 2870 Lakeshore Boulevard, between Nice and Upper Lake in Lake County. Since 1989 its guests have slept in vintage railroad cabooses, each converted into a private themed cottage, set on lawns that run down to the shore of Clear Lake. Breakfast is served in the historic main house, which dates to the 1800s.
It is not a grand hotel, but it has a surprisingly persistent ghostly reputation. A BedandBreakfast.com list of the most haunted bed and breakfasts once put it in first place, and owners, staff and guests describe the smell of cigar smoke with no smoker in sight, figures moving between the cabooses late at night and shadows in the main house. If you have ever wanted to spend a night in a caboose, this is the place to do it with the lights off.
Featherbed Railroad at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 2870 Lakeshore Boulevard, Upper Lake, CA 95485 (north shore of Clear Lake; older listings say Nice, CA)
- Opened Main house 1800s; opened as a caboose bed and breakfast in 1989
- Most haunted spots The historic main house, the caboose grounds at night, the caboose steps
- Best-known ghosts A man in striped pajamas or a striped suit; shadow figures between the cabooses; cigar smoke with no source
- Booking the haunted room No single caboose is singled out. Book directly with the inn by phone (707-274-8378) or through its website.
- Good to know The cabooses sit several feet off the ground, so there are steps to climb. Homemade breakfast is included. Some cabooses have jetted tubs, and there is a hot tub and a dock on the lake.
The ghosts of Featherbed Railroad
The man in striped pajamas
When BedandBreakfast.com published its list of the ten most haunted bed and breakfasts in the country, Featherbed Railroad came first. The entry was short: guests stay in one of nine former railroad cabooses, and sightings of a man in striped pajamas have been reported.
A 2016 Lake County tourism article on local hauntings told a similar story, describing guests who saw a man in a striped suit in their room. Nobody has suggested who he might be.
Life in the cabooses after dark
Most reports come from the cabooses themselves. Guests have described lights switching on and off, belongings moved from where they were left, footsteps climbing the caboose steps after dark when nobody is outside, and windows opening and shutting on their own.
Owners and staff, past and present, describe figures moving between or around the cabooses late at night. Others mention whispers, doors that open or close by themselves, odd markings and phone or camera batteries that drain unusually quickly.
Cigar smoke and the main house
The most distinctive report is the sudden smell of cigar smoke in places where nobody is smoking. It turns up both on the grounds and in the main house, the oldest building on the property.
Inside the house, people describe shadow-like shapes moving through the rooms and lights that flicker without explanation. The house is where breakfast is served each morning, so every guest gets a chance to see it.
Why here?
Believers point to the many layers of history on the site: generations of travelers in Lake County’s resort era, railroad cars that spent decades on the tracks before arriving here, and the much older history of the Pomo people of Clear Lake. It is a theory rather than a record.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- The themed cabooses: Nine guest cabooses, each with its own theme, such as Casablanca, Easy Rider, The Great Gatsby and Murder on the Orient Express. Reports come from several, not one.
- The main house: The 1800s house at the heart of the property, where breakfast is served and shadows are reported.
- The grounds at night: Where figures are seen moving between the cabooses and cigar smoke drifts by.
History of Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast
Lake County was a busy resort region from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, when Bay Area families came for the fresh air, the mineral springs and the water of Clear Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake entirely within California. The Featherbed Railroad property grew out of that era, and its main house dates to the 1800s.
In 1989 the property opened as a bed and breakfast built around restored railroad cabooses. There are eleven cabooses on site, nine of them fitted out as themed guest rooms, along with a red phone booth, a model train in the dining room and a private dock on the lake.
The inn has changed hands over the years. Previous owners Paul and June Vejar told Lake County’s tourism office that soon after they took over, the Valley Fire swept through the county and their cabooses filled with people looking for somewhere to stay. Today it is owned by Alexandra “Ali” Hunt, who has described her aim as preserving and reviving a historic lakeside property.
Tips for a haunted stay
- Book direct. The inn is not on Booking.com; reserve through its website or by phone, and ask which cabooses guests talk about.
- Take a walk after dark. The grounds and the lake shore are where figures and cigar smoke are reported.
- Bring layers and a flashlight. Clear Lake nights can be cool, and the cabooses are reached by steps.
- Check the pet policy. Dog Trekker lists it as welcoming dogs under 30 pounds; confirm with the inn before you go.
- Explore Lake County. The area is known for wineries, and the Lake County tourism office has collected other local ghost stories from museums and inns.
- Want to investigate with a team? Haunted Rooms runs ghost hunts at historic venues across the US.
More haunted hotels nearby
- Claremont Resort & Club, Berkeley: a haunted grand hotel in the Bay Area
- Queen Anne Hotel, San Francisco: a Victorian school turned hotel with a famous headmistress ghost
- Haunted places in Sacramento: Gold Rush ghosts about two hours east
- Haunted hotels in California
Stayed in one of these hotels? Tell us what happened
We collect first-hand accounts from guests and add the best ones to our guides, with your first name and the date of your stay. We read every story before it’s published.
Frequently asked questions
Is Featherbed Railroad haunted?
It has a strong local reputation. Guests and staff report cigar smoke with no source, footsteps on the caboose steps, lights switching on and off and a man in striped pajamas. BedandBreakfast.com once ranked it first among the most haunted B&Bs in the country.
Where is Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast?
At 2870 Lakeshore Boulevard, Upper Lake, on the north shore of Clear Lake in Lake County, about two and a half to three hours north of San Francisco. Older listings give the town as Nice.
How many cabooses are there at Featherbed Railroad?
There are eleven cabooses on the property, nine of them converted into themed guest rooms.
Is breakfast included at Featherbed Railroad?
Yes. A homemade breakfast is served in the historic main house.
Is Featherbed Railroad on Booking.com?
No. Book through the inn’s own website or by calling 707-274-8378.
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the hotel’s own website, historic records and news coverage. Ghost stories are reported as guests, staff and local historians tell them. Read how we rate haunted hotels.
- Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast (official site)
- Lake County: A haunted history of Lake County (2016)
- Travel Agent Central: BedandBreakfast.com names its top ten most haunted B&Bs
- Lake County: A soft ride, the Featherbed Railroad
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast
- Dog Trekker: Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast
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About the authors
The Haunted Rooms Team runs public ghost hunts and overnight investigations at historic venues across the United States. We research every hotel in our guides using hotel histories, local archives, news coverage and the accounts of guests and staff, and we review each guide regularly so you are not booking a hotel that has closed or changed its name. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
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