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While scaring guests half to death might seem like an iffy marketing proposition most of the year, October is the month when more than a few California properties and attractions go out of their way to play up the possibility of being face to, um, ghostly apparition.

In Gold Country, for instance, advertising that the property is haunted is practically essential (there seem to be about 20 old hotels that all claim a “girl in white,” either because young girls had a high mortality rate in 19th century hotels, or because one ghostly teenager just really gets around).

But it’s not enough to hit the local haunted house; you have to spend the night. What follows is our list of the creepiest places in the state to get under the covers — if only to worry about what’s under the bed — that are known for ghost sightings, unexplained activities or a history of grisly death.

Sweet dreams.

1. Hotel Majestic, San Francisco

Because it survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, the Hotel Majestic is the oldest operating hotel in the city. Before it became lodging in 1904, however, it was the home of Milton Schmitt, a state senator whose granddaughter, Lisa, lived in what is now Room 407. It’s not clear from the history why she stuck around, but according to the owners there’s a long history of unexplained phenomena (mostly playful) and sightings on the fourth floor that are attributed to the girl. For a more reliable sighting, Lisa’s portrait still hangs in the lobby. 1500 Sutter St., San Francisco; 415-441-1100; www.thehotelmajestic.com

2. Cary House Hotel, Placerville

While historically the majority of visitors at this 19th century hotel tend to survive the stay (including Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant and Bette Davis), apparently a few guests and locals did not. According to the Mountain Democrat newspaper, there are said to be four “human” ghosts who are regulars at this Gold Rush-era hotel (the current structure is from 1856), as well as a ghostly cat nicknamed “Slimmy” that tends to slink around Room 220. 300 Main St., Placerville; 530-622-4271; www.caryhouse.com

3. Union Hotel, Benicia

As quiet as bucolic Benicia is today, it was once a rough and rowdy port town where miners and locomotives were ferried across the Carquinez Strait, and the (then) Bella Union Hotel was at the center of it on Main Street. As with any California boomtown establishment with gambling, booze and women, there has been “drama,” according to the hotel’s site online. Most accounts by former employees include random noises and sightings of Victorian-era couples, a chef and at least one woman who, supposedly, either hanged herself or died when she was thrown down the stairs. 401 First St., Benicia; 707-746-0110; www.unionhotelbenicia.com

4. RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach

This storied 1,019-foot-long ocean liner sailed for 31 years, both as luxury transportation for North Atlantic crossings and as a troop carrier during World War II. During that time, according to operators of the now permanently docked hotel, it accumulated a number of spirits, including an engineer who died in the ship’s engine room, a “lady in white,” and various children throughout the ship including the first-class pool. With or without the ghosts, spending the night on the massive vessel is eerie, and visitors don’t have to book a room to take one of the haunted history or paranormal tours offered each night. 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach; 562-499-1739; www.queenmary.com

5. The Imperial, Amador City

For the most part, this is a standard hotel and restaurant built in 1879, with most of the requisite stories of bizarre happenings and sightings — objects disappearing, lights turning on and off. The highlights here, however, are a ghost cowboy who frequents the property, as well as a waitress who, according to HauntedPlaces.org, “is said to take orders and then disappear much to the guests’ surprise.” 4202 Old Highway 49, Amador City; 209-267-9172; www.imperialamador.com

6. Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee

You can’t actually camp there after September (sorry, no staying on Halloween), but there’s little reason to doubt Donner Memorial State Park is one of the more haunted spots in the state. Over the years, there have been reports of campers feeling the presence of a few of the 41 pioneers who died after becoming stranded (and eventually turning to cannibalism) while trying to cross the Sierra in November 1846. Supposedly, George and Tamsen Donner are still hanging around their original tent site. www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503