Revisiting the Sharon Tate Murder Anniversary: Charles Manson, Hollywood’s Darkest Night, and the Haunted Oman House
Each August, the anniversary of the Sharon Tate murders casts a long shadow over Hollywood, evoking memories of one of the most infamous crimes in American history. The events of August 8 and 9, 1969, not only claimed the lives of five innocent people, including a rising movie star and her unborn child, but also marked an abrupt and brutal end to the hopeful spirit of the 1960s. Today, the legacy of the Manson Family murders endures not only in history books and documentaries but also in persistent rumors and reports of paranormal activity at the nearby Oman House, a modern landmark that has become synonymous with Hollywood’s haunted past.
The Sharon Tate Murders: A Night That Changed Hollywood
On the night of August 8, 1969, actress Sharon Tate, eight-and-a-half months pregnant and married to director Roman Polanski, was hosting friends at her rented home at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles. Among her guests were celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, and aspiring screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski. Eighteen-year-old Steven Parent, visiting the property’s caretaker, was also present, though only briefly.
That night, four members of Charles Manson’s cult—known as the Manson Family—broke into the house under direct orders to kill everyone inside, "as gruesomely as you can." The attackers, led by Charles "Tex" Watson, brutally murdered all five occupants, leaving behind a scene that horrified the nation. The word "PIG" was found scrawled in Sharon Tate’s blood on the front door, a chilling symbol of the group’s apocalyptic beliefs and their leader’s deranged vision of "Helter Skelter," a race war he claimed was foretold by The Beatles.
The following night, Manson’s followers killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in a similarly brutal fashion. These two nights of violence, collectively known as the Tate-LaBianca murders, shocked the world and brought a devastating end to the era’s sense of innocence and optimism.
Charles Manson: The "Helter Skelter" Cult and Its Legacy
Charles Manson was a career criminal who reinvented himself as a messianic cult leader in the late 1960s, attracting a devoted following of young runaways and outcasts. The so-called Manson Family lived communally at Spahn Ranch, supporting themselves through theft and petty crime while absorbing Manson’s apocalyptic teachings.
Manson’s obsession with fame, music, and a coming race war led him to target the Cielo Drive residence, a house he associated with music producer Terry Melcher (son of famous actress Doris Day), who had previously rejected Manson’s ambitions of a recording career. Although Melcher no longer lived there, Manson’s followers carried out his orders, forever linking the address, and Sharon Tate’s name, to one of the darkest chapters in Hollywood history.
The subsequent trial, featuring the bizarre antics of Manson and his followers, became a media spectacle. The case was immortalized in Vincent Bugliosi’s bestselling book Helter Skelter, and the murders remain a touchstone in true crime and American cultural history.
The Haunting of Cielo Drive: The Oman House Connection
The original Tate-Polanski house at 10050 Cielo Drive was demolished in the 1990s, but the land and surrounding properties have retained an air of tragedy and mystery. In 1999, David Oman and his father purchased a lot just 200 feet from the original murder site and began construction on what would become the Oman House.
Almost immediately, stories of paranormal activity began to circulate. Construction workers reported unexplained footsteps, cold spots, and the feeling of being touched by unseen hands. After moving in, David Oman himself experienced a series of chilling encounters, including the apparition of Jay Sebring, one of the Tate murder victims, who appeared at the foot of Oman’s bed, silently gesturing toward the site of the murders.
Over the years, the Oman House has become a focal point for paranormal investigators and enthusiasts. The property has been featured on television shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and Famously Haunted: Hollywood, earning a reputation as "the Mount Everest of haunted houses." Visitors and experts have reported electromagnetic anomalies, disembodied voices, flying objects, and apparitions believed to be the restless spirits of the Manson murder victims, including Sharon Tate herself.
Parapsychologist Dr. Barry Taff, known for his work on the famous "Entity" case in the 1970s, once called the Oman House "Disneyland for the dead." Taff described the site as having some of the highest EMF readings he had ever recorded and claimed it was the only location he had ever investigated that he would never return to.
Paranormal Encounters Inside the Oman House
Guests on paranormal investigations at the Oman House have described everything from malfunctioning electronics to physical sensations like dizziness, nausea, and sudden temperature changes. On one occasion, an investigator described feeling haunted even before reaching the location. Her phone GPS failed mysteriously until she left the area.
Inside, strange events unfold frequently. Lights turn on and off without explanation. Music boxes with motion sensors play when no one is near. Cold spots appear on thermal cameras. In one case, a skeptic was physically pushed into a chair in front of a group of witnesses and refused to discuss the incident afterward. Another guest reported pressure in her skull as if underwater, a sensation not felt before or since.
Many believe the powerful activity is amplified by geological forces. The region is known by the US Geological Survey as a magnetic anomaly zone, believed to sit atop dormant volcanic rock that emits heightened electromagnetic fields. Combined with decades of traumatic energy, this may explain why the Oman House remains one of the most active paranormal hotspots in Los Angeles.
Trent Reznor and the House at 10050 Cielo Drive
In the early 1990s, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor rented the former Tate-Polanski residence at 10050 Cielo Drive, converting the infamous site into a recording studio he named Le Pig, a reference to the word "PIG" scrawled in blood during the murders. It was there that Reznor recorded parts of the band’s landmark album, The Downward Spiral.
In 2024, Terminator 2 star, Robert Patrick told the story in a TikTok that his brother Richard Patrick was the guitarist in Nine Inch Nails at the time and was living in the 10050 Cielo Drive house but he decided to quit the band. Robert Patrick said that he went up there to pick up his brother and move him into his own place. Richard Patrick said he quit Nine Inch Nails because Trent Reznor was unwilling to record "Hey Man, Nice Shot" for The Downward Spiral, but the song would eventually become a huge hit for Patrick's own band, Filter.
In the 1990s, Reznor claimed he was unaware of the home's full history, but the weight of its past eventually caught up with him. After a chance encounter with Debra Tate, Sharon Tate’s sister, who asked if he was exploiting her sister’s death, Reznor later reflected,
"When she said, ‘Are you exploiting my sister’s death by living in her house?’ I said, ‘No, it’s just sort of my own interest in American folklore.’ But then I realized for the first time, ‘What if it was my sister?’ I’d been living in a full-on Charles Manson fantasy."
The house was demolished shortly after Reznor moved out in 1993, and a new mansion now stands in its place.
Sharon Tate’s Legacy and Memorial
Despite the enduring fascination with the Manson murders, Sharon Tate’s memory is honored by friends, family, and fans. She is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California, in St. Ann’s Section, Lot 152, Grave 6. Her grave has become a site of quiet pilgrimage for those wishing to pay respects to a life and talent cut short.
Tate reportedly had her own supernatural experiences in the home before her death. She once described seeing a ghostly figure and a disturbing vision of herself bound and gagged in the house, echoing the circumstances of her eventual murder. Was it a premonition, a haunting, or something else?
The 56th Anniversary: Commemoration and Reflection
To mark the 56th anniversary of the Sharon Tate murders, a special 5 hour paranormal investigation will be held at the Oman House on August 8th and 9th at 8 PM. This immersive experience invites guests to explore one of Los Angeles’ most haunted homes using professional ghost hunting equipment in a guided investigation of its most active areas. Known for its intense energy and frequent apparitions, the Oman House becomes even more charged on the anniversary of the tragic events that took place just steps away. Whether you’re a seasoned investigator or a curious first-timer, this is a rare opportunity to meet the lingering spirits of Cielo Drive firsthand.
Extra Bonus: We're Bringing In Manson Family and Hollywood Expert Scott Michaels!
Scott Michaels from Dearly Departed Tours is a longtime Hollywood hauntings and tragedy expert whose particular specialty is the Tate-LaBianca Murders and we're excited to have him there to begin the evening with history and lore surrounding the events which may have led to the hauntings people experience at the Oman House. We'll kick off the night with a conversation from this fascinating character and one of the originators of haunted history tourism in Hollywood!
Click on the dates below to book your tickets to the next Oman House paranormal investigation!
