Los Angeles puts on one of the biggest Halloween productions in the country, but there are far darker stories that happen in October than just spooky haunted houses. In places like Koreatown, Long Beach, Downtown, Ventura, Pasadena, and Hollywood, old buildings contain stories of ghosts, sounds, and tragic pasts. For those adventurous enough to delve into the history of a location to satisfy their cravings for the macabre, these stories provide the opportunity to explore in a much more textured way than simply going to a haunted house and avoiding the manufactured scares.\
Due to its association with the deaths of Elisa Lam and Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia), the Cecil Hotel has become well known throughout Los Angeles. There have long been stories of deaths by falling (or pushed) from upstairs by serial killers staying in the hotel. The darker reputation stories about the hotel are true.
The Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood started as an apartment building in 1925 before transitioning into a hotel. Its history is soaked in celebrity sightings. Reports of Rudolph Valentino appearing at the bar, and Marilyn Monroe seen loitering near the women’s restroom have circulated for years. Maintenance workers have experienced unexplained closing doors and shadows walking in the basements. One woman, thought to haunt the building, died after falling from it. The hotel has connections to Harry Houdini as well. Bess, his wife, used to have seances on the roof every year for a decade hoping to contact him. Shockingly, he never showed up.
One of the saddest stories connected to the Hollywood Sign is that of actress Peg Entwistle. In 1932, Peg, despondent over her career, jumped to her death from the letter “H”. Since then, many have spotted a woman believed to be Peg in vintage clothing floating near the sign. The sign originally read "Hollywoodland" until the last four letters were removed in 1960. The sign is best seen from a distance, particularly from the Griffith Observatory
The Queen Mary in Long Beach has made its notoriety as a haunted ship part of its identity. As one of the most haunted vessels in America, the former ocean liner and hotel has ghost ship tours. Stories include an engineer who died in the engine room, women from the 1930s wearing swimsuits at the dilapidated first-class pool, and a young girl with a teddy bear. Other accounts include a woman in evening formal wear, a drowned child, strange lights, running water, and ringing phones in first-class rooms, and crying near the former third-class nursery. Whether one believes any of these ghost stories, they are very fitting for the ship, which is old and decaying like a ghost ship.
The Knickerbocker and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel battle for prestige in paranormal celebrity hauntings. It is said Marilyn Monroe appears in a mirror in Suite 1200. Montgomery Clift is said to have been seen in and around the room as well. A psychic claimed to have detected Humphrey Bogart, Carmen Miranda and Betty Grable, while a well dressed man in 1930s attire is said to be seen near the Blossom Room.
The Alexandria Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in Los Angeles, being built in 1906. The once-grand hotel has had a vertical transformation into low-income housing. The faded opulence of this once-grand hotel has sparked numerous stories. Some talk about the long-ago dancers in the second-floor ballroom. Others mention Charlie Chaplin, whose suite was located on the second floor (now 3rd). There are tales of ghosts of old criminals that run through the many tunnels beneath the building. Additionally, there are stories about Valentino returning to his old 12th floor rooms.
The Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena is another site in California with ghost stories. The bridge was built in 1912 and is a part of what used to be Route 66 and crosses the Arroyo Seco. The bridge is often referred to as Suicide Bridge because of the number of people who have jumped off the bridge;
many of whom died during the Great Depression. A common ghost story about the bridge is that of a construction worker who was encased in concrete. In addition to the ghost stories and tragic history, the bridge and its surroundings are often used as a romantic setting in film.
Los Angeles City Hall opened its doors in 1928 and offers 32 stories of office and meeting room space, including the Mayor's office. It is a functioning local government building. From its opening until just a few years ago, it was the tallest building on the West Coast and has even been featured in some of Hollywood's biggest films, such as Superman. Ghost stories abound among employees, from security to office staff, especially on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 27th, and 28th floors. Unexplained phenomena, such as ghostly figures, are purportedly captured by security cameras. The building is rumored to house a morgue.
Mission San Buenaventura in Ventura has one of the most unusual stories in the region: the ghost of a cat. Legend has it that Father Francisco Uria owned four cats, and once he died, the cats entered the chapel, climbed the bell rope, and allegedly rang the bell to announce his demise. Visitors have heard the ghostly cries and footsteps of the cats. The mission is also believed to be haunted by the spirits of some monks, but the legend holds that they appear to believers only.
The Bullocks Wilshire Building first opened in 1929 as a high-end department store. Now it is part of Southwestern Law School, but its history includes more modern types of haunting stories. Celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock and John Wayne have visited the store. However, the ghost stories focus around a rumor of a woman being pushed down an elevator shaft in the 1930s. Also, during some renovations, a security guard claimed to have heard a young woman crying from the elevator shaft. There have been reports of lights flickering, curtains closing by themselves, and people have also claimed to have heard footsteps in the lobby. The building was also shown in the Ghostbusters movie which was released in the 1980s.\n\nThese places do not need to be proven to be haunted to be interesting. They reveal what lies behind the more glamorous sides of Los Angeles. People want to forget about the accidents and losses, and the lives that get lost in the grand narrative. This is much more memorable than any actor in a rubber mask.
