Haunted Landmarks In Los Angeles
Real or imagined, the Southland is home to many haunted places. Reports of the paranormal, from sounds to apparitions, go back for centuries. Believers in the phenomena feel that when a person passes away tragically, or violently, their spirit remains for revenge or lingers in confusion. For those who swear to have experienced images and sounds from the other side, this is not news. For those who don't, believe these five haunted places may just prove a surprise.
The Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA 90802
(877) 342-0738
www.queenmary.com
The tour guides are proud to present the historic queen of the seas as haunted. Recognized as a top national "haunted place" by TIME magazine recently, special tours are available replete with paranormal hot spots and stores recalling apparitions. From drownings in the ship's pool to the sailor killed in the engine room, including the "lady in white," stories recount inexplicable sounds and sightings. A Hunted Encounters Passport takes tourists from topside into the bowels of the ship, and there is a possibility of ghostly encounters if you put your imagination into it.
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Colorado Street Bridge
Colorado Blvd. and N. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
www.nps.gov
Earning a reputation as "Suicide Bridge" since first being built in 1913, the 100-year-old bridge has averaged one death by suicide per year, officially. Town boosters have distorted the numbers for the sake of reputation – the numbers may be double. Arches, lampposts and architectural beauty of a past age are deceptive. The first victim was a construction worker, and since his time, many more have joined him to haunt the bridge and the wash below. Stories of the paranormal abound among local residents to this day.
Related: Los Angeles' Most Haunted Places
Alexandria Hotel
501 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 626-7484
www.thealexandria.net
In the historic core of downtown LA since the prohibition era, the Alexandria Hotel has become one of the most notable landmarks in the Southland. In Hollywood's heyday, it was part-time home to names like Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Charlie Chaplin and Mae West. Presidents, foreign dignitaries and mobsters took out suites in its past. On the dark side are infamous incidents of suicide and murder. To this day, visitors and residents report chills, having their hair touched in the night, seeing a little girl ghost in white and hearing eerie echoes from the hidden tunnels below from the booze-smuggling days. Today it is a renovated apartment complex.
The Hollywood Sign
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 258-4338
www.hollywoodsign.org
The iconic sign heralding the nation's premier entertainment film capital is haunted. Seen across Hollywood and many areas of the downtown, the hilly grounds have seen death by accident, suicide and murder. Over the decades, distraught Angelenos chose the spot to end their misery over the decades. The tragic life of old-time stage actress Peg Entwistle ended when she leaped to the ravine below. The area is off-limits and many a trespasser has fallen to their death or suffered great injury. Their ghosts are seen and heard from accessible vantage points.
Vogue Theatre
6675 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 466-1900
www.supperclub.com
While the façade remains as the Vogue Theater from the 60s, the old theater was converted recently to the Supper Club at Hollywood. In its day, thousands have reported paranormal sightings. Hundreds have seen apparitions from their seats, and no less than seven individual entities have been reported, so much so that regular moviegoers have given them names with the repeated sightings. Before the theater was built in 1936, the spot was the sight of an elementary school. By rumor, in 1901 the school burned to the ground with fatal results. There are still reported sightings of the teacher, Miss Elizabeth. In the 80s, the projector operator died of a heart attack at work and "Fritz" is said to still walk the rooms in the darkness.
Robert Cuthbert is a freelance writer covering all things Los Angeles. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
