Los Angeles is a city filled with people dreaming of getting their big break in an assortment of entertainment industries. There are also sporting venues, theme parks, great beaches, excellent shopping, and more in and around L.A. The city also has a past filled with violence and tragedy. A result of that past is an abundance of paranormal activity.
The following are the most haunted places in Los Angeles – let’s take a closer look!
1. Pico House, Downtown LA
The Pico House, built back in 1869 and 1870, was a three-story luxury hotel ordered by Pio Pico. Pico was the last Mexican Governor of Alta California, as well as being a successful businessman. The Pico House sits in an area called El Pueblo de Los Angeles.
Although the hotel was a place of luxury, tremendous violence and tragedies occurred in the areas surrounding it. Many ghosts were killed in the Chinese massacre of 1871, and other people killed by other violent offenses continue to haunt the area.
It is not uncommon to hear footsteps, hear the cries of murder victims, and see the ghosts of people hung from trees in the area.
2. AHS Murder House
Construction on the Rosenheim mansion, now known as the AHS Murder House, began in 1902. For more than 50 years, a Catholic organization owned the mansion. There are no reports that any murders have taken place in the home, despite the murders depicted in the television show American Horror Story.
There has been a great deal of unusual activity noted in the mansion. Psychic sensitives suffer numerous issues upon entering the home, including an overload of information, headaches, or even severe migraines.
Some people feel suffocated in the home or incredibly crowded, even if the number of people present is limited.
3. Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena
During the Great Depression, many people made their way to the 150-foot-tall Colorado Street Bridge. These individuals did not go to the bridge to enjoy the landmark bridge; many people went to jump off.
So many people have died on the bridge; it gained the nickname “Suicide Bridge.” Ghosts of people who took their own lives are said to haunt the bridge and the trail below.
There is a woman in white who people have witnessed at the bridge. Other people have experienced all of the lights going out when visiting the bridge at night.
4. The Hollywood Sign, Hollywood
When the Hollywood Sign was first built, it was the Hollywoodland sign. The word “land” was later removed from the sign. Along with being an iconic landmark, the Hollywood sign is also a place where people in great despair may go in hopes of ending their lives.
One person who went to the Hollywood Sign and ended her life was Peg Entwistle. Peg Entwistle was an actress who had a moderate amount of success in her craft, even starring alongside the likes of Humphrey Bogart. Despite her success, personal tragedies, and inability to maintain a successful relationship, she decided to end her own life.
According to reports, Entwistle climbed to the top of the “H” to jump to her death. A hiker discovered her body on September 18, 1932. It is not uncommon to smell the scent of gardenia perfume, her favorite, or her spirit wandering around the sigh.
5. Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel has played host to some of Hollywood’s most elite celebrities since its doors were opened. Many of the former celebrities who stayed at the hotel appear to visit the Hotel from beyond the grave.
Guests have reported hearing the sounds of someone playing the trumpet in the middle of the night. When they have notified the staff, they are informed nobody is in the room.
Although no living person may be in the room playing the trumpet, some believe it is the ghost of Montgomery Clift, who spent some time in the hotel while filming a movie.
Additional guests have claimed the reflection of Marilyn Monroe in a full-length mirror that was once in her poolside suite. The mirror had been in the lobby for a time but was eventually removed. [BOOK A ROOM]
Read more about the haunted Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles
6. The Wonderland Murder House, Laurel Canyon
At one time, John Holmes was most notable for being a porn legend. Although many people may recall his contributions to that industry, other people recall the fact he was murdered in the former home in which he stayed.
Stories state that John Holmes murdered four drug dealers at the Wonderland Murder House with a lead pipe. Since those events in 1981, Wonderland is the source of a considerable amount of paranormal activity.
People visiting the home have made claims of being pushed or pulled by the angry ghosts. The most intense activity occurs at night, when even if the T.V. channels are changed, the visitor may experience activity from the angry, revenge-seeking ghosts.
7. Hotel Cecil (Stay On Main), Downtown LA
Perhaps the most famous of all DTLA hauntings, the Cecil Hotel has seen more than its fair share of murders, suicides, serial killers, and disappearances since 1927. The 600-room building has been home to many different people in its almost 90-year history.
There have been serial killers, such as Jack Unterweger and “the Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez, who called the hotel home. Other residents of the hotel committed suicide using the windows or rooms on higher floors.
One woman, Elisa Lam, was even found dead on the roof in the water tank. Her story and CCTV footage of her mysterious death were featured recently in a Netflix series and in a Ghost Adventures Special. There is an overall feeling of horror, sadness, and despair in the hotel.
Hearing unusual sounds, seeing ghostly figures and the feeling of not being alone is all rather common for visitors to the hotel. If you are looking for a restful night’s sleep, it is not the best place to stay.
8. 'The Entity' House
When visiting haunted locations around LA, the ‘Entity’ house is one only the bravest of souls should venture to see. Doris Bither once owned the home. As cute as the house may appear from the outside, it was the site of some of the most terrifying supernatural attacks on record.
Bither was physically attacked on multiple occasions by the spirits in the home. The spirits would throw things around the home regularly. Things became so horrific for Bither and her children, who witnessed the attacks, that they left. Unfortunately for Doris Bither and her family, the poltergeists followed the family.
People visiting this home may or may not experience activity, but there is still an overall air of evil at home.
9. Boris Karloff's Rose Garden, Hollywood
A rose garden that is haunted; it almost does not seem possible. The reality is, that Boris Karloff, known for his role in the movie “Frankenstein,” had an unusual hobby, he loved to garden.
His gardening skills were so amazing that many of his friends fell in love with his gardens, especially the rose garden. It is not the fact that a famous horror icon loved to garden, which makes this garden a place of paranormal activity. What makes it haunted is that many of his friends asked if Karloff would scatter their remains on his roses after they died.
As bizarre as a request as it was, Karloff did like a number of his friends requested; he helped them make his rose garden their final resting place. Visitors to the location commonly state they can feel the presence of otherworldly spirits in the garden.
10. Hollywood Wax Museum, Hollywood
One of the best places to go in Hollywood is the Hollywood Wax Museum if you want to see many celebrities in one place without getting in trouble. Of course, they are not actual celebrities, but people have been drawn to the location for decades.
Something is fascinating about seeing famous people made out of wax. Some stories claim the living is not the only people who visit the Wax Museum. Numerous people have claimed to see a woman praying in front of The Last Supper exhibit.
The woman who has been seen praying in front of the exhibit always vanishes when approached. Additional claims about the woman state she never shows up on film regardless of the cameras around and photos taken.
A young man also spends a great deal of time in the Chamber of Horrors as his spirit is often witnessed in the Wax Museum area.
11. Linda Vista Hospital, Boyle Heights
The Linda Vista Hospital in Boyle Heights, LA, built in 1904, has a long history and a growing reputation as the most haunted hospital in Los Angeles. The structure was used for many decades as a hospital and was used as a building to suit the needs of employees of the railroad.
By 1991, no longer useful or functioning, the hospital closed its doors and remained empty for many years. While it sat empty, many paranormal investigators visited the site to see if the claims of activity were legitimate.
Investigators found countless ghosts, many of who are believed to be former staff members of the hospital from its early years, as well as patients that passed in the hospital, roaming the halls. Some of the findings claim that some of the spirits that remain tied to the former hospital are not the nicest spirits. Some even toy with people that venture into the building.
The structure has such a creepy factor to it; it can be seen in the films, Insidious and Day of the Dead. The Ghost Adventures crew investigated here and found some compelling evidence.
12. The Queen Mary, Long Beach
The Queen Mary is a hotbed of paranormal activity. When you consider the Queen Mary was once a World War II troopship and then became a luxury ocean liner, it only makes sense that some spirits would linger.
Fortunately for paranormal investigators, more than a few ghosts linger on the Queen Mary. There are reports of ghost sightings in almost every area of this ship.
Some people appear to be swimming in the empty pool, a sailor who died in the ship’s engine room, and numerous spirits of kids who died in the pool. This is only a small sampling of the ghostly figures still enjoying the Queen Mary. [BOOK A ROOM]
Read more about the haunted Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach CA
13. Leonis Adobe Museum, Calabasas
Located in what is now Calabasas, the Leonis Adobe was built in the 1870s by the wealthy rancher, Miguel Leonis. One of the oldest surviving buildings in the San Fernando Valley, Leonis Adobe is also considered to be extremely haunted.
Apparently, Leonis himself haunts the building, with his ghost causing all kinds of phenomena including disembodied footsteps and strange sounds. On one occasion in the 1930s, Mrs. Gregg (one of the owners) was leaning against the railing on the second-floor veranda when it cracked and gave way, sure to fall Mrs. Gregg felt a pair of strong hands grab her, pulling her back and saving her from serious injury. Looking to save who saved her, no physical being was seen! During his life, Leonis was touted for his great strength and undoubtedly strong hands.
On another occasion, a group of women saw the apparition of a tall dark figure appear from nothing and walk towards them! They watched as the figure walked and disappeared into an old oak tree. Leonis was described as a tall man about six-foot-four inches.
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