Haunted Los Angeles! Dead, Crazy, and Abandoned
Welcome to the Dark Side of LA!
Hi, it’s Pat Pattison with The Best of California, and today I’m taking you on a wild ride through the most mysterious and haunted spots in Los Angeles. Forget the usual Hollywood sights – we’re talking dead, crazy, and abandoned! Make sure to hit that subscribe button on YouTube and join me for this unforgettable adventure!
The Pike Amusement Park – Long Beach’s Haunted Playground
First up, let’s talk about the Pike in Long Beach. Once a bustling seaside amusement park, it wasn’t exactly Disneyland – a bit seedier, but full of secrets. One particularly eerie story involves an outlaw, a famous TV show, and a not-so-fake skeleton!
In 1976, during the filming of The Six Million Dollar Man, the crew discovered that one of the “dummies” in the haunted house ride wasn’t a prop – it was an actual human cadaver! Turns out, it was the body of outlaw Elmer McCurdy, who had been shot over 60 years prior. Imagine that – a real ghost in a ghost ride!
Rock Haven Sanitarium – Where Hollywood’s Starlets Went ‘Mad’
Next on our haunted tour is the Rock Haven Women’s Sanitarium in La Crescenta. Once a haven for Hollywood starlets in need of a quiet retreat, it’s now an eerie, abandoned site. This place was a refuge for women like Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch!) and Marilyn Monroe’s mother.
Rock Haven’s founder, Agnes Richards, was ahead of her time. She created a sanctuary where women could receive dignified care. Now, this forgotten gem stands as a relic of the past, and walking through its grounds, you can still feel the stories and whispers of yesteryear.
Angeles Rosedale Cemetery – Resting Place of Legends
Let’s move on to the iconic Rosedale Cemetery, one of LA’s oldest burial grounds. You’ll find a quiet but powerful energy here, with legends like jazz musicians Eric Dolphy and Art Tatum resting beneath its soil. Even Dooley Wilson, who played Sam in Casablanca, is buried here.
For me, this place is personal. My own grandparents are buried here, including my Scottish granddad who arrived in LA over a century ago. It’s a beautiful, yet often overlooked, spot brimming with history.
Lake Norconian Club – A Hollywood Playground Gone Silent
Now, let’s head to Norco to visit the hauntingly beautiful Lake Norconian Club. Once a luxury resort where Hollywood’s elite partied, today it stands on prison grounds, decaying in time. Stars like Clark Gable and Myrna Loy once swam in its pools, and it even hosted Walt Disney’s Snow White wrap party in 1938!
Unfortunately, access is limited, but efforts to save this iconic location are underway. You can get involved by joining the Lake Norconian Club Foundation and help preserve this piece of Hollywood history.
Join the Adventure!
There you have it – LA’s best-kept haunted secrets! From the creepy to the captivating, these spots are rich with stories waiting to be uncovered. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Best of California on YouTube for more thrilling adventures!
Talk to you soon!
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