10 Most Haunted Hollywood Landmarks

Hollywood!

Who doesn’t get a thrill just hearing the name?

As the movie capital of the world for nearly 100 years, would-be stars have made their way to Tinseltown from all corners of the globe.

The glitz and glamour of the silver screen has a dark side, though.

Updated 2/10/2020 – So much emotion from so many victories and defeats, dreams made and crushed, means Hollywood is a hotbed of psychic energy.

The cutthroat world of the entertainment industry is almost a cliché at this point.

Everyone knows the story of the hopeful young starlet who steps off the bus from a small farm town.

The story usually ends with a sleazy producer who takes advantage of her naivety and talent, leaving her lost and alone on the streets, or worse.

Or how about the one who makes it, then can’t handle success?

The way that story goes, he falls into alcoholism and drug use, and perhaps perishes under mysterious circumstances while filming what was supposed to be his big comeback.

And don’t even get started on the influence organized crime once had in the place.

It all makes for prime conditions for a haunting.

Look in the right places, and you can find a shocking number of ghosts and spirits lurking around Hollywood.

If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of your favorite stars of yesteryear.

10 Most Haunted Hollywood Landmarks

#10 – The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Frequent home to Marilyn Monroe, the Roosevelt is today haunted by a variety of ghosts and spirits.

Most famously, the lobby once featured a full-length mirror that was moved from Marilyn’s room after her death as a piece of historical interest.

Many guests taking pictures in the lobby reported that Marilyn’s reflection would appear in the mirror in their photos.

Throughout the hotel, lights and faucets frequently turn on and off on their own, and the front desk often complains of calls from vacant rooms.

#9 – Griffith Park

Griffith Park is home to the most extensive network of hiking trails in the city of Los Angeles.

The area that now encompasses the park was once owned by wealthy rancher Don Antonio Feliz.

When he succumbed to smallpox in the late 1800s, his 17-year-old niece Doña fully expected to inherit his fortune.

When she learned it was not to be, she angrily placed a curse on the land.

Today, her ghost can be seen stalking the trails.

She wears a white dress and rides a horse, perhaps claiming the land she was denied in life.

#8 – The Pantages Theatre

The Pantages Theatre, to this day one of the greatest large entertainment venues in the city, was once owned by eccentric mogul Howard Hughes.

An infamous workaholic, Hughes built a door connecting his office directly to an upper balcony.

He would sit there, thinking in the dark and planning his future enterprises.

In 2000 during a renovation of the theater, multiple workers reported seeing a man climb off the balcony onto the scaffolding.

He approached the nearest worker and stood over him, seeming to inspect his work.

It appears that Howard Hughes is a hands-on manager, even in death.

#7 – Culver Studios

Built in 1918 by legendary silent movie producer Thomas Ince, the Culver Studios held sets for such films as Gone with the Wind and Raging Bull.

Ince died of a mysterious illness in 1924.

Rumor has it, though, that Ince was actually shot and killed by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

Hearst was aiming for Charlie Chaplin, also present, who angered Hearst by making romantic overtures to his mistress Marion Davies.

So much drama!

Today, the ghost of Ince still walks the halls of his former studio, criticizing management.

Some things never change.

#6 – Supperclub

Swanky nightclub Supperclub now resides in the former Vogue Theatre and has a very long history of haunting.

The Vogue, opened in 1936, was well-known to be haunted by the ghost of a projectionist named Fritz.

His cause of death?

Heart attack from fright.

The Vogue itself was built over the remains of an elementary school that burned down in 1901.

Twenty-five children died in that fire, as well as their teacher Miss Elizabeth.

Miss Elizabeth haunted the site for years after, and it seems likely that seeing her is what did in poor Fritz.

#5 – The Del Monte Speakeasy

Today a classy Venice bar, the Del Monte Speakeasy actually lived up to its name during Prohibition.

Underground tunnels connect to the basement, and smugglers used them to keep the Del Monte supplied during those years.

It’s a fascinating and well-preserved piece of history, and maybe that’s why the bar’s former owner Frank Bennett can still often be seen sitting in his favorite booth with a view of the tunnel entrance.

Stop in, and he might regale you with a story of those bygone days.

Oh, and Frank died in 2003.

#4 – The Queen Mary

Docked in Long Beach, the Queen Mary is infamous for its endless stream of ghosts, spirits, and paranormal activity.

The ship served as a troop transport in World War II, and has also seen service as a luxury liner, a refugee transport, and even a hotel.

Murders and suicides have been committed on board, not to mention the psychic stress of war.

Countless spirits have been spotted in and around the ship, especially around engine room 13 and the second class pool deck.

#3 – The Comedy Store

Today a very popular comedy club, this edifice on the Sunset Strip was once a base of operations for notorious gangster Mickey Cohen.

The club basement was an execution room of sorts, where Cohen’s thugs would “handle” people who became a problem for the gang.

It also served as a safe house, and the stairway features a hole through which people in the basement could shoot at intruders coming downstairs.

Today, voices, cries, and snarls frequently emerge from the room.

The Comedy Store has embraced the stories, and offers tours of the basement.

#2 – Yamashiro

This beautiful and very posh Japanese Restaurant offers up some of the most stunning city views in Hollywood.

Maybe that’s why so many ghosts choose to inhabit the building.

A deceased bartender has been spotted many times, still hanging around his former workplace.

The restaurant offers itself out as a wedding venue.

However, the bridal suite is sometimes occupied by a mysterious woman in white, who weeps continuously and disappears when anyone comes close.

Other spirits and entities have been spotted around the restaurant as well, making Yamashiro one of the most haunted spots in Hollywood.

#1 – The Hollywood Sign

Most dramatic of all is the iconic Hollywood sign itself.

The sign was erected in 1923, and has been a siren call for suicides since it was completed.

There’s just something so poetic about leaping off the very name of the city where one tried and failed to make it big.

One famous death at the sign was Broadway actress Peg Entwistle.

Career dissatisfaction led her to leap off the H in 1932, falling to her death in the ravine below.

To this day, her signature gardenia perfume can sometimes be detected near the sign.

Conclusion

There are many more tales of hauntings and supernatural activity in Hollywood.

For such a relatively small area, Hollywood has an incredibly high incidence of psychic anomalies.

So many people packed into such a tiny place, and emotions run so high.

People journey to Hollywood to make their dreams come true, and sometimes they never leave.