Haunted Places – Pantages Theater

Posted by scarygeek on January 21, 2010 at 19:07 pm

When I was in elementary school I remember we had a field trip to the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, California.  I remember the interior was really quite beautiful, and made me think of a castle, or palace.  The Pantages is located at 6233 Hollywood, Blvd, and yes, it is haunted.  The theater was originally completed in the 1930’s, and was a stage theater.  In 1949, it was purchased by Howard Hughes, and it became part of old RKO Pictures, and it was turned into a movie screen theater.  In 1967, it was purchased by Pacific Theaters, and was then turned back into an all stage theater, and the Broadway Touring Company performed there.  There is a reason for me giving you all of this information before we talk about the hauntings, and I am getting to that…..lol.

Since 1932, there has been a woman spirit that visits when the theater is dark and quiet.  She is believed to be a woman who was a patron, and who also had dreams of becoming a performer, died during one of the performances.  They say her singing can be heard, day or night.  Once, during a performance in 1994, her voice was picked up during a live performance, and they said she was singing along with the performers.

Howard Hughes, supposedly haunts the second floor in and around what used to be his office, and is now a large conference room.  Employees have reported cold spots, and sudden passing of air, like someone walking by.  Twice, there have been reports of a tall male entity, walking around the corner to what used to be his office, and sometimes there is even the scent of a smoke.

Alexander Pantages, was a very gentlemanly man, and his ghost is said to have helped an older employee of the theater, after she fell down in the theater when it was dark, and she could not see.  Apparently, he took her by the arm and escorted her to the door and when she turned the lights on to thank him, there was no one to be found. 

I did not experience any paranormal activity while I was there, but it sure would be fun to go back, and see what I could find now.

Haunted Places – Calico Ghost Town

Posted by scarygeek on January 17, 2010 at 18:43 pm

When I was a little girl, my family and I went to the Calico Ghost Town, on more than one occasion.  I think my dad liked to walk with the ghosts…lol.  It was fun, and I remember running around and touring the area.  Calico Ghost Town was founded in 1881, and isan old silver mining town, located about 10 miles north of Barstow, California.  The town was purchased by Walter Knott, the owner of Knotts Berry Farm, in 1950.  He later dedicated the town to the city of San Bernardino, and it is now a County Regional Park. 

They used to have a 90 minute guided ghost tour through the town, but I am not sure if they still have one or not.  It has been at least 25 years since I have been there.  They used to have them on Friday and Saturday nights, and they were taken after it got dark.  There have been reported sightings of apparitions and shadow people during tours and not.  I don’t really remember any events or encounters during the time that I was there, but I do remember the “feeling”, you know that one that you get when there is an energy trying to drain your own….lol.

Calico is a pretty neat little town, if you are ever close by, it is kind of a fun place to visit.  There have been reports of voices, as well as scents and sounds of a horse in the that used to be where the stage coach stopped.  Wow, a ghost horse…..haven’t heard of that one yet.

Since I have started writing about my paranormal experiences, and since my awareness has seemed to increase, I have been wanting to go back to all of those places that I visited as a child.  It would be fun to revisit those places that claimed to have been haunted.  Calico would be a very fun place to take my own kids, and see what kind of experiences we can have.  I plan on going back to the West Coast some time in the near future and will be making an effort to visit these places so that I can write about my own experiences.  Well, if you have any Calico Ghost Town stories you would like to share, I would love to read them and maybe even post them on my site, with your permission of course! Email them to lisa@scarygeek.com.  Thanks!  Happy Ghost Hunting!

Haunted Places – Leonis Adobe House

Posted by scarygeek on January 14, 2010 at 23:59 pm

One of the most haunted houses in the Los Angeles County, is the Leonis Adobe House.  This house is not like any other haunted place I have written about.  This house is haunted by a woman named Espiritu Chujilla, who just so happens to be my great-great-grandmother.   

The Leonis Adobe House was built in 1844, and is one of the oldest surviving homes in the area.  It is located in what is now Calabasas, California.  It was registered with the The National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and now serves as a museum. 

Leonis Adobe, acquired the house in the mid 1800’s.  He purchased half of the property from its dying owner, but the second half he acquired by marrying a widowed mission Indian named Espiritu Chujilla.  She lived with Leonis in the house for 30 years, until 1889 when he was killed after suffering from injuries received when he was run over by his own wagon.  His Will was read soon after his death, and in it, he denied Espiritu as his wife, and referred to her as his “Faithful Housekeeper.”  The property was worth $1,000,000.00 at the time of his death, he left Espiritu $10,000.00, and left the remaining property to his siblings.  There was a 15 year legal battle over the estate, and Espiritu suffered greatly.  Having no money, she was forced to eat what she could find or hunt down, sometimes eating the acorns that she picked off of the ground.  Even though several witnesses testified that Leonis acknowledged Espiritu as his wife, his siblings wanted the estate.  She even showed them the grave of their only daughter who died before adulthood.  His name was on the grave, identifying him as her father.  Anyway, she ended up being awarded half of the estate, but was taken advantage of by lawyers, and lost all of the property by bogus lawsuits. Espiritu lived in the Leonis Adobe house until her death in 1906, at which time her son, by her first marriage, moved his family into the home. 

The house was named one of the most haunted places in Los Angeles, and was featured on the British television show “Most Haunted” in 2005.  Many of the people that work and visit the house have reported having paranormal experiences.  There have been reports of very clearly heard voices on both levels of the home, but when checked, there is never anyone to be found.  A shadow figure of a woman on the upstairs balcony has been reported seen by passers by.  There was even a report of a woman who was standing on the balcony, who was pulled back by an invisible set of hands, at the exact time that the balcony collapsed.  Leonis himself, has been seen walking his dog, and even on his deathbed.  Footsteps on the upper floor and stairways, and a strong smell of soap, are always a commonly reported experience. 

I honestly can’t wait to take my family to the house.  I am looking forward to taking some good pictures and maybe even asking Espiritu to take one with me.  If you have any stories to share, please email me at lisa@scarygeek.com.  I would love to read them, and with permission, post them to my site.

Haunted Places – Roosevelt Hotel

Posted by scarygeek on January 13, 2010 at 11:44 am

I had the opportunity to visit and stay at the Roosevelt Hotel, while attending an employee Christmas Party some time in the 1990’s.  It is a beautiful, 12 story, luxury hotel that is located in the middle of Hollywood, at 7000 Hollywood Blvd, and was opened in 1927.  The hotel received a $12 million dollar make over in 1984, and if you ever get a chance to visit the area, and you can afford to stay there, you should.  Especially if you enjoy having ghosts for room mates.  

The very first Academy Awards Banquets were held in the Blossom Room of the Hotel.  It is said that there are several ghosts that frequent the hotel, and sightings of partial and full apparitions, as well as shadow figures, are not uncommon among visitors and staff.  During the filming of “From Here to Eternity” in 1952, actor Montgomery Clift, spent three months in room 928.  Visitors and staff have said that they can smell his cologne and hear his footsteps as he paces the hallways of the 9th floor.  He has also been known to play the trumpet which has also been heard.

The staff of the Roosevelt report that they receive phone calls from unoccupied rooms.  They also have been called to assist hotel guests when they are mysteriously locked out of their rooms from the inside, and if you look out at the pool at night you might catch a glimpse of an apparition taking a swim.  Staff have even reported being pushed and touch by something while they were working.

There is a ghost that manifests itself to look almost lifelike, and when seen by someone new, can be mistaken for a real child.  They say she is about the age of 5 or 6, and that she sometimes interacts with her surroundings, wanting to know where her mommy is, and asking questions of visitors or staff.  They say her name is Caroline, and she can sometimes be seen sitting by the fountain and she is crying.

Some of the other reported experiences are from staff that have seen images in mirrors of Marilyn Monroe.  Unfortunately, when I was there I did not have any paranormal experiences.  It would be fun to go back there some day and stay in room 928.

Haunted Places – Alcatraz Prison

Posted by scarygeek on January 11, 2010 at 11:10 am

When I was a child, I had an aunt and uncle that lived in Santa Clara, California.  We often visited them, and when we would, we always went to San Francisco as part of our trip.  My parents liked to take the tour boat that went around Alcatraz, and I remember it like it was yesterday.  I also remember, a very scary helicopter ride over Alcatraz, that turned out to be more fun and interesting than scary.   

Alcatraz Prison is located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, on Alcatraz Island.  The water surrounding the island is known for its extremely cold temperatures and strong currents, which made it almost impossible for a prisoner to escape without drowning, and making it an ideal place for a prison.  Construction of the prison began in 1859 and continued through 1912.  In 1933, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, declared Alcatraz a Federal prison that would be home to some of the most hardened and most problematic prisoners in its system.  There were many incidents of suicide, murder, and violence within the walls of Alcatraz, and these incidents resulted in many more residual energy imprints left behind for us to experience.  

Alcatraz Prison is now a museum, and a National Park, and there have been numerous reports of experiences by Park officials as well as visitors.  Silvia Brown, a well known psychic/medium, with her well known Spirit Guide Francine, have also been invited guests of Alcatraz, and a she even performed a seance in an attempt to free some of the souls imprisoned within the walls of Alcatraz today.  Park officials have reported hearing voices and screams in what used to be the Hospital ward.  There have been reports of footsteps, voices, screaming, and crashing sounds coming from both Blocks A and B.  The stressful and traumatic events that took place within the walls of Alcatraz have left intense impressions, some of the worst felt in the area of 14D, where the ”steel boxes” were kept.  These steel boxes deprived a prisoner of almost all of his sensory stimulation, and I can only imagine the traumatic experience that would have been for any length of time.

In 1963 the old prison buildings began to crumble, probably as a result of the weather and elements of the San Francisco Bay, and the prison was closed.  Today, you can take a guided tour of the prison, and walk around the prison grounds.  I hear that the grounds and the views are breathtaking.  I hope that someday I will be able to go back to Alcatraz, visit the museum, or take the guided tour.  Maybe, I could even take a few really good pictures.