Maybe it’s just because I am a law abiding citizen, but I think prisons are pretty creepy in general. Maybe it’s the barbed wire fences, maybe it’s the road signs warning you not to pick up hitchhikers, or maybe it’s just my imagination running away with the horrible crimes committed by those inside. But, can an abandoned prison be even creepier? Maybe, especially if it reportedly haunted! The Eastern State Penitentiary is located in Philadelphia. It opened in 1829 and held bad guys behind bars until it closed in 1971. Then, it was abandoned. For 20 years, the prison just … Continue reading →

Not long ago, I blogged about the Roosevelt Hollywood, a hotel reportedly haunted by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Cliff among others. But, the Roosevelt Hollywood isn’t the only haunted hotel in town. The Knickerbocker Hotel was built in 1925 as a luxury apartment building. It later became a hotel, with its Renaissance Revival Bar a favorite among the Hollywood crowd. Over the years, the Knickerbocker saw its share of fame, but also its share of scandal. Famed director D.W. Griffith died of a stroke in the hotel in 1948. Once a Hollywood big wig, Griffith had been … Continue reading →

What could be scarier than a haunted hotel? You check it for a little R&R and suddenly, there is a spirit in your room! I’ve already talked about the Stanley Hotel, where the movie The Shining was filmed and the Farnsworth House Inn, where founded Confederate soldiers were taken during the Civil War. I’ve also blogged about The Hotel Chelsea in NYC where many celebs either died, committed suicide, or were murdered. Let’s go back to the west coast for the Roosevelt Hollywood hotel. Located in the heart of Hollywood, the Roosevelt was first opened in 1927. It was financed … Continue reading →

When we lived in San Diego, I loved to visit dead celebrities. That is, I love to visit cemeteries filled with celebrity burial sites and there is probably no better placed to do that than in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we left there in 2001, just as a now famous cemetery was making its comeback. Hollywood Forever is located in – well, Hollywood as you might imagine. It sits on 62 acres with large lots that were sold to Paramount and RKO Studios. A look around is like looking into Hollywood itself. You will find Don Adams of “Get Smart” fame, … Continue reading →