Before I was bold enough to reach the front door of Linda Vista, the notoriously haunted hospital that's kept under constant watch to keep out urban explorers such as myself, I skulked around the outside of it, hoping to catch a glimpse of...something.
I peered through broken windows...
...and squeezed my camera between security bars.
I even walked through a side door, not brave enough to descend the stairs that appeared to lead to the basement.
But the stairs leading up to the ground floor were less ominous, and more inviting...
...leading to a warmly-lit hallway, whose floors, walls, and doors showed nothing out of the ordinary.
When I walked through the front door, I greeted a carpenter who, I confirmed, was building sets for an upcoming shoot. I told him a patrolling officer urged me to ask to come in.
That seemed enough to allow my entry.
Out of respect for the workers and the owners of the building, I stuck to the main floor...
...padding quietly down the hallways in my sneakers...
...only poking my head (and camera) into the intriguing rooms, like the chapel (with its organ)...
...whose floor was strewn with dried leaves and debris...
...and whose pews were all bunched up in the back of the room.
Other rooms gave glimpses of old 1930s grandeur...
...and some were spookier than others.
I didn't get to see the famous boiler room (which is probably downstairs), or any notoriously haunted areas like surgical facilities or the morgue.
But, given Linda Vista's rumored disturbed past of patient abuse and Emergency Room arrivals riddled with gunshot wounds, I did get a small inkling of what life was like on the inside, looking out...
Related Post:
Photo Essay: Linda Vista Community Hospital, Abandoned, Exterior
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Omg this is awesome! I am so jealous of all your adventures... I love anything to do with Ghost towns and/or 'haunted' places...I am thinking I need to do some fun adventures soon too...you know... to Avoid Regret ;)
ReplyDeleteJust curious, do you ever organize groups for your outings?
I haven't organized any groups yet but I have definitely considered it. Some of my explorations tend to be spur-of-the-moment decisions (like this one) but there are definitely destinations that I would return to that I know well and could bring some people along - Rustic Canyon / Murphy's Ranch, The Salton Sea for example. I've tried to get more involved in the LA chapter of the Obscura Society (if you don't know Atlas Obscura you should check it out) but to no avail so far...
DeleteThat's funny because the reason I found your blog in the first place was because I was looking up info about Rustic Canyon / Murphy Ranch. I would definitely want to go if you decide to do any group adventures.
DeleteGreat, I will check it out for sure! And if you do organize anything in the future, I would love to be involved. I read your blog all the time and really enjoy it, thanks!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank YOU!
DeleteYou can tour Linda Vista as part of a group for a fee of a couple of hundred dollars. When i called them several years ago, the fee was about $600, but you can divide that cost with your group. That's what some photography and urban explorer groups have done in the post to gain access. That's how they make money is through filming and the occasional tour. They have one security guard there that has worked there for many years. I thought the place was recently bought and will soon be converted into a condominium complex.
ReplyDeleteI heard a rumor about a parking lot...
DeleteHi! I read your blog all the time too, and would be super interested if you ever decided to try putting together a group adventure. Maybe a "womens" adventure would be cool. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteWow this is cool and good to hear. I always assume I don't have anybody to adventure with...
Deletethe inside looks so gloomy and it's a perfect location for some films! Nice tour report as always ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few urban adventurers and explorers like yourself in the LA area. Many of them are members of various groups in MeetUp. I regularly host events through a couple of those groups and we love to visit similar if not the same places you have visited or plan to visit. There are so many places in SoCal to visit - I've visited about 500 points of interest in the last several years but still have about 500 more to visit before I've completed the To Visit/Explore List.
ReplyDeleteSandi, excellent blog. I saw some of your postings on the Historic LA Theatre FB site and like the way you think and write.
ReplyDeleteI recently was able to go and take some photos at Linda Vista and posted them on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38836815@N07/sets/72157632734972207/with/8462348227/