THIS WEEKEND: See "The Haunted Castle" at a Haunted Castle

Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles and the EPFC Filmmobile are presenting a special FREE screening of F.W. Murnau's The Haunted Castle on Sunday, October 10th at 7:30 PM at a secret location to be disclosed tomorrow. (Hint: It will be at an actual haunted castle!)

They've already shown Haunted Honeymoon underneath the Hollywood sign, and every Sunday in October, GHOULA and EPFC will be screening a different haunting film in a different haunted location in Los Angeles. Visit the blog for more information on this and other upcoming screenings, or RSVP to the Facebook invite - and don't forget to check back within 24 hours of the screening to find out where you're going on Sunday!

UPDATE: The secret location for Sunday's screening has been announced! The Haunted Castle will be shown at Castle Park Mini-Golf in Sherman Oaks.

Wake the Dead on June 13th at the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia

Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles will be holding their monthly Spirits with Spirits meeting at the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia on June 13th. There will be tours of the haunted room, live music (courtesy of my band, Hexham Heads, and our friends in Future Ghost and Lost Lake) and more. There is no cover, and the show/meeting will be open to all, from seasoned paranormal investigators to die-hard skeptics. Join us!

THIS WEEKEND: Ghostly meetups at the Linda Vista Hospital & the Old Spaghetti Factory

Time to get your ghost on: This weekend in L.A., you'll have not one, but two opportunities to check out haunted locations with fellow supernatural enthusiasts.

Tonight, the Boyle Heights Paranormal Project is holding a meet & greet to celebrate their recent website launch at the notorious Linda Vista Hospital (which, as you may recall, was the subject of a Ghost Adventures episode). Tours of the facility will not be given, but visitors will be allowed inside of the hospital. The event will begin with coffee and pastries in the lobby at 9 PM, followed by a slide show and presentation in the chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Tomorrow night brings yet another opportunity to frolic with the good people of GHOULA (Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles), a local ghost hunting group of which I am a Vice President. This month's meeting will be held at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Duarte, which used to be a schoolhouse in the early 20th century, and has several ghost stories associated with the building. We will be meeting in the "Hide-Away Room" next to the bar at 8 PM. Again, the event is free and open to all.

Visit ghoula.org for more information on both events. Happy haunting!

TONIGHT: Spirits With Spirits at Miceli's Restaurant

(Photo from Miceli's website)

If your New Year's goals include seeing a ghost (or simply swapping ghost stories), visiting some of L.A.'s most historic locations, or making new friends, then GHOULA may be just the group you've been looking for. The Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles meet up on the 13th of every month at one of the city's many haunted locations to share stories and, in some cases, even do a little supernatural sleuthing. This month's meeting, which is open to everyone, takes place on Wednesday night (8pm to 12m) at Miceli's Restaurant in Hollywood. Miceli's has a resident ghost named Toni who loves to give people a playful jab in the ribs. From GHOULA.org:

SPECIAL NOTE: GHOULA has reserved what the restaurant refers to as "Toni's Section." (Toni is the resident ghost) So, come out for this unique evening of pizza and ghost stories, and more importantly, giving "Toni" the attention she craves.

THE DATE: January 13th, 2010 (Wednesday)

THE PLACE: Miceli's (1646 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood) map

THE TIME: 8pm to the witching hour

THE GHOST(S):

In 1927, the "Pig and Whistle" opened and was an instant success, exemplifying what we think of today as glamorous Hollywood. After a good run, serving the movie stars of the 1930's and 1940's, they finally closed in the 1950's. What does this have to do with Miceli's Restaurant? Although, in recent years, there has been an attempt to bring the "Pig and Whistle" back to its former glory, if one really wants to experience what it was like to step inside this fabled establishment of the past, all one has to do is walk around the corner, and step through the doors of another fabled establishment.

When the famous Hollywood hot spot was gutted to make room for another occupant (ironically the future home of a low grade pizza parlor), the Miceli family pulled all of the hand-carved booths, wall panels, and fixtures out of the dumpsters and fit them (sometimes haphazardly) into their popular pizza parlor.

However, this is not the only reason to visit this local landmark. Since 1949, Miceli's Restaurant (formerly Miceli's Pizza) has been serving great Italian food to the Hollywood community. They were the first pizza house in tinsel town, and remain the city's oldest Italian restaurant. Now, in it's sixth decade of business, it is no mystery why it is still as popular as ever. Miceli's is the kind of comfortable place that the "blue collar" folks rub elbows with high society. In the past, diners have been surprised by Presidents (Kennedy and Nixon) who have dropped in to enjoy a slice of their famous pizza. You just never know who will show up and sit in the booth next to yours.

However, if a ghost shows up, and sits in the booth next to yours, it can only be "Toni." Antoinette "Toni" Heines went to work at this landmark when it first opened, and she was working there when she died not too long ago, and it seems she is still there keeping an eye on things to this day. One employee told GHOULA that every time she used to walk by him, she would give him a playful poke in the ribs. Although she is no longer with us, he still feels the unmistakable poke from time to time. He feels that it is her way of reminding him that she is still there. He also recalled a time when, he was adjusting his tie in a mirror, when he saw (in the reflection) a door behind him slam shut when there was no one around.

In life, it seems she had a bad habit of accidentally dropping drinking glasses. Now, whenever a glass inexplicable slides off of a table or counter, it is blamed on Toni. When these "reminders" happen, the employee involved will go to the stained-glass portrait of her in "Toni's Section," and acknowledge her presence. The staff claims that this simple act, curtails the activity. Though, she is most active at the end of November, if no one remembers her birthday (the 19th) or her date of death (the 24th), her spirit seeks attention all year long. So, if you find yourself in Hollywood, craving a slice of pizza, why don't you visit her favorite haunt and say hello. The attention will make Toni very happy.

TONIGHT: Spirits With Spirits at La Golondrina Cafe

It's Friday the 13th! Don't you want to celebrate by doing something a little more adventurous than spending the night with Jason Voorhees? Yeah? Then allow me to remind you that, on the 13th day of each month, LA's very own ghost hunting group meets at a haunted bar or restaurant in order to discuss the paranormal - and tonight is no exception. Join the GHOULA get-together at La Golondrina Cafe on historic Olvera Street for an evening that's sure to offer some intriguing insights into Los Angeles history...if not a few spirit sightings. (Unfortunately, a prior engagement means that I'll probably be a no show at this meeting, so have a margarita for me!)

Here are the details, from the GHOULA website:

Note: The management has agreed to allow our group into the (normally closed to the public) haunted area of this historic restaurant. So, come out and experience this rare opportunity to go inside one of the city's oldest buildings.

THE DATE: November 13th, 2009 (Friday the 13th!)
THE PLACE: La Golondrina Cafe
(17 West Olvera Street, Los Angeles) map
THE TIME: 7:00pm to 9:30pm (closing time)

THE GHOST(S):

In 1885, Guiseppi Covaccichi built his home and winery next to an alley that at the time was known as "Vine Street" (or sometimes "Wine Street"), because of all the other wineries in the immediate area. Despite this fact, that modest home is for some strange reason today known as the Pelanconi House (who was one of many in a string of former owners), and the dingy alley was also mysteriously renamed after one of the other families in the area to "Olvera Street." Although these reasons may have been lost to history, thankfully the house and street were not. This is largely due to a local activist, Mrs. Christine Sterling, who in the 1920's made it her mission to preserve the Alvila Adobe (the city's oldest adobe structure) and the Pelanconi house (the city's oldest brick structure) for future generations and to turn the decaying slums known as Olvera Street into "The Mexican Street of Yesterday in the City of Today." As part of her plan, she convinced a local businesswoman, Senora Consuelo de Bonza, to move her popular eatery into the old Pelanconi House (and the adjoining warehouse). After cleaning, renovating, and blessing ("to remove the evil spirits"), La Golondrina reopened its doors to the public in 1930. Not only is it the oldest business on Olvera Street today, but it also holds the distinction of being the first place in Los Angeles to serve "Mexican" food (as opposed to "Spanish").

Although Senora Consuelo de Bonza is no longer with us, her portrait still hangs in the dining room, and some say her spirit still remains as well. In addition to the sounds of disembodied footsteps trailing throughout the empty restaurant, witnesses have claimed to see a woman (sometimes described as young) dressed in a white gown floating up the stairs to the "third" floor (originally the second floor), as well as inside the private offices on that floor. Even though this apparition is generally believed to be Senora de Bonza, it is quite possible the ghost could be a member of one of the many families that resided in this home over the years, since these offices are where the house's bedrooms were once located. It is also worth mentioning that the canal (known as the "mother ditch") that brought water to this cluster of buildings and farms from the Los Angeles River ran very close to this house and would surely have been visible back then from one of the upstairs windows. Although, this waterway in many ways represented life to this community, sometimes it also represented death. It was not uncommon in our city's early (wild west) days for murdered bodies to be disposed of in that ditch, or for drunken souls to meet their accidental end there. Perhaps this "woman in white" is connected to a long ago unsolved murder (or accidental death), as a victim or one who mourns for a lover who met his demise in the dark muddy waters that rolled past this former haunted house.

TONIGHT: Spirits With Spirits at Patrick's Roadhouse

Patrick's Roadhouse (photo source)

Members of GHOULA - the Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles - meet at a haunted pub or restaurant on the 13th of every month to swap stories about the supernatural. For September's event, the meetup takes place tonight at 6 PM at Patrick's Roadhouse, a seaside establishment located at 106 Entrada Dr. in Santa Monica. In a gesture that will surely be appreciated by all who attend, Patrick's Roadhouse will be closed to the public in order to give the staff an opportunity to regale GHOULA members with stories about the building's haunted history. An RSVP is required - check out the details on the GHOULA website for more information, and for some background on the roadhouse's resident ghosts.

This is poised to be the best Spirits with Spirits since the group's exquisitely creepy visit to the Queen Mary a few months back! Don't miss out.

THIS WEEKEND: Greystone Mansion Tour & Werewolves in the Cemetery

It is with a very heavy heart that I have to report that the following event is already sold out, so I hope that you already have your tickets! (I don't. I suck!) This gathering will also be a GHOULA meetup, so wear your pins (if you have 'em) and keep an eye out.

Friday Night Fright Night

at Greystone Mansion (Beverly Hills)

From the Beverly Hills website:

Join the Greystone Park Rangers around an old-fashioned campfire and indulge in gooey smores and spooky stories at the historic Greystone Estate. A tour of the deserted old mansion will follow the campfires.

Fridays, July 31 and Aug. 28
7:30pm-10:00pm
$15 per person

Not recommended for children under 10 years old. Ten to 16-year-olds must be accompanied by an adult.

In case you're unaware, the Greystone Mansion was the site of a controversial murder-suicide back in the 1920's, and is purportedly haunted as a result. Read more about it on the GHOULA website.

Then, on Saturday, we have a classic werewolf film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery...

An American Werewolf in London (1979)

From the Cinespia website:

directed by John Landis (1979 130 mins)

gates 7:00 pm movie 8:30 pm
no reservation necessary
$10 donation tickets available at gate
as a courtesy to other moviegoers: NO TALL CHAIRS!!

Two American backpackers are attacked by a mysterious creature on the moors, and when one begins to show signs of lycanthropy, he starts to believe the local superstitions might be true...Terrifying, but with a sharp sense of humor, John Landis (Animal House) directs this beloved cult favorite with a fine balance of horror and comedy. Oscar winning special effects make it a full blooded horror film, but the eerie dark countryside, terrifying creature, and walking dead are balanced with the hilarious banter of the main characters. Truly genius!

dj dave orlando spins before and after the screening

Hollywood Forever Cemetery is at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., near the intersection of Santa Monica and Gower.

TONIGHT: Spirits With Spirits at the King Edward Saloon

The King Edward Hotel (photo source)

Any ghost enthusiast in the greater Los Angeles area should be familiar with the group GHOULA, or Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles. In addition to occasional extracurricular activities, GHOULA holds meetings on the 13th of every month (called "Spirits with Spirits") at haunted bars, taverns and restaurants around L.A. I've only been attending for a few months myself, but past meeting places have included the Cat and Fiddle on Sunset and the Queen Mary in Long Beach. For August, our haunted locale is downtown, at the King Edward Saloon at 121 E. 5th Street. Here are the details, taken from the GHOULA blog:

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.” All those who attend will receive a free G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have, please wear it so others can find you.

THE DATE: August 13th, 2009 (Thursday)
THE PLACE: The King Edward Saloon
(121 E 5TH St @ Los Angeles St.) map
THE TIME: 8pm to the witching hour

THE GHOST(S):

The King Edward Saloon, a.k.a. The King Eddy Saloon, a.k.a. The King Edward Bar, just might be the oldest bar in Los Angeles (despite Coles's claims), opening their doors for business in 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt (when staying at the adjoining hotel) is said to have frequented this bar after hours (for his safety). Though there have been many changes in the neighborhood, and Prohibition (when its operation moved into the basement), this tavern has endured. It also remains the last survivor of the fabled "skid row bars" of Los Angeles.

This historic bar (even if it is mostly ignored and forgotten) occupies the South-East corner of the even more historic King Edward Hotel, designed by Parkinson and Berstorm (Parkson later designed many L.A. landmarks, including Union Station, City Hall, and Bullocks Wilshire). When this building first opened it not only proudly boasted that all the materials that went into the construction orginated from Los Angeles, but that due to its unique design was "absolutely fire-proof."

Those features aside, this saloon has another reason to brag. It is home to one of the great archetypal ghosts of America, the "vanishing hitchhiker." This apparition/urban legend has been seen in some form all over the United States (the most famous one being "Resurrection Mary" outside of Chicago), and even locally different versions of this story have been connected to the San Fernando Mission and Mulhulland Drive.

The Kind Eddy's version of this tale is that an awkward woman (possibly inebriated) introduces herself to a male patron at closing, and asks for a ride to her home in the Belvedere Garden section of East Los Angeles. The man, either with the best or worst intentions, agrees and even offers his coat to the shivering woman. On route, she demands that the driver pull over at the Evergreen Cemetery, where she mysteriously jumps out of the car and disappears into the dark grave yard. When the driver goes to look for her (and his jacket), he finds that she has completely vanished into thin air. As he leaves, he notices his jacket draped over a tombstone bearing the same name as the one she gave.

Is this ghost story a true haunting? Is it just another urban legend? Or, is it a hoax perpetuated by a woman with a sick sense of humor? Go to the the King Edward Saloon and find out for yourself.