Paranormal Group Investigates Haunted Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles

Las Vegas Paranormal group Elite Vegas Paranormal Society investigates legendary haunted hospital in Los Angeles.

Article and Photos by Suzanne Philips

Linda Vista Hospital

In the Paranormal community, several locations are legendary for their reported activity: the Washoe Club in Virginia City, Nevada; Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky; Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania and more.  Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles certainly fits into this category.

The hospital, which opened in 1904, was originally called the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital and was built to treat employees of the railroad and their families.  The original building was razed and rebuilt in 1924 in a Mission Revival Style and in 1937 was renamed Linda Vista Hospital.  The railroad sold the hospital to a managed care company in 1980, when the area around the hospital was becoming less affluent and seeing a huge increase in the number of gunshot woods and stabbings.  The hospital ER was forced to close in 1989 as they were treating a huge number of uninsured and under insured patients and after a decline in the quality of care after a number of doctors moved to other hospitals, the hospital closed in 1991.

“Chapel” used to film “True Blood”

Since it has closed, the hospital has been used as a filming location for TV shows such as “E.R.”, “True Blood” and “Dexter” and films like “To Live and Die in L.A.” and “Outbreak”.  Reports of Paranormal activity have plagued the property for years.  Many people have claimed to see shadows, hear disembodied voices, see apparitions and have strange items move on their own.  Travel Channel’s hugely popular show “Ghost Adventures” filmed 2 investigations on the property, and led to one of their investigators, Nick Groff, coming face to face with the apparition of a lady that affects him to this day.

The Fake Morgue

 

The hospital is currently being renovated to be used as senior housing, but Las Vegas Paranormal group Elite Vegas Paranormal Society was fortunate enough to be one of the last groups allowed into the hospital to investigate before it is demolished.

Elite Vegas Paranormal Society (EVPS)  is one of Las Vegas’ more well-known Paranormal groups and is very active in the community.  They put on the Las Vegas Paracon each year (http://elitevegasparanormalsociety.com/The_Las_Vegas_Paracon.html) and recently conducted public ghost hunts in October at Historic Bonnie Springs Ranch.

The Famous “Yellow Room” at Linda Vista Hospital

For the Linda Vista Hospital investigation, EVPS took 12 investigators and special guest investigator, actress Amanda Lynn Hills, to the Boyle Heights location for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The team set up a facebook and twitter feed for the evening where they invited fans and friends to watch videos from the event that were posted during the night and comment on photos taken at each part of the location.  They were also asked to tell the team where they would like to see them investigate, thus making it an interactive experience for those who couldn’t be there.

The EVPS team split up into groups as they investigated locations such as the surgical suites, the boiler room and patient floors.  At one point during the evening, the team all came together to try a very progressive experiment.  As several of the EVPS team members are in the medical field, they decided to try a “mock code” to try to bring out spirits and activity.  All of the team members dressed as medial professionals ran a “code” on a team member playing a patient and simulated trying to save her life.  Outside the trauma suite, they placed a REM pod and had cameras running.  They tried the experiment two separate times and each time, the REM pod started to alarm when no one was near it in the hallway outside the trauma suite.  Clearly, someone or something was reacting to the commotion going on in the trauma suite!

EVPS team members spent over 9 hours at the location and collected a ton of audio and video recordings that they are currently reviewing to see what evidence was caught.  The team will produce a video which will be posted on their website at a later date.

Room where “Nightstalker” Richard Ramirez was said to be held

 

For more information on Elite Vegas Paranormal Society or to get information on their upcoming 2013 Paracon, check out www.elitevegasparanormalsociety.com

 

 

 

Author: Suzanne Philips
Film, TV, Theatre reviewer. Mad Dance Skillz, Crazy in a good way.

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