While Southern California sweats through October, the arrival of Halloween brings with it the ancient tradition of ghost stories. Los Angeles may not boast the ancient Celtic roots of Samhain, the pagan festival that marked the end of harvest and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year, but it has over a century of Old Hollywood history that comes with its own collection of enduring spirits.
Some of the city's most well-known drinking destinations reportedly harbor dark pasts and ghostly residents, frequented by both stars and specters. Here are a few places where you might encounter more than just a stiff drink.
In Hollywood, **Boardner's by La Belle** is said to be haunted by former co-owner Kurt Richter, who reportedly died in the bar on Christmas Eve 1997, and a bartender named Al. The noir atmosphere, with its heavy velvet curtain, seems to invite otherworldly beings. There's even a rumor that former patron Elizabeth Short, known as The Black Dahlia, occasionally stops in.
Over in Beverly Hills, the nearly century-old **Beverly Wilshire**, a posh hotel across from Rodeo Drive, reportedly has a former resident still residing on its top floor. A woman in white has been seen roaming the corridors, with staff believing it could be Barbara Hutton. The heiress and philanthropist, who was once one of the richest women in the world and married seven times, including to Cary Grant, spent her last years at the hotel, becoming a recluse after her only child died.
**El Carmen**, which opened in 1929 on West 3rd Street, became a popular spot for directors, actors, and artists. Staff say the original owner, Encarnación Elias Gomez, known as "Mama," still oversees her restaurant. The ghost of her stepdaughter, Martha, who once worked the till, is said to sometimes reward staff members with sweet treats of their own.
The **Formosa Cafe** in West Hollywood, fashioned partly from an old Pacific Electric Railway trolley car, is another old-school classic. Lined with signed photos of countless stars, it carries a romantic and illicit atmosphere. Mobster Mickey Cohen reportedly ran a betting scam from here, and co-owner Lem Quon, who died in 1993, is said to still be around, particularly in his favorite booth, No. 8.
The **Biltmore Hotel** in the Historic Core, opened in 1923, is famed for hosting eight Oscars ceremonies and for being the last place Elizabeth Short was officially seen alive. Her last known whereabouts were at what was then the main entrance on South Olive Street. The hotel's Gallery Bar offers a "Black Dahlia" cocktail in her honor.
For those seeking a more exclusive experience, the **Magic Castle**, a private club for magicians and illusionists perched above Hollywood, boasts five bars and several theaters. The mysterious venue feels like a haunted house, with corridors and stairs seemingly appearing from nowhere. Bartender Loren Tate has reportedly been seen serving spirits and talking to guests at the clubhouse’s Hat & Hare Lounge, despite having died many years ago.
Just above the Magic Castle sits **Yamashiro**, a Japan-inspired "mountain palace" that is also over 100 years old. Rumors of a secret smuggling tunnel raged back in the day, and former owner Thomas Glover’s ashes are interred in the garden courtyard. A ghostly lady has reportedly been seen at table No. 9 in the Sunset Dining Room, eternally waiting.
**Musso & Frank** on Hollywood Boulevard, a more-than-century-old institution with red-leather booths, has welcomed practically every Hollywood luminary. Charlie Chaplin's favorite booth, No. 1, reportedly yielded a photograph years ago that showed a circular flash of light with the face of an angry-looking man in it. Staff also share stories of "la mujer sin cabeza," a headless woman.
Farther south in Long Beach, the classic ocean liner **Queen Mary**, which first set sail in 1936, draws thousands of thrill-seekers to its annual Halloween event, Dark Harbor. Many passengers and crew are said to have never left the ship, including soldiers who died on board when the vessel, renamed the "Grey Ghost," was pressed into WWII military service. These lingering presences are a part of the ship's enduring legacy.
