Last year, while scouting for a short film that never came to fruition, some friends and I talked our way inside an empty, run-down hospital in Boyle Heights. The short was supposed to take place in a hospital, but after a few minutes wandering the halls of Linda Vista — alone and decidedly creeped-out — it became obvious that there was no way the place would work. It had been closed for twenty years, and it showed: there was dirt caked in layers on walls and mysteriously wet floors; windows were broken and doors hung off their hinges; ceiling tiles had fallen victim to moisture and gravity, and rats had chewed through the walls. We didn’t have the money to make Linda Vista look like anything more than a horror movie — a few of which had actually been shot there over the years.
I was only inside for 45 minutes or so, running through the place snapping photos on the fly with a crappy point-and-shoot. I featured some of them in this post from last year, but promised myself I would go back with a DSLR, a tripod and a few hours to kill, and really explore the place. Last week, I finally did.
Click on photos to see larger sizes.
Linda Vista was a railroad hospital. Originally known as Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, it was constructed in 1905 to care for Santa Fe railroad workers who had been injured on the job. I found this file on top of a scattered pile on the third floor — it seems to be the admittance form for one Charlie S. Plunk, railroad conductor, born 1909, admitted October, 1972.
Countless more files can be found downstairs in the death records room. Why thousands of highly personal records are allowed to molder in the basement of a defunct hospital, I don’t know.
Many of the rooms were painted with bright colors years ago; faded and peeled now, they make the place even more surreal.
Someone left a safety razor behind.
The halls are endless and mazelike; it’s easy to get lost.
Down in the boiler room.
Cheerful graffiti:
Dumbwaiters are everywhere.
More dumbwaiters:
Art directors have had their way with this room.
An old lobby chair?
Old hospital beds clog some of the hallways.
Other random junk:
Detail of random junk in random box:
Fancy a bath? Like most sinks and toilets in the hospital, this tub is brimming with inches of pigeon droppings. 
Relative normalcy — and a beautiful park — are just across the street.
I didn’t meet him, whoever he is. Thank goodness.
You can check out more Strange Geographies columns here.
More ‘Strange Geographies’…
The Mojave Desert’s Airplane Graveyard
*
Salvation Mountain
*
The Aborted Suburb of Rotonda Sands, Florida
*
Village Life in Vanuatu
*
Almost the Outback
Comments (133)
Comment
- subscribe /
- give a gift /
- terms of service /
- about /
- contact us /
- write for us /
- ad info /
- subscriber services /
- press /
- privacy policy /
- rss /
© 2012 Mental Floss Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mental Floss is a registered trademark owned by Felix Dennis. mentalfloss.com is a trademark owned by Felix Dennis.
Disclaimer: All submissions made to mental_floss become the property of Mental Floss Inc and may be used without further permission by the submitter and without compensation to the submitter. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not submit anything to mental_floss.
These are beautiful photos, Ransom! What an amazing series.
posted by uh huh on 7-7-2009 at 7:48 am
I looked at the rest of the pictures you have. Thank you for not including the one with the dead rat. Seeing that I would have ran, never to return. Awesome pics!
posted by christina on 7-7-2009 at 8:13 am
These photos are amazing!! What camera did you use?
posted by KerriD on 7-7-2009 at 9:03 am
Dude, I totally hope you took that safety razor with when you left. It looked like it still has a few shaves left in it. Waste not, want not.
posted by EV on 7-7-2009 at 9:37 am
Fantastic pics you’ve got here! I couldn’t help but think of Diary of the Dead the entire time.
p.s. The guy in the walls doesn’t sound so bad, but I might have to start charging the guy in my heart rent…….
posted by Ian on 7-7-2009 at 9:45 am
Thanks, guys!
@ KerriD:
I had two, an EOS 40D and a 5D, and some wide-ish lenses. A few of these are subtle HDR photos — three or more bracketed exposures of the same scene taken on a tripod and blended together to get more even tones than one normally could with a digital camera. Really helps when you’re shooting in dark rooms lit by bright sunlight.
posted by Ransom Riggs on 7-7-2009 at 10:17 am
Very cool! Thank you for sharing!
posted by Dash on 7-7-2009 at 10:24 am
I really like the one in the chapel. It looks relatively untouched compared to the rest of the place.
posted by Trevor on 7-7-2009 at 10:34 am
Wow.. Amazing pictures.. I actually think the records room is one of the creepier shots..
posted by John on 7-7-2009 at 11:04 am
These are really fantastic. I love the razer and the boiler room shots.
posted by Trena on 7-7-2009 at 11:16 am
If it’s old and moldy, why is it still there? Why don’t they demolish the building?
posted by kat on 7-7-2009 at 11:44 am
Wow that place looks awesome! It’s weird but I love the haunted feeling of decrepit buildings, and I love that it has dumbwaiters and old style furniture–the dated materials just make it more fascinating. Thanks for showing us.
posted by Rory on 7-7-2009 at 12:01 pm
I’ve lived in LA all my life and I never knew about this hospital. Thanks for the beautiful pictures. the city is full of secrets and treasures.
posted by Catherine on 7-7-2009 at 12:10 pm
I would so love to have those benches in that chapel.
posted by Karen on 7-7-2009 at 12:41 pm
I remember reading a post on this site about an abandoned theme park in Arkanasas called Dogpatch USA that really freaked me out for some reason. Just seeing this creepy old amusment park from the 60s that had been totally abandoned and left to rot and get buried in weeds. I think it’d be neat to get a bigger article like this one done about it with pictures of this quality
posted by Randy on 7-7-2009 at 1:06 pm
I’d like to think the cheerful graffiti said “PIE” and not “DIE”. I know if I walked into an abandoned hospital, that would make me happy.
posted by Lauren on 7-7-2009 at 1:26 pm
LOL… Lauren, i thought the exact same thing…. pie makes me happy especially lemon meringue
posted by Jeneva on 7-7-2009 at 1:33 pm
this be my kind of place.
posted by Corbet on 7-7-2009 at 2:41 pm
Check out the fetus in the End Is Near pic. WTF?
posted by Valkyrie on 7-7-2009 at 3:00 pm
I like the photo of the boiler room the best. Excellent photography.
The only exception being the display of someone’s Social Security Number to accompany his Date of Birth, name, and address.
posted by Hannibal Schlechter on 7-7-2009 at 3:32 pm
In the graffiti of the “End Is Near” photo is that a fetus or the baby from 2001: A Space Odyssey?
posted by Pat on 7-7-2009 at 3:40 pm
When I look at the picture of the file room all I can think of is ‘Oh why doesn’t someone save that stuff for genealogists.’ I would love to have medical records of my family.
posted by Jenni on 7-7-2009 at 4:57 pm
Did you ever see the movie “Session 9″ Check it out, I thought of it while looking at your pictures.
posted by Eric W on 7-7-2009 at 5:50 pm
Ransom, excellent photography.
You truly have an eye for photography. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
posted by Kristen on 7-7-2009 at 6:10 pm
Amazing. Mr. Plonk lived just around the corner from where I was growing up in 1972. You’d think this property would be worth developing; kind of odd it’s just sat there. Marineland property did the same thing, though, and it has to be some pretty prized real estate. Kinda weird that the electricity is still on, too.
posted by Joe V on 7-7-2009 at 8:28 pm
@ P. Esh – FYI deceased individuals SSN are very easy to come by. On FamilySearch and many other genealogy websites, Social Security Death Indexes contain an individuals name, death date, SSN, location they applied for their SSN, and death location. So no harm was done by publishing this picture.
posted by Katina on 7-7-2009 at 9:06 pm
I am so going here this weekend. These are some really nice photos!
posted by Bob on 7-7-2009 at 9:29 pm
does that one say Pie or Die?
posted by Katherine on 7-7-2009 at 10:42 pm
Wait, so there’s electricity still running in there? I noticed the light was on in the basement. These photos are stunning.
posted by CatWithASea on 7-8-2009 at 1:48 am
I went to a broken down place like that once in Kansas City and was wondering if there are any problems with squatters there? That was the scariest part about the place I went…Homeless addicts screaming at people.
posted by Adam on 7-8-2009 at 7:39 am
I used to live near that hospital. I would sometimes see productions companies use it to shoot films. I believe part of it was used as rehabilitation center for drug addicts not too long ago. It was also featured on an episode of America’s Next Top Model for one of the photo shoots.
You did a great job on these pictures. I didn’t know this place was that deteriorated.
posted by angelica on 7-8-2009 at 8:17 am
Great Shots!
posted by Harper, MD on 7-8-2009 at 8:47 am
This place is the scariest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen. I have to go!
posted by M Munro on 7-8-2009 at 9:44 pm
I believe this place was used for the filming of an episode of “Dexter”
posted by Mike on 7-9-2009 at 12:03 pm
Great tiles!
posted by Susan on 7-10-2009 at 5:27 pm
Is this place known to be haunted?
posted by Lisa on 7-14-2009 at 6:10 pm
Great photos!!!!! Interesting material.
posted by Alicia on 7-15-2009 at 4:01 pm
Brilliant photos…art directors would struggle to dress a set to make it as creepy as some of those shots! Fantastic work. Very odd place.
posted by Kev on 7-16-2009 at 7:52 am
Yeah, how come there is still electricity? There’s at least two photos with lights on…
posted by LB on 8-4-2009 at 11:05 pm
freaky as hell, great photos!
posted by jim w on 8-26-2009 at 5:25 am
The look of hospitals under Obamacare.
posted by Deserfox on 9-16-2009 at 8:49 am
“The end is near” and “I live in the walls” was creepy but really good Pics
posted by Danc3r on 9-21-2009 at 6:55 pm
great movie set
posted by dan b on 9-21-2009 at 8:00 pm
Wow! Those pictures are amazing! Didn’t they do a ghost hunting episode at that location?
posted by Danica Johnson on 9-22-2009 at 7:13 pm
If you want to see more creepy images,there is a deserted island off the coast of Japan somewhere, if I am not mistaken, with a whole town that looks like this. Someone risked life and limb, and arrest (it is apparantly illegal to set foot on the island)to post photos like this on the web. I can’t remember any more details but if you google it you should find it.
posted by trish on 9-24-2009 at 5:21 pm
The photo of patient records is a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974! It’s one thing to have the records in the basement, and completely something else when you post personal information online, and the location where to find more!
posted by Greg on 9-25-2009 at 6:09 pm
wonderful images.I would so love to do a photoshoot there. Excellent work. :)
posted by mike wood on 9-26-2009 at 8:00 am
this looks like the same hospital they filmed an episode of The Colony at…I just watched it today. Great pics, thanks!
posted by Jan on 9-26-2009 at 5:26 pm
Great pictures! I just saw the movie “Deadgirl” last night. I’m pretty sure it was filmed in this hospital. :)
posted by kernel on 9-27-2009 at 10:30 pm
I live near Boyle Heights, never knew this hospital existed. What surprises me the most is the lack of gang graffiti. Seriously. I was expecting to see it everywhere. I guess the gangbangers were too scared to enter…with that said, EXCELLANT photos! Now I must go and visit.
posted by Cupcakechica on 9-28-2009 at 1:21 am
Great pics man ! But hell, I would be so frightened to wonder down those halls !
But its really interesting man, so much pain and suffering must have happened there… Thanks for this great post!
posted by stack22 on 9-28-2009 at 4:27 pm
@Lisa… of course such place are haunted ! It’s an ideal refuge for bad spirits and demons to be… because the place is completely impregnated with bad energy such as fear and pain which those bad entities feed upon… I wouldn’t go there alone at 3 o’clock in the morning if I were you… :D
posted by stack22 on 9-28-2009 at 4:33 pm
awesome! this should be made into a haunted house.
posted by Bader on 9-28-2009 at 6:29 pm
this is where we shot the pilot of ER as a TV Movie! this submarine like set was then recreated on a Stage !! at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank..
posted by Babu Subramaniam on 9-29-2009 at 1:03 am
Soooooooo reminding me of the game Silent Hill.
posted by M. E. on 9-30-2009 at 9:38 am
Did he died?
posted by Juan on 10-5-2009 at 8:38 am
If old decrepit buildings interest you , look up “The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit”.
Great website.
posted by robert on 10-6-2009 at 1:18 am
freaky you know but it’s very beautiful, artistic shots :)
posted by dajjoy on 10-9-2009 at 6:27 pm
Beautiful & sad images. Thanks so much for sharing…
posted by Keryn on 10-24-2009 at 5:05 am
this looks like a real life version on fallout 3, these should b in the game
posted by vaultboy101 on 11-12-2009 at 10:40 pm
Where exactly is this? I want to go and photograph it…
posted by Jed on 11-24-2009 at 10:11 am
I always get special feelings when i see abandoned places like this one.
I can always imagine what it was like back then.
Their should be a school or college that could pickup those patients files in the basement and archive them on dvd’s…after all, it’s our history.
posted by Oriam on 12-27-2009 at 11:03 pm
As others have said: Great work. The boiler room and hallway shots greatly evoke the atmosphere of the Geoffrey Rush version of ‘House on Haunted Hill.’ I’m not a ‘modern’ (ie: s;asher) horror movie fan but love this flick. If you like these picks you might also.
posted by Tulsafornian on 1-2-2010 at 9:19 pm
Yeah these desasters are strewn all over the states – The hudson Valley is riddled with them. To think we have homeless people in 2010 – Thanks Reagan
posted by Steve on 1-21-2010 at 9:55 am
So, I am just curious, Who pays the electricity bill since the facility is abandoned and dysfunctional for such a long time? what does the meter readers do there and when power is cut off who reinstate it?
posted by Ssemmanda on 2-5-2010 at 9:46 pm
awesome…remind me with one of famous horror game, Silent Hill…
posted by Rozs on 2-5-2010 at 10:13 pm
…I’m hearing Twilight Zone soundtrack in my head while browsing these pictures…
posted by Eden on 2-5-2010 at 11:12 pm
I was part of a film crew there. Creepy as hell. It was fine during the day, but at night I refused to go in, even with it full of 50+ people.
Great pictures. Captured it perfectly.
posted by Mandy on 2-18-2010 at 5:25 am
This must be what my crappy neighbor’s house looks like on the inside.
posted by giggity on 2-20-2010 at 12:16 pm
Worked on a film there last summer and was nearly crushed by a morgue refrigerator in the basement. Another film is constructing a cell block in the basement. Found a lot of cool stuff including a decapitated baby doll in an incubator
posted by Andy on 2-21-2010 at 4:42 pm
these remind me of Half Life2 & episodes…
Nice photos.
posted by someguy on 3-2-2010 at 6:58 pm
I like the last one. The ‘I live in your heart’ in tiny hand writing is beautiful in a way with the comparison to ‘I live in the walls’.
posted by ThePanda on 3-2-2010 at 10:50 pm
I think you are really brave.. I have always liked abandoned places, but I´m not brave enough to go by myself. Is a terrific work what you did, the pictures are amazing.. thanks for sharing. ¡¡¡
posted by Loreliz on 3-15-2010 at 7:08 pm
OOOOHH NOOOOOO !!!!
It’s the dreaded social security number!!
Call the FBI…the IRS….call the SWAT team to stop this dastardly crime!!
All kidding aside….these are great pictures and thank you for sharing.
Never mind the idiots complaining about an old S.S. number…all they can do is find fault with your work.Pay no attention to their comments.
posted by Joe on 3-19-2010 at 9:33 pm
Great photos. I have been in several buildings like this and have found and taken home several old pieces of equipment. I even have old X-ray machines from the early 70′s as well as an old pack of type B blood that dates back to 76, and is hard as a brick. I am curious why is the electricity still on in this building?? I am an electrician, and this place looks like a fire or accident waiting to happen. There is water and things are wet. Someone has had to bootleg the electrical power, and it’s illegal if so. I just can’t see why the city would be paying to keep power on in a delapatated building. Whom!
posted by Shawn Gipperich on 4-7-2010 at 4:34 am
LOVE these. i’ve always been so intrigued and fascinated by death and hospitals and abandoned places, and these are wonderful. everywhere you go is so filled with life, joy, and movement, and when you see things like this it makes you stop talking, look, and feel what’s around you. it’s very surreal and sobering. great work.
posted by Maria Staley on 4-10-2010 at 9:28 pm
I love these kinds of photos. I don’t know why but disused buildings seam to hold memories and this is no exception for a hospital.
posted by David Hardwick Wedding Photography on 4-12-2010 at 3:08 pm
I live in the walls wow poetry at its best yup!
posted by rene on 4-25-2010 at 1:27 pm
Wow. Just wow, thanks for sharing.
posted by dasparadoxon on 5-4-2010 at 6:40 pm
Nice shots! I love how you captured the images and showed feelings of loneliness, of being forlorn and desolate, as well as making me ask “what if these were night shots?”
posted by Jason on 5-7-2010 at 9:30 pm
These are amazing! I always love creepy shots of old hospitals and asylums like this. :D
Fantastic!
posted by Stacie on 5-16-2010 at 11:18 pm
Your pictures really inspired me. They actually tonally dark and vibrant reflecting a “real” moment. Thanks.
posted by Jose I on 5-30-2010 at 8:52 am
For someplace in the LA area, there is not that much graffiti. A place too creepy for gangs to hang out!
posted by ladyofargonne on 5-30-2010 at 3:56 pm
Fabulous pictures! Makes me wonder if the condemned hospital in the game “Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines” was based on this place, at least in part. A lot of these shots really bring it to mind.
posted by David on 5-30-2010 at 7:17 pm
Wow, i love the look of this place, i think that if tweeked to be the local it would have made an awesome place to shoot a horror short! Absolutes amazing, what a jem (in disguise)!
posted by tab on 5-31-2010 at 12:51 pm
I’ve been here at like 2 am and it is definitely the scariest thing ever… Thank goodness I was with friends haha, apparently there’s a mannequin dressed up as a nurse somewhere in the building but I wasn’t able to find it. We had to crawl in through a window in the back. Insane. I want to go back.
posted by Taylor on 6-2-2010 at 3:23 am
I’ve worked here several times on different filming projects and every time i come back this place gives the creeps……….i just cant get use to it…my hats off to Francis the site rep……
posted by BOBBY on 6-16-2010 at 6:04 pm
and yes Francis it’s bobby, bobby security. and that code you asked for is 1234 and 1234…….
posted by BOBBY on 6-16-2010 at 6:06 pm
Hey Hun Nice photos of a creepy place.. keep up the great photos
posted by Queenie on 6-16-2010 at 6:23 pm
Love these various collections of abandoned institutions that litter the net.
posted by Grover on 6-17-2010 at 12:59 am
WOW!
I was sitting here thinking to myself that hospital sounded really familiar, and then I realized my father was born there!
I just looked at his birth cert and there it is! Amazing!
posted by Drew on 6-24-2010 at 2:50 am
This pictures are amazing! Your Art is beautiful!
posted by KRH1231 on 6-25-2010 at 4:17 pm
What everybody else has already said- jaw-droppingly beautiful photos, these. :o My favorite sort of photography is of the decrepit (sp??), so this is a huge treat for me… although I’m envioius of your location (seriously, this hospital is what an art photographer’s dreams are made of).
posted by Araxie on 6-28-2010 at 1:48 am
Was that freely accessed? or did you have to pay to visit that site. its AMAZING how photogenic the interior is for horror movies, i would love to wander those halls for just that purpose. please let me know, thanks!
posted by theMightyThor on 7-6-2010 at 1:56 pm
It’s sad that the movie productions were not required to cover up their decorations when they left.
posted by aberline on 7-6-2010 at 4:54 pm
simply crazy how they just leave buildings like this! wish i could explore one!
posted by james on 7-10-2010 at 7:40 pm
This is definitely the building used for the exterior shots of the hospital in the Buffy the vampire slayer series. Yep, I knew that.
posted by eric on 7-14-2010 at 11:13 pm
This IS the exact same hospital they used for an episode of the first season of the Colony on Discovery channel! Too cool! You can watch the full episode here
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/the-colony-loss-and-communication-full-episode.html
posted by Anonymous on 7-30-2010 at 11:40 am
Somebody please send “Ghost Hunters” or their ilk here before the place gets ransacked or demolished!
posted by Jules on 8-1-2010 at 5:01 am
Ransom Riggs were you just able to walk in and take pictures? why did they abandon the hospital?
posted by Kim on 8-6-2010 at 6:35 pm
That place is supposedly haunted, I see why.
posted by Kaleo on 8-12-2010 at 12:25 am
Which photo is the photo of the chapel? I didn’t spot any pictures with benches.
posted by Clarice on 9-1-2010 at 8:11 pm
Magical photos! Somehow a magical place.
Is it beyond salvage?
posted by rredux on 9-7-2010 at 11:30 am
The pictures look like a world that was abandoned or where an apocalypse took place. Cool pics. I don’t think I will be visiting this place anytime soon. Why do people do this? Why weren’t the records removed to an archive? I wonder what were they thinking????? Robbie
posted by Robbie Scifres on 9-10-2010 at 2:22 am
Very cool, though I’d be concerned about the building collapsing if I were in there.
posted by Kidlet's Dad on 9-11-2010 at 4:41 pm
Wow, amazing!!!! Great pics!
posted by Tanya on 9-19-2010 at 12:21 am
I would love to go look through those files. Not in an “I want to steal someone’s identity” sort of way, but I bet there are some interesting bits of history in there. Also, I wonder if the place could be renovated and turned into something good. Maybe a half-way house, or homeless shelter, or something to that effect…?
posted by Niki on 9-19-2010 at 6:30 am
As mentioned, can this place/buildings be saved? .. I mean what a waste of such a beautiful area. I can think of a dozen uses it could be used for. Magnificent photo captures !
posted by the penguin on 9-26-2010 at 1:07 pm
they should do tours
posted by hcwildfire on 9-26-2010 at 4:16 pm
You Californian’s have no Idea what old is
posted by old school on 9-29-2010 at 3:08 am
Very interesting photos. Was there a reason this place was closed? Like a natural disaster? Seems kinda strange that the records weren’t destroyed before it was closed/abandoned/etc.
posted by Theraisa K on 10-1-2010 at 5:19 pm
Been there 3 times and its worth it every time I go! Your pics are awesome…long exposures I presume? We are going back in the spring and I CANT WAIT!
posted by Belinda on 10-7-2010 at 2:08 pm
Can you please tell me where to contact the people in order to go in!?!?!
i would appreciate it very much. I snuck in before but now I’m aware that it has changed and is more difficult to get in :/
posted by christian on 10-25-2010 at 6:20 pm
These pictures are amazing but very sad!
posted by JimmyGaydos on 11-15-2010 at 7:50 am
These pictures are awesome!! I love looking at galleries of pictures taken in old abandoned buildings,especially hospitals! Well done :D
posted by Rina on 11-29-2010 at 12:12 pm
Ghost Adventures DID do an episode here! Check it out, part 1 of 4… just follow the links on the side for more =)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If8qA47gi5o
posted by Stacey on 11-30-2010 at 2:54 pm
I just sav the episode of, Ghost Adventures. It really freakt me out that this hospital was so careless.
Can you just walk in there, from the street without a permition?
I live in europe. My next trip to the U.S, i will defenetly visit this hospital, if it posible!
Really great pics!
posted by Cosmo on 12-25-2010 at 3:56 pm
Ghost Adventures has been here, there was high paranormal activity during broad daylight. It was really cool. Also, the music video for Avenged Sevenfold’s “Nightmare” was shot here. This building is creepy but beautiful in its own way. I love the pictures.
posted by Rissa on 12-28-2010 at 12:22 pm
I love this. I was wondering how i would go about finding places like this? I’m really into abandoned places. They seem very interesting. And i do some photography and i would love to do some in a place like this. If you could do any help, Thank you.
posted by Jamie on 1-25-2011 at 5:05 pm
I agree with Clarice, I don’t see any photos of a chapel, or benches? But from the couple peoples comments who have mentioned, I want to see that/those picture(s)!!
posted by Danielle on 1-27-2011 at 11:48 am
What a fascinating place! I would like to visit this hospital.
Thanks for the photos!
posted by emi on 1-27-2011 at 3:46 pm
great job!!! do you need a permit to shoot here? did you run into any guards or security during your shoot?
posted by Canon5dkid on 4-24-2011 at 8:00 pm
Cool post! I love abandoned places, you just went in there or you asked permission?
posted by Roy on 7-3-2011 at 10:29 am
I think the hospital was used in BOO! it sort of looks like the same hospital but I’d love to be in a horror movie in that place its cool looking.
posted by Zack on 7-6-2011 at 7:54 am
Wish you &/or crew (if you have ‘em) wd. report the HIPAA breach. Can you imagine how you’d feel if your records were just “out there”?
Excellent photos, if a tad eery.
posted by Jean D'Arc on 7-16-2011 at 11:58 pm
This hospital was used in the 1st season of the show “The Colony”, fyi.
posted by Derek on 10-17-2011 at 9:29 pm
Pictures are cool, and do not reflect the creepy vibe in person.
For Zack – it is the hosptial from Boo, Pearl Harbor, Outbreak, A Nightmare on Elm Street (boiler room scenes), Buffy, Dexter…and many other “B” movies, TV shows and music videos.
We drove by it last week while on vacation down in SoCal. It is the creepiest place I have ever seen.
It is owned by a company that rents it (I believe for $150 an hour) to movies and groups for investigations. Really cool, but if you trespass, it is a felony offense. Between that and the seriosly creepy evil vibe it gives off could be why there is not much graffiti. They also have a caretaker and security staff. Boyle Heights Paranormal Project does tours periodically from what I understand.
posted by Denise on 10-25-2011 at 7:00 pm
I Thought your pictures were really interesting. I looked up the hospital info on Wikipedia. It was closed in 1991 because of all the lawsuits from people dying there. It is also on the National Register of Historic Building which is controlled by National Park Service. You would need to contact them for permission. It also seems to be used for Films and music videos.
posted by Sarah on 11-8-2011 at 3:59 am
Pictures like these really make me want to become an urban explorer! How exciting! Thank you so much for sharing!
posted by Pilly on 11-14-2011 at 2:19 pm
In 2011 the 4.2 acre Linda Vista Hospital complex was purchased by AMCAL Multi-Housing Inc. The structures on the historic registry, the main hospital and former nurses dormitory, will be renovated into the “Linda Vista Senior Apartments” and provide a total of 97 apartments for fixed income seniors plus a medical facility. Phase I, scheduled to begin in spring 2013, will be the conversion of the dormitory building into 4 studio and 18 one bedroom apartments.
posted by Dottie on 12-31-2011 at 6:03 pm
She is beautiful. I live right around the corner and have yet to explore it’s haunting hall ways. I bet there has been more deaths and crime in the park (Hollenbeck Park) across that open window. Wishing for a tour.
posted by Judith Bautista on 1-6-2012 at 4:25 pm
From being one of it’s closest neighbors, I know that the electricity is on, and on full blast in there. It is frequently use year round. So many filmings and now even events take place there. I believe this was the first year that a Dia De Los Muertos and Halloween event was hosted there. Sometimes you can hear explosions, gun fire an other sound effects from the shoots. I really need to make my way in there.
posted by Judith Bautista on 1-7-2012 at 12:10 am
Amazing set, I love how the place looks virtually untouched! We don’t have places like this around here (Detroit area)… everything usually gets trashed pretty quickly.
posted by Dan on 1-24-2012 at 11:23 pm