Ghost sightings in Culver City

October 16, 12:05 PMCulver City Restaurant ExaminerMary McGrath

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Is the Culver Hotel really haunted?-photo by Mary McGrath

Lately, I've been on the prowl for ghosts in Culver City and the surrounding areas. I've heard rumors, so I thought I'd do some sleuthing.

While out of town in Riverside, I found some ghosts in some of the photos I took at an old hotel. For those of you who aren't familiar with orb photography, they are the circular forms you see in your images after you've shot an area that is supposed to be haunted. These images are vastly different from those that have lens flair and dust.

I've heard that that the Culver Hotel has its share of spirits, including the bar downstairs. Ghostly sightings have apparently taken place in the hotel hallways and some of the rooms. If you believe in this sort of thing, then you ought to go there and see for yourself. I took some shots at the hotel, and found that ghost orbs were evident in several rooms and public areas. I'd love to stay there sometime and dine downstairs to further explore this historic property. It could be an interesting excursion.

Other hauntings surround the Culver Studios. Built by Thomas Ince, this is where “Gone With the Wind” was filmed. Supposedly, Ince was accidentally shot and killed by a jealous William Randolph Hearst who was aiming for Charlie Chaplin but missed. According to the legend, the ghost of Thomas Ince now haunts his old studio. There are no public tours of this place, so I couldn't test my camera in capturing orbs.

Walking up the street, I shot inside the historic La Ballona Restaurant, and again found orbs in my photos. Hey, if I were a ghost, I'd hang out where there are good margaritas. I counted at least seven orbs in the one photo I took inside the restaurant.

If there are other restaurants around town that are rumored to be haunted, I'd love to know about them. For Halloween, maybe they should serve a goblin stew or ghost goulash. It's appropriate for the season in my book.

For those of you on the hunt for ghosts, there are two cemeteries in Culver City that I'm sure are saddled with their share of ghostly activity. One is Hillside Cemetery, right across from the Howard Hughes Complex near the 405 freeway.

The other is the Holy Cross Cemetery, which is right off of Slauson in Fox Hills. Both are dense with notable figures that have passed. Have I been there at night to witness any activity? Not yet. I'm not into climibing fences at midnight, and besides, I watch enough Stephen King movies to know better.

If you're interested in investigating the paranormal in the neighborhood, here are some tidbits to get you started from http://la.metblogs.com/2006/10/30/los-angeles-haunted-places/

Los Angeles - Westchester High School - It is said that 3 ghost haunt the school…..

Los Angeles - Venice - Venice high school - it has been said that auditorium lights and sound turn on by themselves while events are taking place. There are also cold spots there. Screams have been heard in the control room…….

Los Angeles - Loyola Marymount University - The Strub Theatre is said to be haunted by an old lady who sits in the back of the house watching the stage…..

Los Angeles - Loyola Marymount University - Rains Hall students have reported seeing strange apparitions as well as the ghost of a girl who died there from heart complications in 1998.

Halloween is just around the corner. If any of you know of any other places around town that have paranormal activity, I welcome hearing from you.