11 haunted bars in L.A. to visit this Halloween

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Imagine being so committed to your job that you still show up even after you die. That's allegedly the case for two former employees at Boardner's: co-owner Kurt Richter, who died in the bar on Christmas Eve 1997, and bartender Al. Let's face it, though: The noir vibe of the place, including the heavy velvet curtain at the door, is pretty inviting to otherworldly beings. There's even a rumor that former patron Elizabeth Short (aka The Black Dahlia) still stops in on occasion, proving that even the ghosts like to bar hop every now and then.

Address: 1625 N. Cherokee Ave., Los Angeles 90028

Opening hours: Mon–Sun 5pm–2am 

The French-neoclassical-influenced Beverly Wilshire is opposite Rodeo Drive. The posh hotel of Pretty Woman fame is nearly a century old—it was built in 1928. Wolfgang Puck’s Cut steakhouse is here, as well as other dining and drinking concepts, including CUT Lounge, which is hosting a Día de los Muertos party on November 1.

Meanwhile, a former resident apparently still resides on the top floor. A woman in white has been seen roaming those corridors, and staff think it could be Barbara Hutton, an heiress and philanthropist who became one of the richest women in the world at age 21 and was eventually married seven times, including to Cary Grant.

The “Poor Little Rich Girl” lived out her last years here, having become a recluse after her only child died in a plane crash.

Address: 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Opening hours: Tue–Thu 5:30–10pm; Fri, Sat 5–11pm

Opened in 1929 by Encarnación Elias Gomez, El Carmen became a hangout for everyone from directors and actors to artist Diego Rivera, and it later saw Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham initially talking about joining Fleetwood Mac over margaritas. “Mama” still oversees her restaurant, staff says, and the ghost of her stepdaughter, Martha, who once worked the till and handed out candy to customers, sometimes rewards staff members with sweet treats of their own.

What to order this Halloween at this small-but-always-lively Mexican restaurant? Perhaps La Seductora will woo you with Pueblo Viejo Reposado, agave, watermelon juice, lime juice, muddled cucumber and mint with a Tajín rim.

Address: 8138 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 5pm–2am; Sat, Sun 6pm–2am

Another old-school classic, the Formosa is low-lit and blood-red, in part fashioned from an old Pacific Electric Railway trolley car. Lined with signed photos of every star that’s sat on a stool here (Sinatra, Bogart, Gable and many more), the restaurant has an atmosphere that’s romantic and rather illicit. You might have seen it on the big screen in L.A. Confidential.

Famed mobster Mickey Cohen ran a betting scam from here—try to find his secret floor safe—and though co-owner Lem Quon died in 1993, staff say he’s still around, especially when you sit in his favorite booth, No. 8. If you see an elderly man in a cardigan, smile and say hello.

Address: 7156 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Opening hours: Sun–Wed noon–11pm; Thu–Sat noon–midnight

Taylor Swift filmed quite a bit of her “Delicate” video at the Biltmore, which opened in 1923. She walks and dances through the lobby, main corridor and into one of the elevators—all of which also appeared in 1984’s Ghostbusters.

The Historic Core hotel displays photos from the eight Oscars ceremonies that were held here before 1943, as well as menus and souvenirs. One photograph, though, is of someone who never stayed at the hotel, and who became famous after she was murdered in January 1947: Elizabeth Short, a.k.a. the Black Dahlia.

The Biltmore was the last place she was officially seen alive, after being dropped off at what was then the main entrance on South Olive Street (the one with the huge staircase inside the doors). The hotel’s gorgeous Gallery Bar serves a cocktail named in her honor, made with vodka, Chambord black raspberry liqueur and Kahlúa.

Address: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Opening hours: Sun–Thu 4pm–11pm; Fri, Sat 4pm–midnight

Part museum, part library, part theater and part private club for magicians and illusionists, the mysterious Magic Castle boasts five bars and several theaters for live shows. The storied venue feels like a fairground haunted house—corridors and stairs seem to appear from nowhere.

If you’re able to find your way inside, you can spring for a theatrical-style “séance” with “Handcuff King” Harry Houdini in a room dedicated to the escape artist. Elsewhere, “Invisible Irma” takes requests and magically plays the latest hits on piano, but as for a real ghost? Bartender Loren Tate has been seen serving spirits and talking to guests at the clubhouse’s Hat & Hare Lounge—even though he died many years ago.

Address: 7001 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–1am

A Japan-inspired “mountain palace” perched above the Magic Castle, Yamashiro is also over 100 years old and was originally a teak-, cedar-, silk- and dragon-filled showcase for the Asian treasures of the original owners.

Rumors of a secret smuggling tunnel under the restaurant raged back in the day, and the family behind the contemporary restoration is reportedly still around—literally, as former owner Thomas Glover’s ashes were interred in the garden courtyard.

If you dare, book table No. 9 in the Sunset Dining Room. A ghostly lady has been seen there, eternally waiting for her husband—or maybe her lover.

Address: 1999 N Sycamore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–11pm

Musso & Frank is an old-school, red-leather-booth, chicken-potpie kind of place that’s over 100 years old and has welcomed practically every Hollywood luminary you can think of, from Charlie Chaplin to Brad Pitt.

In fact, Chaplin's favorite booth, No. 1, is still there; it's the only one with a window. Some years ago, a group of diners took a picture in it, and the photo revealed a circular flash of light with the face of an angry-looking man in it. Was it Chaplin, still pissed that Hedda Hopper got him banned from the U.S.?

There are staff stories of la mujer sin cabeza (a headless woman) too, so grab a seat at the bar, order a gin martini with olives, and keep your eyes peeled.

Address: 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Opening hours: Tue–Sat 5pm–11pm; Sun 4pm–10pm

Thousands of thrill-seekers come to Long Beach for the Queen Mary’s annual Halloween event, Dark Harbor, and some even stay overnight on this classic ocean liner, which first set sail in 1936. But many passengers and crew have never left the ship, including many soldiers who died on board when the renamed and camouflaged “Grey Ghost” was pressed into WWII military service.

There have been many ghost sightings on board—like children’s footsteps by an empty swimming pool—and even rumors of a vortex to another dimension. Puzzling photos may have captured something otherworldly, too, and a simple tour into the bowels of the ship takes you somewhere pitch-black and unnervingly quiet. 

Ponder the ship’s haunted history during a trip to No.3, a “secret” speakeasy that often hosts live jazz and karaoke. Follow the bar on Instagram for its location and changing password.

Address: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802

Opening hours: Hours vary, check online

In the 1950s, tiki bars were all the rage with their “exotica” music and kitschy décor of fountains, rattan furniture, and grim-faced statues. They’ve gone in and out of fashion since, but have proved to be a mainstay of L.A. nightlife. Deep in North Hollywood, Tonga Hut is the oldest surviving tiki bar in the city—and tangling with a Zombie or a Voodoo Juice doesn’t scare anyone here.

People who drink the whole menu in a calendar year gain the accolade of a “Drooling Bastard,” though Dottie, who was a colorful regular six days a week for almost 50 years before her death, has her own special stool, and legend is she still comes in for her daily tipple (a supernatural scotch and soda).

Address: 12808 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 4pm–1am; Fri 4pm–2am; Sat 2pm–2am; Sun 2pm–1am

The Wolves transports you to a 1920s Parisian salon, though the first restaurant in this location was the Peacock Tea Room in 1926, part of the very haunted Alexandria Hotel next door. Before that, it was a lodging house; in 1899, former city tax collector W.S. Redding, led astray by drink after a family tragedy, was found dead in his room. Perhaps he’s the ghost people have seen here.

There’s also a haunting portrait of Charlotte Corday behind bars, the 18th-century assassin of French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat; she is said to appear and keep the bar safe overnight. Though how she crosses the Atlantic Ocean remains a mystery.

Address: 519 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Opening hours: Mon, Thu, Sun 5pm–midnight; Fri, Sat 5pm–2am