Abandoned State Hospital, Downey, Ca.

[Ali]

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I was not sure where to put this. In the novel thread I mentioned State Hospitals. I thought I would share. Mods, if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it.

Rancho Los Amigos aka Hollydale in Downey, Ca. We visit every few months. Last time we were there we saw new fences around some of the buildings. There was also a job shack. Looked like some type of demolition is going to happen.

There are claims on the internet that it is haunted. I have found no evidence of paranormal activity. To me it is a special place to visit. The history is so rich. The hospital compound has many buildings, from bungalows. machine shops, rehab, administration, hospital, auditorium, etc. I have read it is 55 acres and I have also read it is 250 acres. I am not sure, but it is a long walk through it.

I overheard the kids talking about a hospital that was closed down, but you can visit it. I will not go at night. It is not in the best of neighborhoods. I have been warned of homeless and gang members.

There is a police substation on the property. We have been stopped every time we have gone. The police just tell us to stay out of the buildings and do not go behind the fences. OK officer. (wink, wink - nod, nod)

Before visiting I got on the internet to do some research. I kept reading that lights would be on at night, but there had not been electricity for years. Not true, there is electricity. In fact, some of the buildings are still being used. Looks like food services. The new Rancho Los Amigos Hospital is across the main highway from this compound.

It is really weird, they left everything behind when the moved into the new hospital. I have found patient charts laying on the grounds. That really irks me. I pick them up and throw them into the buildings. Their medical records are no one’s business.

The inside of the buildings are thrashed. I have been told the Auditorium is full of hypodermic needles. I have only walked partially inside some of the buildings. I am more scared of the living bothering me then a spirit.

The hospital was the main location for the filming of Bubba Ho-Tep. If you have not seen the movie; it is different. Interview with the Art Director: http://www.superheroflix.com/news/NEnK8unvjeoQqs About a quarter of the way down the article he talks about the location. Before the second picture.

History on the hospital: http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/archive/ind...33363.html

US Marine corp find body parts during training at Rancho Los Amigos: http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showth...hp?t=35466

There are quite a few YouTubes on the hospital. These are two of my favorites.
Pt. 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD-S9-PBq...re=related
Pt. 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSBI0_Iuet0
(I would love to have one of the straight jackets, but I would never take anything without permission)



Superintendent house. Was the building in Bubba Ho-tep that the bodies were removed from. (My daughter sitting on the porch)



I believe this is the potter’s field, by the information I have gathered. I do not know if the bodies have been moved or not.



bungalows


Patient Chart




I have more pictures, but did not to flood the forum with pictures.

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People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

[scarygirl67]

Excellent start to a thread, Ali! And you did post it in the right spot! I know what you mean, how creepy it is to see things left behind like that..............as though someone could come walking in at any minute.....................

Thank you also for posting the pictures. You really did a good job with this!

[Haunted]

I think that it's very strange that they left so much behind, especially the patient charts. I'd assumed that the doctors just moved to other hospitals or offices and you'd think that they'd need the charts. I'm sure they would have still saw at least some of the patients they saw at the hospital and it just doesn't make sense that they would start new charts from scratch.

Thanks for sharing this Ali

[Ali]

I do not know if it was in the youtubes I posted, but I saw where a rolodex was left behind. When I worked in an office, my rolodex was golden. I cannot imagine relocating to a new office and leaving it behind.

There also seems to be a lot of bio-medical matter left behind. Some footage I have seen shows vials of matter in the lab. ewww. Should not surprise me since they left body parts there.

It is as if they reported to this location one day, and the new one the next.

[scarygirl67]

I just get such a chill looking at those photos. Nothing to do with seeing a ghost or anything. It's the total abandonment. It's like you said, Ali.............they reported to work at one location one day, and the new one the next.

Leaving the body parts shows such disrespect.......spirits don't rest in a place like that. I just know that this is a very sad place.

[AlexanderShadow]

sadly I can't see theses pictures now as Photobuckets t aken them down... grr><

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

yeh, all I see is red Xs

[Ali]

Oh my, I am not good at photobucket! I recently put my photos in folders. Must of messed things up! You are welcome to go to my photobucket and see them:

http://s575.photobucket.com/albums/ss192...Hollydale/

They are not spooky, just show the place.

[AlexanderShadow]

I just a video of the place on youtube eariler, quite interesting and strange that all that stuff like books and papers were left behind. It's like they just bought along the important stuff and left stuff of no use back at the old hospital.
I'm all the way here in Australia so I guess theres a little chance of me seeing this place before it gets made into something else.

[UglyNRude]

I found this information about Hollydale

History of Hollydale
with some interesting facts and advise

If there is anyone who is interested in some of the history of Hollydale. When The Rancho Los Amigos Hospital first came about it wasn't the grand structures that reside on the property today. It was small in size, it was only after the epidemic of tuberculosis that the hospital expanded and served as a sanatorium. Please don't confuse sanatorium with sanitarium. Simply put a sanatorium is a hospital which specfically treated those with long term illnesses, typically tuberculosis. Hollydale was one of the largest centers to treat tuberculosis and polio in it's time. As a result of infective medicines and treatments, there were deaths. Some of those treated at Hollydale were Native Americans, Farmers, and Immigrants. It wasn't rare to have the care givers in need of care as well at Hollydale as staff were prone to illness as well.

With improvements in medicine and treatment a large treatment facility such as Hollydale was no longer needed and outdated. Hollydale was later converted into a psychiatric hospital and medical center. In the 80s as a result of Ronald Reagan's cuts to psychiatric health centers, Hollydale was systematically shut down. However as it is known nearly a block away on Imperial is the Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, which carries on the work of the original Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. Which to this day serves those with long term illnesses and world renowned rehabilitation centers.

Anyway the reason why Hollydale hasn't been torn down is because of the hundreds if not thousands of cats that live in the buildings of Hollydale. There have been several attempts by the city and contractors to demolish Hollydale, but they can't do so because of the cats that live there. Hollydale wasn't always boarded up, but when they did board up the windows and doors the cats had no ways of entering or leaving the buildings so eventually they cut holes into some of the buildings and windows so that the cats could move about freely. Until The City of Downey can think of a way to remove the cats from the property safely and humanly, Hollydale still stands.

However the City of Downey does make some use out of the property. Some of the buildings are used for training with SWAT Teams. Also one of the buildings on the property serves as The Downey Police Departments Crime Lab. That's why a lot of people get stopped by the cops, or issued tickets for trespassing, because the crime lab is right in the center of Hollydale. However if you're walking a dog or walking through Hollydale with out looking suspicious, and with out snooping around the buildings you should be fine.