Heritage Square Museum

The Heritage Square Museum is a collection of historic Victorian-era homes, nestled away next to one another within the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles. And the most famous of the homes, Hale House, has become quite popular as more than a tourist attraction, but as one of the city’s most paranormal venues.

Hale House was built in 1887, and has often been described as the city’s most photographed and decorated home - as its ornate detail and color would have you believe. Back then it was a private resident, bought by the newlywed couple of James and Bessie Hale.

Unfortunately, the marriage was short lived and the couple divorced only a few years later, with James passing away from a subsequent heart attack thereafter. Bessie retained title to the home and reportedly used it as a boarding house until the late 1950s.

Bessie passed away in 1966 and the home was officially relocated to Heritage Square Museum in 1970, where it has stood as a publicly available site ever since.

Speculations abound as to what makes the home as haunted as its alleged to be, from Bessie practicing spiritualism to girls dying inside during its stint as a boarding house. Whatever it is, various apparitions have been seen throughout the building, from the bedrooms, to the staircase, to the kitchen. Many even report hearing what sounds like somebody working in the empty kitchen and people talking in the upstairs master. It’s a curious place for sure.

So swing by Heritage Square on your next visit to the area. It’ll be a nice escape from the clusters of people, and an incredible experience for history buffs and horror fanatics alike. Happy hunting!

SoCal Landmarks

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