Entry No. 9 — the Los Angeles file — filed under: haunted

Pico House at El Pueblo

Built in 1870 by Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California, this Italianate-Victorian pile was the grandest hotel in Southern California, with nearly 80 rooms wrapped around a fountained courtyard and an aviary of exotic birds. It anchors the El Pueblo de Los Angeles historic monument beside Olvera Street, and its reputation for hauntedness is tied to the 1871 Chinese Massacre, in which a mob lynched at least 17 Chinese residents in the adjacent Calle de los Negros. The building is a stop on multiple downtown ghost and dark-history tours.

The move: Join a DTLA dark-history ghost walk that stops at the Pico House, then cross into Olvera Street for tacos and to feel the weight of the 1871 massacre that haunts the block.

📍 Before you go The interior is generally not open to walk-ins (used for events); experience it from the El Pueblo plaza or via a guided downtown ghost tour.

• 📍 Downtown / Olvera Street
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 424 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23