Thursday, June 25, 2015

HAUNTED Red Line Tour!



When: June 28th, July 26th, August 30th, September 27th
(Each "Last Sunday" this summer)

Time: Tour starts at 7 pm (tour is about 3 hours)

Meeting Place: The palm tree-lined island in front of Union Station
800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (map)

Price: FREE (donation-based) Tour
NOTE: Each person will need to purchase a Metro "Day Pass" ($7 + $1 "Tap Card"). Please purchase the Metro Pass (not a "Metrolink" ticket) before the meet-up to save time. The machines can be confusing, so look for metro "day fare" and not "add fare."

Parking: See below.

Los Angeles' lore is filled with tales of secret tunnels. Whether its supposed opium dens, rum-running passages, discontinued "Red Car" tunnels, munchkin transports, celebrity/mistress escape routes, or simply chambers belonging to a race of subterranean lizard people, many buildings and homes claim to be connected to other buildings and homes below street level (if only we could find their openings).

So, is there a better way to explore the haunted history of Los Angeles than by traveling underground from location to location via our very own (dead) Red Line Metro Subway with the other living dead of this city?

We will meet-up at Union Station (the starting point for the Red Line) and then travel through 13 stops to the North Hollywood Station (at the end of the line), getting off and on along the way. In addition to Union Station and the North Hollywood Station, we will stop at few other stations, step off the train, rise to street-level, and discuss the ghosts and haunted sites visible from that spot before going back aboard to the next stop on our tour.

Come out and hear spooky tales about a spirit solider, a vanishing padre, and a ghostly car. As well as many other phantom figures from our past that haunt our present.


(see a review of this tour here...)

Parking: Since everyone on the tour will need a Metro Day Pass to ride the subway, it is advisable to park at one of the FREE lots provided by the Metro at either the North Hollywood Station, our end point (map), or the Universal City Station (or any of the other free lots on connecting Metro lines), and then just take the Subway to Union Station to meet-up with the group (The lots around Union Station are expensive and may close early).

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

HAUNTED HOUSE TOUR!


(Above-the William H. Perry Residence as it appeared a century ago.)

GHOULA'S HAUNTED HOUSE TOUR!

(Who wants to go inside a haunted house?)

THE DATE: June 13th, 2015 (Saturday)
THE PLACE: The Perry Mansion
3800 Homer St, Los Angeles, CA 90031 (Heritage Square Museum) (map)
THE TIMES: 6:00pm, 7:15pm, 8:30pm (The tour is an hour long.)
ADMISSION: $13.00  (SOLD OUT!)
Eventbrite - GHOULA's HAUNTED HOUSE TOUR

Due to the restrictions of this 139 years old historic landmark, we will only be able to bring 3 small groups into this house, so tickets to this unique event are very limited.

In a city known for its architecture, "house tours" are a common occurrence in Los Angeles. Although, there are many historic homes throughout the South-land with docent-led tours (who may mention rumors of hauntings), this in the very first time a "house tour" will be conducted in our city, where the focus is entirely on the ghostly inhabitants.

This event was inspired by Walt Disney's original vision of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, which involved taking small groups of people through an "old house," telling ghost stories along the way. Although that initial concept was rejected, GHOULA has always liked that idea and for the past couple of years has searched for a local house that had enough tales to tell to justify such a tour (and whose caretakers would let us tell them).

The "residence with the phantom presence" in question is the stately former home of William H. Perry (the largest house in Los Angeles when it was built in 1876), which is currently part of the Heritage Square Museum in the Arroyo Seco corridor. If you have ever taken the Pasadena Freeway (The 11O) between Downtown and Pasadena, then you have most likely seen it against the hills, next to the parkway, with the protected cluster of Victorian-era buildings. If you have ever wanted to pull off the freeway, go beyond those gates, and hear the strange stories the docents don't tell you. This is your chance...

Come join us on this one-of-a-kind HAUNTED HOUSE TOUR... if you dare!
...And if you dare, that house you normally drive past, will never look the same again!


NOTE: This is not a themed "haunted attraction" with special effects and costumed actors, nor is it a "ghost hunt" with equipment to record the presence of spirits. This is an evening of story-telling and an exploration of the buildings haunted lore... Simply put, This is an actual tour of an actual haunted house.


Thursday, April 2, 2015

2ND NIGHT ADDED!


GHOULA presents
Beneath the...
STRINGS That Go Bump in the Night!
An evening of SPOOKY PUPPET STORIES in a HAUNTED PUPPET THEATER!


DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, WE ADDED A 2ND NIGHT ON SUNDAY
This is your 2nd chance to get tickets to this unique event, before it also sells out.

THE DATE: April 19, 2015 (Sunday)
THE PLACE: The Bob Baker Marionette Theater
1345 W 1st St Los Angeles, CA 90026 (Downtown) (map)
THE TIME: 7:30pm - 9:30
ADMISSION: SOLD OUT!!!
$13.00 SEATS (Chairs)
$6.66 CARPET (Floor)
+PLUS a handling fee
(for ticket info...)
Eventbrite - Beneath the STRINGS That Go Bump in the Night!
(proceeds go towards the theater's preservation.)

Featuring...
a LIVE CAPTURED AURAL PHANTASY THEATER
horror-themed show about ghostly marionettes, a screening of local artist/filmmaker Kevin McTurk's new puppet horror film THE MILL AT CALDER'S END (pictured above), a performance from puppeteer Eli Presser of VEM, an appearance by the famous Bob Baker Marionettes, some personal ghost stories about this historic theater, and... a few surprises.

WARNING: Show may not be appropriate for young children.

Two years ago, Bob Baker welcomed GHOULA into his historic theater (the oldest puppet theater in the country), for our first "STRINGS" night of "movies, marionettes, and mayhem." We screened BLUEBEARD (1944), and Bob spoke, even bringing out the original marionettes used in the film. We did a second "STRINGS" night months later, but Bob was too sick to attend. Sadly, Bob Baker past away last year, but luckily his theater is still here, and still carrying on his legacy of putting on great puppets shows every weekend.

Please come out to this enchanted oasis (while it lasts) that has been entertaining and inspiring the children (and adults) of our city for over fifty years, for this rare spooky night-time event that tempts the spirits... if you dare.

About the film: THE MILL AT CALDER'S END (2014)
In the remote village of Calder's End stands an old windmill, a repository of dark secrets. Nicholas Grimshaw has returned to this haunted place, his childhood home, intent on breaking a generations old family curse. Grimshaw's journey takes him deep below the decaying mill, into mysterious, forgotten catacombs, where upon he confronts the very source of the evil that has corrupted his family. "The Mill at Calder's End" is a Gothic tale inspired by the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and M.R. James and is told with the use of 36 inch tall bunraku rod puppets operated by puppeteers dressed in black.
(Watch Trailer...)

THE BOB BAKER MARIONETTE THEATER'S GHOST(S):

Although people generally associate ghosts with violent/sudden deaths, there are many other theories as to why a ghost will haunt a certain location. Some believe that spirits will return to places that (in life) gave them great pleasure, or perhaps sites where (in life) much time was spent. There is also a theory that confused ghosts sometimes seek out humanoid objects to possess like wax figures, mannequins, or dolls, and thus gravitate to spots where these objects can be found (old wax museums, children's bedroom's, etc.)

So, naturally (or super-naturally) the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the oldest continuously-operating puppet theater in the United States, is said to have a phantom of a former puppeteer lingering around (seen by staff), watching the staff from his favorite seat on the east side of the theater (last row against the wall, three seats from the aisle). Perhaps he just doesn't want to leave this happy place, or maybe he just likes being around puppets. Additionally, he is seen in the backstage area. On the wings (on the West side of the building), there are mirrors so that performers can check their puppets, or practice moves. While doing this, they will see the ghostly puppeteer (in the mirror's reflection) watching them.  When they turn around, no one is there. Plus, whenever something goes wrong during a performance such as a string breaking or a set falling, it's always blamed on the resident spook, presumably unhappy about something in the show.

In ancient times, the "illusion of life" created by marionettes was thought to be work of other-worldly forces. Who knows, maybe this resident "ex-puppeteer" still lends a hand during performances, animating the inanimate objects, and making them move in realistic ways. Is it possible that old habits die hard,... even if the ghost didn't?

(for ticket info...)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beneath-the-strings-that-go-bump-in-the-night-tickets-16440680518

Thursday, March 19, 2015

SPOOKS and SPOKES



Calling all ghost-hunters, paranormal-investigators, psychics, sensitives, and those interested in getting a glimpse of the "other side." Whether you are acting alone, or in a team, GHOULA wants you! Whether you are a seasoned pro or first-timer,...

GHOULA WANTS YOU!

for Los Angeles' Largest Paranormal Experiment!

Date: March 22nd (Sunday)
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: North Hollywood
Ventura Blvd (From Coldwater Cyn to Lankershim)
Lankershim (from Ventura Blvd to Chandler)
Check ciclavia.org for map

Admission FREE!

Ventura Blvd and Lankershim are the two oldest roads in the Valley, going back a couple hundred years (and they were possibly Native American trails before that). When the early Spanish settlers started building Missions in the 1700s, they also created a path that connected these Missions (The Royal Road or "El Camino Real") for traveling and distributing supplies between outposts. That was California's first road, and every Mission is on this route with the exception of the San Fernando Mission. This strange anomaly is the result of moving the original Mission from one side of the valley to the other side (from North Hollywood to San Fernando) and thus they had to create a detour off of the main road. Today, the original "Royal Road" is called Ventura Blvd, and that detour is Lankershim. The first Mission is thought to have been where the two roads intersect. Needless to say this general area near Universal Studios (plus both roads) has many legends of restless spirits (ghostly monks, soilders, outlaws, etc.) and tales of buried treasure.

Which brings us to our experiment...

The CICLAVIA event this Sunday will shut down these two historic (haunted) roads to vehicular traffic, which gives everyone 7 hours (9:00am to 4:00pm) to transverse these streets by foot or bicycle to document anything "out of the ordinary" since paranormal activity can happen at anytime (even in direct sunlight). From electro-magnetic anomalies to shivers down your spine, if you feel it, witness it, or hear it, we want to know about it, and we want to know exactly where it happened. So, bring your EMF meters, your "Spirit Boxes," your cameras, or just yourself, and let your "goose-flesh" guide you.

If you accept our challenge, all we ask is that you go to this event, have fun, and note the location of any activity, evidence, or "heebee-jeebees." Please keep your info confidential to discourage copy-cat contamination. Then, email your findings to ghoulahq@live.com

Based on everyone's data, "hot spots" will be determined. Then, we will compare this info with the actual stories associated with these two streets, and reveal the results.

For more info about CICLAVIA go to... ciclavia.org