These 5 Offices Have One Creepy Amenity
Modern offices are all about the open-office plan, meditation rooms and fitness centers, but some older offices have one amenity that cannot be replicated: ghost stories. From Los Angeles to New York, these landmark office buildings have ghoulish pasts and bizarre histories. Check out some of the creepiest offices in the country below.
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles’ most recognizable landmark, which was built in 1928, also is one of the city’s creepiest buildings. Many believe the building once housed a morgue. Security guards have claimed the second floor is the scariest floor, especially since the entire floor is marble. Noises come from all directions and some security guards have seen apparitions in the area, according to Paranomalistics. The third and fourth floors also give people the feeling of being watched. Closed circuit television cameras have picked up strange figures on the 28th floor and a painting on the 27th floor often feels just a little too lifelike.
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building may be a global icon, but it has a shady history. Since its completion in 1931, over two dozen people have committed suicide at the property. The most well-known case occurred in 1947 when Evelyn McHale jumped to her death. She landed on a limousine over 1,000 feet below, and a passing photographer took a snapshot of her still clutching a pearl necklace. The photograph appeared in Life magazine and newspapers, giving McHale the nickname of Most Beautiful Suicide. Some visitors say they have seen a woman with bright red lipstick and 1940s attire on the 86th floor observation deck pacing and crying.
Bullocks Wilshire Building
The Bullocks Wilshire in Los Angeles was originally built in 1929 as a department store frequented by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and John Wayne. When it was later renovated into the Southwestern Law Center, the building's checkered past became more apparent. Rumor has it that in the 1930s a man pushed a girl into the elevator shaft. During renovations, security guards said they heard cries from a girl in the elevator shaft. Other spooky occurrences include lights flickering on their own, window shades closing and sounds of footsteps in hallways. The building also was used as the setting for the final scene of the 1980s "Ghostbusters" movie.
Harpo Studios
While Harpo Studios in Chicago is known as the home of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," it has a very dark past. In 1915, Western Electric chartered four ships to take 10,000 employees to Indiana for a picnic. When one ship pulled out of port, many of the 3,200 people on board rushed to the front of the ship to view the city. The ship capsized within 15 minutes, trapping 844 people underneath. Rescue workers transported the bodies to an armory facility nearby as a makeshift morgue. The armory was renovated in the 1980s into Harpo Studios.
Employees and Oprah have reported seeing a shadowy figure thought to be one of the mothers who drowned. Other creepy occurrences include doors slamming, phantom music, footsteps, children's laughter and people crying and asking for help.
Bradbury Building
The Bradbury Building in Los Angeles is not exactly haunted, but it has a creepy past. In the 19th century, Lewis L. Bradbury, a gold-mining magnate, wanted a building with his name on it and originally commissioned well-known architect Sumner P. Hunt. When Hunt submitted plans for the building, Bradbury was unimpressed and walked out of Hunt’s office. As he was leaving, he noticed a draftsman, George H. Wyman, and, for unexplained reasons, Bradbury decided to offer Wyman a chance to design the building.
Wyman had no experience designing buildings and decided to turn to his brother for advice. The problem was his brother was deceased. Wyman and his wife used a Ouija board with a pencil attached to communicate with his brother. The planchette spelled out a message that told Wyman to take the job as he would become successful. So, of course he took the job. Wyman later went to school and became an architect.
