The historic Barclay Hotel in downtown Los Angeles’s Skid Row originally opened in the late 19th Century as the Van Nuys Hotel, paid for San Fernando Valley pioneer Isaac Newton Van Nuys. At the time, the Van Nuys Hotel operated as the city’s finest hotel, despite its wild and wooly history of murder, thieving bell boys, eccentric millionaires, grifters, and one deadly elevator.
As Los Angeles boomed in the early 20th Century, the Van Nuys remained a popular playground for visitors, newspaper reporters, and wealthy Angelenos reminiscing about the good ol’ days. After the arrival of the Great Depression, its new owners rebranded it the Barclay, and from that moment on, the once-glamourous hotel began its slow descendence into becoming an infamous skid row hotel with an arguably darker history than Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel. Join Haunted by History’s Craig Owens for a deep-dive look into the highs and lows of the Barclay Hotel, from its Van Nuys days to its current state. You’ll hear tales of true crime, strange deaths, and other forgotten anecdotes not found in other books or tours.
To explore more of L.A.’s forgotten history with Craig Owens, you can visit his website: BizarreLA.com
Haunted by History Vol. 1 Purchase Here.
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