Is Colorado Street Bridge Really Haunted?
by Joe Dorish on 24/03/09 at 7:25 am
Also known as Suicide Bridge, it is reportedly haunted by the spirits of those who died here.
Located in Pasadena, California, the Colorado Street Bridge or Suicide Bridge is 1,467 feet long and 150 feet high and spans the Arroyo Seco, which is a deep cut canyon that links the San Gabriel Mountains with the Los Angeles River.
Image via Wikipedia
The bridge was constructed in 1913 and at least 100 people committed suicide by leaping into the Arroyo Seco from the Colorado Street Bridge by 1939. The bridge was long ago nicknamed the Suicide Bridge and many reports have surfaced that claim the bridge and Arroyo Seco are haunted today by the spirits of those who killed themselves here.
The air around the bridge is often described as being “thick”. Some people have reported seeing a woman in a flowing robe standing on top one of the bridge’s parapets before she leaps over the side and vanishes into thin air.
Before the Colorado Street Bridge was even finished one of the workers apparently fell from the height and landed head first into a vat of wet concrete. Other workers assumed he died from the fall and could not be rescued and he was left to die in the quick drying cement and entombed forever. People today sometimes report hearing cries from below the bridge and many think it is the desperate cries of the fallen worker’s soul.
Other people have reported seeing a man with an old fashioned suit and wire rimmed glasses wandering the bridge. Many have reported strange sounds and cries emanating from around and below the bridge. Animals in the area, including pets walking the bridge and paths below, have been reported to act strangely in the area constantly looking behind them and eager to move away. Homeless people camping under the bridge have regularly reported seeing ghostly figures and hearing mysterious noises.
In 1937 a despondent mother reportedly threw her baby over the side of the bridge before leaping to her own death. Miraculously the baby landed in the thick branches of a tree and survived.
Image by exquisitur via Flickr
Over the years scenes from TV shows like Sliders, Pasadena and Alias, as well as feature films like Being John Malkovich (1999) and Yes Man starring Jim Carrey (2008) were filmed at and around the Colorado Street Bridge.
Image via Wikipedia
The Suicide Bridge was damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 that famously held up the start of the 3rd game of the World Series on national TV as sports announcer Al Michaels described the vivid earthquake scene live from Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Colorado Street Bridge was repaired and reopened in 1993 at a cost of 27 million dollars, including suicide prevention fences which have reportedly worked well but the bridge is still known as The Suicide Bridge to all who live and haunt in the area today.
The bridge is listed in the United States National Register of Historic (and Haunted) Places.
To see more Suicide Bridges Click Here.
Liked it
Kate Smedley
Mar 24th, 2009
Reading that made me go cold. Well written article and great pictures (I especially like the one of John Malkovich!). Thanks for this.
Lost in Arizona
Mar 24th, 2009
There is definately something creepy about the area. A bunch of me and my college buddies went on a road trip some years back. We had gone hiking around the area with one of my friend’s dog. At one point his hair on his back and tail just stood up. We though it was an animal perhaps. But then he started howling and trying to break free from us. There were three of us who heard this bizarre laugh (more like a cackle). But we saw no one. As it got closer, Cooper’s dog was just going wild. So I’m like “Forget this!” I booked it out of there…lol. The article brought back memories I was trying to forget..lol.
Lauren Axelrod
Mar 24th, 2009
This is so bizarre. I would love to see it.
teddybear09
Mar 24th, 2009
That is awesome info. Not so awesome for those that jumped. Very nice write up. You really did your homework on this one. It gives me an idea for a new story.
jo oliver
Mar 24th, 2009
Wow this was be an awesome site to see.
willie wondka
Jun 24th, 2009
My arms went cold too reading this, love the pics and the ghost stories. They reckon if you kill yourself you wont go to heaven, if someone murders you, you dont go to heaven, neither will whoever murdered you, for when they die they will join you. That is even more scary dont you think.cheers.
Ray Watkins
Nov 14th, 2010
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.
Years ago, a friend of mine from work told me that flakes of gold were located under the bridge in the old river bed. She suggested I go there after it rained as the flakes would be more easy to see. It had rained most of day and evening on friday, so saturday morning my girlfriend and I decided to go. Sure enough, I did see the gold flakes that Kelly described. My girlfriend was with me at the time and she was about 30 yards to my right as I was bent over attempting to examine the gold flakes. Something or someone pushed me from behind rather hard. I immediately looked behind me and saw no one. I next looked to my right and saw my girlfriend still 30 yards away scratching her head looking at me and laughing hysterically as I now lay face down in the river bed. I told Mary what had happened and she laughed even harder. I actually became upset that she didn’t believe me until it wasn’t funny to her anymore. We left the scene and never talked about it again. I have lived in the Pasadena area for many years and never knew the history of the bridge and it’s claim to being haunted. I believe this 100% without a doubt that there’s something strange going on under that bridge. Now that i’m aware of the history of suicide bridge, I do feel better about what I had always suspected, that place is haunted. Oh yeh, the gold flakes were fools gold.