*spoilers*

Yesterday, the Water for Elephants set moved from UCLA over to the abandoned (and haunted) Linda Vista Community Hospital in East LA for filming of the morgue scene.

Readers of the book will recall that Jacob Jankowski’s parents both die in a tragic car accident, Jacob finds out in the middle of class. He’s taken by the police chief, a chaplain, and a nurse down to the morgue.

The room is windowless and bare except for TWO GURNEYS, each with a sheet-covered body. A CORONER stands between them. Jacob sees a steel table upon which lay his parents belongings; wedding rings, pearl necklace, his father’s pipe.

CORONER
Are you ready?

The Chaplain places a comforting hand on Jacob’s shoulder. Jacob nods. The Coroner exposes first Jacob’s father, then Jacob’s mother. We see only Jacob’s expression:

CHAPLAIN
Is there any other family to call?

JACOB
No. Just me.

Once we found out that Linda Vista would “stand in” for the Ithaca, New York hospital, we did a little digging so we could show you the creepy place where filming took place last night. Not gonna lie, I got super creeped out just gathering these pics!

Now, Linda Vista has two morgues. There’s the original morgue, that looks more like a 1930′s era morgue.

The Morgue

The gurney blocking the morgue.

So inviting!

And then there’s the modern day morgue.

Modern Day Morgue

I don’t know for certain which was used, but my money is on the O.G. morgue.

Let’s take a look at the autopsy room! Gah!

THE AUTOPSY ROOM - Spend your final moments on Earth on this table - lovely!

Linda Vista Community Hospital, originally called the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital and Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, is a former hospital that is located at 610-30 St. Louis Street in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. The hospital was constructed for railroad employees in 1904 and reconstructed in 1924. It has lately become the center of several paranormal investigations.

In 1991, the hospital ceased operation as a hospital. Since that time, it has been used primarily as a filming location. In January 2006, the hospital was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Notable works shot at Linda Vista include the following:

Films
Pancho’s Estate 111 (1992)
Outbreak (1995)
End of Days (1999)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
DEADGIRL (2008)
BOO (2004),[2] which was filmed entirely there

Television programs
The pilot episode of ER
An episode of Dexter
An episode of short-lived vampire series Moonlight (haha!)

Baby Chucky was Born Here

Here’s a bunch more pics of Linda Vista!

Pic source

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