Southern California's first luxury hotel, built in 1870 by the last Mexican governor of California — a block from where 19 Chinese immigrants were killed in 1871
430 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free admission to El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Docent tours free, walk-ins welcome for groups under 10.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Flat downtown plaza; paved pathways
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1870 · California Historical Landmark No. 159 · El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument · Southern California's first luxury hotel · Adjacent to site of 1871 Chinese Massacre
Pio de Jesus Pico was born in 1801 near San Gabriel Mission and rose to serve as the last governor of Mexican Alta California before the American takeover in 1846. Dispossessed of much of his land over decades of legal maneuvering, he nevertheless invested his remaining resources in building what he intended to be the finest hotel in Southern California.
Construction began September 18, 1869, and the hotel opened June 9, 1870. Architect Ezra F. Kysor — who also designed the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana — designed the Italianate structure with 80 rooms arranged around a central courtyard, gas lighting throughout, and bathtubs on the second and third floors. At $80,000 to build, it was the most expensive and most luxurious hotel not just in Los Angeles but south of San Francisco.
The hotel's neighborhood, however, was already deteriorating from its founding. On October 24, 1871, violence erupted in the Coronel Adobe on Calle de los Negros — approximately a block from the Pico House — after a conflict between rival Chinese tong factions. A white rancher named Robert Thompson was killed trying to assist police. Within hours, a mob of approximately 500 people attacked the Coronel Building. Nineteen Chinese immigrants were killed, 15 of them by hanging. It remains the largest mass lynching in California history.
The Pico House never fully recovered commercially. By the early 20th century the hotel had declined into a lodging house for laborers. The state took control of the building in 1953. Restoration work began in the 1970s and the building is now part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, managed by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs. The ground floor is occasionally used for exhibits and events.
Sources
The Pico House paranormal reputation rests on two distinct threads: the spirit of Pio Pico himself, and the proximity to the 1871 Chinese Massacre.
Pico is described as a genuinely devoted presence — accounts portray him not as malevolent but as continuing the role of host he occupied in life. He was known for lavish parties and social entertainment at properties throughout Southern California. Staff and tour visitors describe seeing a man's figure on the rooftop and in the hotel's interior spaces, identified in reports with Pico based on his historical description.
The 1871 Chinese Massacre took place at the Coronel Adobe on Calle de los Negros, approximately a block from the Pico House. Nineteen men and boys were killed, 15 by hanging from improvised gallows as a mob of roughly 500 people systematically worked through the Coronel Building. The violence occurred in close enough proximity to the hotel that its connection to the Pico House's paranormal reputation has become standard in ghost tour accounts of the area, though the killings themselves did not happen inside the building.
Ghost Adventures investigated the Pico House and documented what the production team described as an unexplained 'black mass' visible near a window and disembodied voices captured on audio that defied explanation. Shadow figures have been reported on the building's balconies, and visitors to the occasional interior exhibits describe unexplained footsteps on upper floors.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Las Angelitas del Pueblo docents offer free guided walking tours of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, including the Pico House exterior and surrounding plaza area. Tours depart Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 10 AM, 11 AM, and noon. Walk-ins welcome for groups under 10; larger groups require advance reservations. The Pico House ground floor is occasionally open for exhibits.
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