Musso and Frank Grill | Haunted Hollywood’s Favorite Restaurant

Posted: 05.01.2025 | Updated: 04.30.2025

Located in the heart of Hollywood, Musso and Frank Grill is not just a restaurant. Its a living, breathing piece of Los Angeles history. 

Since opening its doors in 1919, this iconic restaurant has been a gathering place for movie stars, writers, and industry legends. 

The Los Angeles restaurant’s red leather banquettes and dark wood paneling echo with stories of Hollywood’s golden age. Musso and Frank Grill has remained unchanged for over a century. It is a rare time capsule on bustling Hollywood Boulevard where the past feels ever-present.

But beneath the glamour and nostalgia, Musso and Frank Grill is also known for something far more mysterious. It has a reputation as one of the most haunted restaurants in Los Angeles.

Both visitors and workers have had frightening experiences with the spirits of Hollywood’s best, and ghostly sightings and strange events have become part of the restaurant’s long history. 

Book a Los Angeles ghost tour with LA Ghosts, which features Musso and Frank Grill as a highlight, for a spine-tingling glimpse into Tinseltown’s haunted heart!

Is Musso and Frank Grill Haunted?

Musso and Frank Grill is widely considered haunted, with numerous reports of ghostly activity tied to Hollywood’s most storied restaurant. Patrons and staff have encountered apparitions of legendary celebrities, mysterious cold spots, and even a headless spirit roaming the premises.

The spirits of Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Jean Harlow, Errol Flynn, Orson Welles, and others are said to linger here, returning to their favorite booths and corners long after their final curtain call. 

Musso and Frank History 

Musso and Frank Grill first opened its doors in 1919. It was founded by Frank Toulet and Joseph Musso, with French chef Jean Rue at the helm. The restaurant soon became Hollywood’s first choice restaurant, welcoming actors, directors, and writers from the nearby studios. 

Since it was situated on Hollywood Boulevard, it was easily accessible for studio meetings, script readings, and celebratory events after auditions, while its antique ambiance and class-service set it apart from the rest.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Musso and Frank Grill became the unofficial clubhouse for Hollywood’s elite. The restaurant’s exclusive Back Room, opened in 1934, was a private enclave reserved for the biggest names in show business, guarded by a strict maitre d’ and shrouded in secrecy.

Regulars included Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, and Mary Pickford. Many of these celebrities were known to race horses down Hollywood Boulevard, with the loser picking up the tab. 

Famed writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway also made Musso’s their second home, often gathering at the bar after the nearby bookstore closed for the night.

Despite the passage of time, Musso and Frank Grill have remained remarkably unchanged. The restaurant’s décor-red leather banquettes, dark wood, and vintage hat racks-still evokes the glamour of old Hollywood. Furthermore many of the waiters have worked there for decades, becoming part of the legend themselves. 

Today, Musso and Frank Grill is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Hollywood. It continues on as a beloved landmark, attracting celebrities, locals, tourists, and even ghost hunters.

Hauntings of Musso and Frank Grill

Musso and Frank Grill’s reputation as a haunted restaurant is as legendary as its martinis and flannel cakes. Over the decades, staff and guests have reported many ghostly phenomena: full-bodied apparitions of famous Hollywood stars, inexplicable cold drafts, objects moving on their own, and unsettling feelings of being watched. 

The spirits are said to be most active around the booths and corners favored by their earthly counterparts. Some even appear in photographs or are sensed during quiet moments in the restaurant’s storied Back Room.

Charlie Chaplin: The Eternal Patron 

Charlie Chaplin’s spirit is perhaps the most iconic and frequently reported at Musso and Frank Grill. Chaplin was a daily fixture at the restaurant, always sitting in Booth No. 1 in the Old Room. This coveted spot by the window allowed him to keep an eye on his horse outside.

Chaplin and his friend Douglas Fairbanks were known to race their horses down Hollywood Boulevard to Musso’s, with the loser picking up the lunch tab, making the booth a site of both friendly rivalry and Hollywood legend.

Even decades after his passing, staff and guests have reported seeing a figure resembling Chaplin seated in his favorite booth. He sometimes gazes out the window as if waiting for his horse. 

Some modern photographs have allegedly captured a Chaplin-like apparition in the background. Many regulars insist that the energy of the silent film legend still lingers, especially in the early afternoon when the light hits the booth just right.

The booth remains the most requested seat in the restaurant, and diners sometimes report a sudden chill or the sensation of being watched.

Rudolph Valentino: The Spirit by the Phone Booth

Rudolph Valentino, the original “Latin Lover” of silent film, is another legendary presence at Musso and Frank Grill. While Valentino’s ghost is known to appear at several Hollywood locations, he is most often seen at Musso’s, near the back of the building, close to the old phone booth.

Some speculate that he lingers there waiting for a call from a lost love or perhaps reliving the glamorous nights he spent at the restaurant. Witnesses have described seeing a sharply dressed man with classic 1920s features lingering by the phone booth, only to have him vanish when approached.

His presence is often accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature or a wave of nostalgia, as if the glamour of old Hollywood is momentarily revived. Valentino’s charming ghost is said to smile warmly at women near the back of the restaurant. His spirit adds a romantic and bittersweet note to Musso’s haunted reputation.

Jean Harlow’s Lingering Presence

Hollywood’s original “Blonde Bombshell,” Jean Harlow, is said to haunt Musso and Frank Grill as a Lady in White. During her short but dazzling career, Harlow was a regular at the restaurant. Furthermore, her tragic early death has only amplified the mystique surrounding her spirit. 

Staff and guests have reported seeing a pale woman in vintage attire gliding through the dining room, especially late at night or during quieter hours.

Her apparition is often described as ethereal and elegant, sometimes pausing near her favorite booth before fading away. Some witnesses have reported a sudden chill or the faint scent of perfume when Harlow’s ghost is near. Others say her presence brings a sense of both glamour and sadness. Her spirit serves as a reminder of Hollywood’s golden age and its many lost stars.

Longtime employees frequently mention Harlow’s ghost. They say she seems to return to Musso’s for the comfort and camaraderie she enjoyed in life.

Hollywood Legends

Musso and Frank Grill is famous for its celebrity clientele in life and its “ecto-elite” in the afterlife. The ghosts of Errol Flynn and Orson Welles are said to be among the restaurant’s most distinguished spectral guests, often spotted in deep conversation or enjoying a drink at the bar.

Flynn, known for his swashbuckling roles and wild lifestyle, is described as a lively presence. On the other hand, Welles is said to appear as a large, shadowy figure. He is sometimes accompanied by the faint aroma of cigars. 

These apparitions are often seen near the booths and bar area. Some guests have also reported hearing laughter or snippets of conversation with no visible source. It’s as if the old Hollywood crowd is still holding court in their favorite haunt.

The restaurant’s reputation as a gathering spot for writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Dorothy Parker, and Charles Bukowski has also led some to speculate that these literary giants still lingers. Although, their ghosts are seen less frequently.

The Headless Spirit

A headless spirit is among the most unsettling and mysterious tales from Musso and Frank Grill. It has been seen wildly darting through the restaurant’s corridors. Unlike the celebrity ghosts, the identity of this apparition remains unknown. But, its chilling presence has left a lasting impression on those who have encountered it. 

Described as a shadowy, headless figure moving quickly and silently through the dining rooms, this ghost is often associated with a sudden, inexplicable coldness or a feeling of dread.

Some speculate that the headless spirit may be connected to the restaurant’s early days. Other beliege it is connected to the Prohibition-era speakeasy that once operated in its hidden back rooms. 

While sightings are rare, the story of the headless ghost is considered the creepiest encounter at Musso and Frank Grill, and it remains a favorite tale among staff and ghost tour guides alike.

Haunted Los Angeles

Musso and Frank Grill stands as a living monument to Hollywood’s past. It is a place where the boundary between history and the world of ghosts is tantalizingly thin. 

The century-old walls have seen the rise and fall of film legends, the laughter and tears of generations, and, if the stories are to be believed, the lingering presence of those who just can’t seem to move on.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, dining at Musso and Frank Grill offers a unique opportunity to brush shoulders with both the living and the legendary dead. 

For those eager to explore the haunted side of Los Angeles, a LA Ghosts tour is the ideal experience. Walk Hollywood Boulevard, hear the chilling tales of Musso and Frank Grill and other iconic sites, and discover why the City of Angels is also a city of ghosts. 

Book your tour today and enter a world where glamour and the eerie go hand in hand. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Los Angeles hauntings.

Sources:

1. https://mussoandfrank.com/about/history/
2. https://www.cracked.com/article_39732_4-places-supposedly-haunted-by-the-ghosts-of-comedy-legends.html
3. https://ghoula.blogspot.com/2009/01/january-13th-spirits-with-spirits-at.html
4. https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/drink-spirits-with-spirits-at-haunted-los-angeles-bars
5. https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2013/10/17/ghosts-of-celebrities-past-said-to-frequent-these-la-haunts