Is The Comedy Store Haunted? The Dark History Behind Hollywood’s Funniest Venue

When most people imagine a haunted house, they picture a creaky old mansion stuffed with cobwebs, flickering lights, and mysterious shadows lurking in the corners.

What they don’t usually picture?

Legendary stand-up comedians.

Audiences crying with laughter.

And yes… Pauly Shore.

But that image is about to change.

Today, we’re diving into the spooky, strange, and surprisingly funny history of The Comedy Store, one of the most iconic comedy venues in the world, and allegedly one of the most haunted buildings in Hollywood.

So buckle up. You’re about to get scared silly.

The Comedy Store: A Legendary Comedy Institution

For anyone who doesn’t know, The Comedy Store is widely considered one of the most culturally significant comedy clubs in American history, maybe even the world.

It was founded in April of 1972 by comedian Sammy Shore and Rudy DeLuca.

If the name Sammy Shore doesn’t ring a bell, here’s a fun fact: he was the father of everyone’s favorite 1990s stoner comedian extraordinaire, Pauly Shore.

That’s right. The Weasel himself.

But the real powerhouse behind the venue was Pauly’s mother, Mitzi Shore. She was the infamous kingmaker of the Los Angeles comedy scene for decades. Under her guidance, The Comedy Store became a breeding ground for comedic greatness.

And when we say greatness, we mean it.

Comedy Legends Who Got Their Start Here

It’s almost impossible to fully capture how important The Comedy Store has been to entertainment history. But here’s a small sample of comedians who sharpened their skills on its stage:

• Richard Pryor
• Robin Williams
• Chevy Chase
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Jim Carrey
• Roseanne Barr
• Jay Leno
• David Letterman
• Andy Kaufman
• Garry Shandling
• Michael Keaton
• Whoopi Goldberg

And honestly… just about every other person who ever grabbed a microphone and turned anxiety into punchlines.

Think of it as the Super Bowl of comedy.

Every night. All night.

One of Hollywood’s Most Haunted Buildings

As if having the gold standard of comedy pedigree wasn’t enough, The Comedy Store also has a reputation for being one of the spookiest buildings in Hollywood.

Yep. It’s supposedly haunted.

And not just by aspiring comedians bombing on stage, by actual ghosts.

At least according to employees, performers, and visitors over the years.

Sure, many of these employees are comedians themselves, which might make you question their credibility. But the stories have been incredibly consistent for decades.

Even today, people claim the venue is home to mysterious entities and spirits from a distant past.

Strange Paranormal Activity at The Comedy Store

One of the most common stories comes from waitresses who swear they would set up tables, walk away, and return to find everything completely messed up, as if an invisible force was undoing their work.

Either a vengeful spirit was at play…

Or a ghost was unsuccessfully practicing that classic trick where you yank a tablecloth without disturbing the dishes.

Then there’s comedian Joey Gaynor, who worked as a doorman while coming up in the scene.

He often told stories about blowing out candles, only to watch them relight themselves moments later.

Apparently, whatever spirit is haunting the place really doesn’t enjoy sitting in the dark.

Gaynor also once found chairs stacked in the middle of an aisle with no one else around.

Could a living person have done that?

Sure.

But assuming he didn’t blackout, stack chairs, and forget about it… it’s pretty creepy.

Flying Bar Stools and Phantom Piano Music

Another doorman-turned-comedian, Blake Clark, claims he once saw a bar stool spin around and slide nearly 20 feet on its own.

Which raises an important possibility:

Maybe the ghosts just really enjoy messing with doormen.

Clark also said he regularly heard someone banging on piano keys when no one was in the room.

And then there was the time comedy legend Sam Kinison jokingly called out the ghosts during a performance, only to have the lights immediately go out.

Not exactly The Conjuring, but still pretty weird.

A Skeptic’s Ghost Encounter

For a long time, Michael Becker, vice president of The Comedy Store, didn’t believe any of these stories.

To him, they were just coming from overly imaginative, creative types.

That changed one day when he had an encounter of his own.

According to Becker, he was standing outside his office when a man in a tweed jacket, the kind popular in the 1940s, casually walked past him and entered the office without acknowledging him.

Which, honestly, is rude even if you’re alive.

Becker followed the man inside.

The room was empty.

No one there.

Could the story be made up to keep the legend alive?

Maybe.

But Becker isn’t exactly the whimsical creative type he used to doubt. He’s more of a practical business guy.

So… you decide.

The Dark History Beneath the Comedy Store

So who are these ghosts supposed to be?

The obvious guess is dead comedians who never left the stage.

But there’s a darker theory.

Before it became The Comedy Store, the building was a mob-run nightclub in the 1940s and 50s called Ciro’s.

Picture loud music, smoky rooms, free-flowing booze, gambling, and bootlegging.

Classic old Hollywood.

Celebrities like Tyrone Power, Bette Davis, and Lucille Ball were regulars.

Even infamous LA mob boss Mickey Cohen hung out there.

Cohen was a former boxer who rose from bodyguard to West Coast crime kingpin, brilliant and brutal.

He eventually ended up in Alcatraz and holds the unique distinction of being the only prisoner ever transferred out of the prison.

(Though we imagine he’d have stayed if he knew Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage would one day show up.)

The Basement Torture Room Rumors

Here’s where things get really unsettling.

Allegedly, Cohen conducted mob business in the building, and some say there was even a killing and torture room in the basement.

Yes. A real one.

Not ideal, but sometimes you work with the space you’ve got.

There were also rumors of an illegal abortion clinic down there at one point.

Whether that says more about mob operations or 1940s healthcare is up to you.

Many believe the ghosts haunting The Comedy Store are victims from this dark era.

And according to Becker, the spirits often appear in retro clothing, which lines up perfectly with the Ciro’s days.

Meet the Comedy Store’s Resident Ghosts

Over the years, certain spirits have become almost famous.

Gus the Security Guard Ghost

One ghost, nicknamed Gus, dresses like a 1940s security guard and is often seen inspecting the crowd and watching the stage.

Which sadly suggests we’ll all still be working after we die.

The WWII Bomber Jacket Ghost

Another spirit is frequently spotted wearing a World War II-era bomber jacket.

He’s seen entering stage doors or quietly drinking in the back of the room.

Apparently, death doesn’t stop you from running up a bar tab.

Maybe that’s why Gus is still clocking in.

The Basement: Where Things Feel Different

Most reports say the ghosts aren’t dangerous.

Except whatever’s in the basement.

Even though the alleged torture room is long gone, people are still uneasy going down there alone.

Stories range from objects falling for no reason to people tripping in familiar spots.

Some have reported strange smells.

Others claim they’ve heard faint screams.

Which, to be fair, isn’t entirely uncommon in modern Los Angeles, but still unsettling.

Ghost Sightings in the Age of Cell Phones

Interestingly, sightings have become less frequent over time.

And they started dropping right around when cell phone cameras became everywhere.

Funny how that works.

Still, the hauntings have reached legendary status.

Even patrons now share their own ghost stories about the venue.

Are they real experiences?

Or just fun folklore keeping the mystique alive?

Hard to say.

Paranormal Investigations at The Comedy Store

The scientific community, or at least the ghost-hunting community, has tried to get answers.

A few years ago, a professional ghost investigator conducted a full investigation and documented it in a lengthy Reddit post, claiming to find signs of paranormal activity using specialized equipment.

The TV show Ghost Adventures also explored the building in a full episode.

How seriously you take their findings is up to you.

But they definitely showed up with cameras.

Is the Comedy Store Really Haunted?

Believers say there are simply too many stories from comedians, employees, and visitors for nothing to be happening.

They argue the building has strange psychic energy, and while the venue might lean into the ghost stories for publicity, the average worker or patron doesn’t have much reason to lie.

Skeptics, of course, aren’t convinced.

And honestly?

We may never know the truth about what really happened beneath the old Comedy Store.

Laughter, Ghosts, and Something in Between

What we do know is this:

Thanks to its humble stage and tireless employees, The Comedy Store has brought more joy to the world than almost any other place.

Sorry, Disneyland, but it’s true.

And maybe, just maybe, it really is a bridge between this life and the next.

Or perhaps the true link to the spiritual realm is laughter itself.

Maybe instead of searching for meaning in the paranormal, we should all just focus on laughing a little more.

Or…

It could just be the ghosts.

You be the judge.