Pasadena Suicide Bridge & City Hall: Haunted Filming Locations (Parks & Rec, Yes Man & more)

Pasadena is a beautiful town with some very, very, very dark stories. In this installment of Haunted Filming Locations, I start out at Pasadena City Hall, which doubles for Pawnee, Indiana’s city hall in Parks & Rec. Nearby is also the exterior of the Pawnee library.

It was a fun experience finally getting to do a little urban exploring, walking around the base of the bridge. The closer one looks at this structure, the more you can appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry of this site.

Our subject-matter gets much darker as we head over to a filming location associated with Yes Man, Full House, La La Land, Seabiscuit, Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid & more. To view a music video shot at the bridge by Lana Del Rey, scroll all the way to the bottom of this page. Despite the large number of movies and TV shows filmed here, the bridge is most known for being the site of well over 100 suicides. Thought it may sound like an unrealistically high number, CBS News reported the death toll as “over 150” back in 2017 and another source estimated that 50 people committed suicide here between 1929-1933 alone and another 30 between 2010-2020. While this is not a location I have visited all that often, even I was on site during three separate ‘jumper incidents’ during the 2010s, with two of the three individuals jumping and one coming back safely. I also have friends who have lost multiple friends here, so is would not surprise me if the total number of suicides here was over 200.

I think it’s important to discuss this location and to not be afraid to discuss suicide and having suicidal thoughts. I don’t want to normalize suicide, but it would be great to make it easier for someone going to a tough time to be able to feel that they can reach out and speak honestly and openly about what they’re going through.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

Time Stamps
0:00 – Pawnee City Hall – Parks & Rec
0:50 – Pawnee Library – Parks & Rec
1:15 – Pasadena darkness
2:20 – Pasadena Suicide Bridge
4:10 – Yes Man, Jim Carrey bungee jump
4:48 – Myrtle Ward & Jeanette Louise mother-daughter murder-suicide attempt
6:00 – Urban exploring under the bridge
8:30 – Witnessing rescue crews
10:15 – Getting help is a good thing
11:28 – Walking on top
13:00 – Other filming

Photo Gallery (and note the cool neighborhood in the upper right photo what exists in the shadow of the bridge).

I’m happy to be able to share a news clipping connected to the dark, yet miraculous story of Jeanette Louise Ward’s survival – the only person to have gone over the bridge and lived. Do note that some initial reports stated that the child may have suffered a broken back. While she did have some broken bones, fortunately, she did not break her back. Please find additional reading below.

Further reading & watching:

• When Angels Saved Her : Only Known Survivor of ‘Suicide Bridge’ Relives the Fateful Day – LA Times – https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-26-gl-1128-story.html
• Data Shows Jumpers On Notorious Pasadena ‘Suicide Bridge’ Skew Younger, More Female – CBS News-LA – https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/data-shows-jumpers-on-notorious-pasadena-suicide-bridge-skew-younger-more-female/

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.