1 Comments Posted by Lomara

wrote:
I grew up in the housing tract next to Rancho, when the hospital was still in use. I have never been inside of the buildings, but I did ride my bike all over the property in the 70's. In the early 80's, I practiced for my driving test with my Dad there. Thanks for showing me the inside. Seems like the people who go there now think it was Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, and the place seems overrun with ghost chasers. It's sad. During the day, the Downey PD and also LA County Sheriff's Dept use parts of the property for urban guerrilla training exercises.

The hospital has a rich history as a polio rehabilitation hospital. An ex-patient wrote a book about his life with polio, and now serves on the board of The Amigos Fund of Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center.
http://www.amazon.com/...words=not+just+polio