Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo
Abandoned Observatory of the Pioneer Palace
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Kolaches
How Texas Became an Unlikely Epicenter for Czech Pastries
about 6 hours ago
What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan
about 7 hours ago
What I Found Driving Down Highway 61
about 8 hours ago
What I Found Driving Through Appalachia
about 8 hours ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Topanga Canned Heat Suicide House
Canned Heat Suicide House is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Canned Heat Suicide House

The mysterious, untimely death of a Canned Heat band member still haunts this unfinished home.

Topanga, California

Added By
Wei Wilson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Weifinder / Atlas Obscura User
  Weifinder / Atlas Obscura User
  Weifinder / Atlas Obscura User
This place is covered in urban art 🤯   Cautz / Atlas Obscura User
Bizarre unfinished home now reclaimed 🎨   Cautz / Atlas Obscura User
  Weifinder / Atlas Obscura User
  Weifinder / Atlas Obscura User
  Weifinder / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Among the secluded homes of the rich and famous in Topanga Canyon stands a home left unfinished, the reason hotly debated. Officially, the structure lies on a floodplain that prevented permits from going through, halting construction indefinitely. But urban legend gives us a more supernatural explanation: It is said the untimely death of a member of the “27 club” haunts the area to this day.

On the eve of September 3, 1970, behind the private residence of Bob Hite of the band Canned Heat, fellow bandmate Alan Wilson slept under the stars. By dawn, he was dead. Autopsy reports listed his cause of death as accidental acute barbiturate intoxication; he had overdosed. Wilson joined the ranks of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin in the “27 club”, a term used for famous musicians whose lives were cut short at the age of 27. It is unclear whether his death was intentional; while he had a history of attempted suicide and depression, no suicide note was left at the scene.

Bob Hite’s home would eventually be swept away in a flood. The unfinished structure that now resides on the property wasn’t built until 1990, but construction was stopped mere months in, again because of flooding.

There are conflicting stories on whether the alleged suicide of Alan Wilson happened on the property so often attributed to it. Some believe Wilson’s death occurred behind another house further up the canyon. However, his death certificate does state that his death occurred at the same address. Nevertheless, visitors to the crumbling concrete house continue to honor Wilson’s memory.

Related Tags

Houses Music Haunted Homes

Know Before You Go

From Highway 101, take the S Topanga Canyon Blvd exit. The property lies west across a dry creek bed, accessible by a wooden bridge. A single gate blocks cars from driving across. Most of the property can be viewed from the road.

Community Contributors

Added By

Weifinder

Edited By

Cautz, marialeal

  • Cautz
  • marialeal

Published

October 14, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Wilson_(musician)
  • http://www.placesthatwere.com/2016/03/the-mystery-of-canned-heat-house-bear.html
  • http://renrobot.blogspot.com/2011/04/canned-heat-house.html
Canned Heat Suicide House
701 N Topanga Canyon Blvd
Topanga, California
United States
34.100107, -118.59862
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Great Wall of Topanga

Topanga, California

miles away

Hidden Treasures

Topanga, California

miles away

Theatricum Botanicum

Topanga, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Topanga

Topanga

California

Places 4
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Great Wall of Topanga

Topanga, California

miles away

Hidden Treasures

Topanga, California

miles away

Theatricum Botanicum

Topanga, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Topanga

Topanga

California

Places 4
Stories 1

Related Places

  • The American Football House.

    Urbana, Illinois

    'The American Football House'

    The house is an iconic pilgrimage site for fans of the Illinois-based emo band.

  • Hendrix’s bedroom.

    London, England

    Handel & Hendrix in London

    The next-door homes of two very different musicians, George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix.

  • The Rock House

    Thomson, Georgia

    The Old Rock House

    Built in 1785, this residence is the oldest stone house in Georgia.

  • The Gessner Mansion, locally known as the Georgetown Castle.

    Seattle, Washington

    Georgetown Castle

    An allegedly haunted mansion with a tragic, tawdry past.

  • The ruins in the wood.

    Bingley, England

    Milner Field Ruins

    A lavish Victorian mansion wound up inheriting a gruesome reputation that would be its demise.

  • Mercury House.

    Zanzibar, Tanzania

    Mercury House

    Freddie Mercury's childhood home is now a monument to the iconic Queen rockstar.

  • The house is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in North Carolina.

    Tryon, North Carolina

    Nina Simone's Childhood Home

    The wooden house where the jazz great learned to play the piano.

  • Blind Boone House.

    Columbia, Missouri

    Blind Boone House

    The modest, restored home of the legendary ragtime musician John William "Blind" Boone.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.