Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

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 Los Angeles Room 8 the Cat Mural

Room 8 the Cat Mural

Hand-crafted tributes to a stray cat named "Room 8" now cover this LA elementary school.

Los Angeles, California

Added By
Abigail Walthausen
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Room 8 the Cat Murals   abbykw / Atlas Obscura User
Room 8 the Cat Murals   abbykw / Atlas Obscura User
Room 8 the Cat Murals   abbykw / Atlas Obscura User
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
  suzwisse / Atlas Obscura User
Room 8’s final resting place at the L.A. Pet Memorial Park in Calabasas, CA   Erin Johnson / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Many kids form a bond with a class pet, but few schools have seen one become as popular as Room 8, a stray cat that once frequented the LA elementary that is now covered in tributes to the feline. 

On the corner of Baxter Street and Echo Park Avenue, Elysian Heights Elementary school is practically plastered in images of one very famous feline, a cat named Room 8. The exterior walls have great murals of the grey cat frolicking, while the paving stones that line the fence along Echo Park Avenue are etched with student drawings of and messages to the school’s beloved former pet.  

As the story goes, a neighborhood stray wandered into classroom 8 one day in 1952. In a great lesson on puns, room 8 found a longterm roommate, and in a great lesson on caring, the kids made the cat their own. Soon enough, both students and cat had adopted these visits as a routine that continued every day until summer vacation, and resumed each September from that point forward. Room 8’s devotion to the Elysian Heights Elementary kids became fodder for news pieces, a children’s picture book, a movie, and even a Leo Koettke song. Like many a Los Angeles celebrity, the heaps of fan mail he received kept a whole crew of little ghostwriters — the students — busy.

When Room 8 passed on in 1968,  the cat’s obituary was printed in newspapers all over the country. Stories of pets and children, of course, are perpetual people pleasers that cross geographical boundaries, but this one was special. The story of a cat that wandered from the sunny, blooming courtyard into the classroom held just enough of the California dream to captivate the imaginations of anyone who has ever sat at a chilly desk, staring longingly out a window.

Related Tags

Cats Animals Schools

Community Contributors

Added By

abbykw

Edited By

Erin Johnson, icatsstaci, suzwisse

  • Erin Johnson
  • icatsstaci
  • suzwisse

Published

March 18, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_8
  • http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/room8.html
Room 8 the Cat Mural
1562 Baxter St
Los Angeles, California, 90026
United States
34.088515, -118.249511
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Phantasma Gloria

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Holyland Exhibition

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Tom House

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

Places 237
Stories 60

Nearby Places

Phantasma Gloria

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Holyland Exhibition

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Tom House

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

Places 237
Stories 60

Related Places

  • Kindergarten Wolfartsweier

    Karlsruhe, Germany

    Kindergarten Wolfartsweier

    A kindergarten shaped like a cat with a tail that's a slide.

  • Grumpy Cat’s headstone.

    Sun City, Arizona

    Grumpy Cat’s Grave

    The final resting place for an internet icon.

  • Numerous attempts to take down the Catford Cat have failed over the years.

    London, England

    The Catford Cat

    For more than half a century, an enormous feline has watched over this London neighborhood.

  • This ones for the lovers… of cats.

    Baku, Azerbaijan

    'Monument to Lovers and Cats'

    Look up as you explore Baku’s old town to find a monument to the local feline population.

  • This curious cat is especially dear to locals.

    La Rochelle, France

    La Maison du Chat (The Cat House)

    No one knows the story behind the mysterious feline perched on this rooftop.

  • A cat in Parque John F. Kennedy

    Lima, Peru

    Cats of Parque Kennedy

    In the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores in Lima, a pretty little park is home to dozens of cats.

  • beach dog

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Mural of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

    A colorful mural decorates one of the city's oldest animal shelters.

  • Mayor Stubbs

    Talkeetna, Alaska

    The Cat Mayor of Talkeetna

    This Alaskan town appoints the general store's resident feline as honorary mayor.

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.