1922 to 1926 — Murder House
- Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross) builds a mansion in Los Angeles for his wife, Nora (Lily Rabe).
- Dr. Montgomery, addicted to drugs, becomes obsessed with resurrecting dead animals and sewing them together. He eventually begins to perform illegal abortions to fund his terrible habits.
- A crazed patient murders and dismembers the Montgomery baby. Charles sews him back together to create the Infantata.
- In 1926, Nora kills Charles and then herself.
1925 to 1929 — Hotel
- James March (Evan Peters) begins building the Hotel Cortez in 1925.
- Elizabeth Johnson (Lady Gaga), who eventually becomes Cortez's terrifying Countess, works as an extra on The Son of Sheik, where she meets Rudolph Valentino (Finn Wittrock). She enters a threeway relationship with him and Natacha Rambova.
- Believing her lovers have died, Elizabeth marries James March in 1926 and calls herself The Countess. James becomes the Ten Commandments Killer, and Elizabeth likes to watch him commit his murders.
- The Countess attempts to get an abortion from Charles Montgomery, but her child survives.
- Rudolph and Natacha turn up alive and infect the Countess with a mysterious blood virus. When the three attempt to run off to travel the world, James traps Rudolph and Natacha in a secret hallway, leaving them to rot.
- James March commits suicide.