In Hollywood, it is almost impossible to escape the desire to immerse oneself in the film culture that this city is an emblem of. And what better place than a museum dedicated to it? Clark Gable’s Rolls Royce, the first Batman’s car, Silvester Stallone’s boxing gloves in Rocky, Christopher Reeve’s costume in Superman, Elvis Presley’s bathrobe, the shoes of the Wizard of Oz, Marilyn Monroe’s jewelry or Hannibal Lecter’s cell… this and much more awaits you at The Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles.
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What is the Hollywood Museum
The Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles is the museum that collects the memorabilia, costumes, equipment and machinery used in major Hollywood films and beloved TV series. More than 11,000 props spread over 4 floors take visitors on a tour through the history of film and television from silent movies to the present.
The museum is housed inside a historic building, the Max Factor Building, where the king of make-up, Max Factor, created the looks of unforgettable stars such as Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, and Marilyn Monroe. The building was designed by architect Simeon Charles Lee in the art deco style, bought by Max Factor in 1928 and opened in 1935. The place soon became a landmark: not only divas, but also working women could enter it to have their makeup done by professionals without being considered cheap. After several changes of ownership, P&G sold the building to the Hollywood Museum in 1994, and it was then restored in part to its former glory. The Hollywood Museum inside the Max Factor Building was opened in 2003.
Directions
The Hollywood Museum is located at 1660 North Highland Avenue in Los Angeles, near Hollywood Boulevard and about a 20-minute walk from the Walk of Fame. Reaching it is, therefore, very easy.
If you are driving from Santa Monica, San Diego, the San Fernando Valley, or Downtown Los Angeles, all you have to do is exit the 101 Freeway at the Highland Avenue exit, continue for about half a mile, and merge onto Highland Avenue. The museum is located south of Hollywood Boulevard. Directly in front of the museum is an affiliated parking lot that offers discounts to museum visitors.
By subway, the best stop is Hollywood Highland, which is right in front of the museum and is a Red Line station. There are also several bus stops on Hollywood Boulevard: the closest is Hollywood Highland for routes 212, 217, 222, 237, 656, 780.
For more information on the best way to get around the city, read how to get around Los Angeles.
Tickets and Opening Hours
The Hollywood Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Admission can be purchased at the museum box office or online at the website itself. The cost is $15 for adults, $12 for people over 65 and students, and $5 for children 5 and under.
Guided tours must be booked two weeks in advance by calling 001 323 4647776 or emailing [email protected]
Things to See in the Museum
There is no shortage of museums in Los Angeles, but if you love movies and are a fan of Hollywood stars, this particular place will take you back in time with its huge collection.
On the ground floor you’ll find several displays of what the Max Factor Building must have looked like in the 1940s and 1950s: the pink art-deco entrance with gold detailing, makeup rooms (differentiated by the color of the movie stars’ hair), a gallery with more than 1,000 black-and-white photos, Clark Gable’s Rolls Royce, Planet of the Apes, Jurassic Park, and a tribute to Judy Garland.
On the second and third floors you find the costumes of major movie stars in famous films, as well as objects used during filming: from a bed from The Gladiator to the dog from Mad About Mary or the gold Cadillac from Dreamgirls. In the museum you also find the largest existing collection of memorabilia related to Marilyn Monroe, including her death certificate and million-dollar dress.
In the basement of the museum, which was a speakeasy in the days of Prohibition, you’ll find many items from horror and thriller films that have made history: Hannibal Lecter’s cell and his unforgettable mask, Boris Karloff’s mummy, Frankenstein, Vampira, and many other cult favorites.
Where to Stay in the Area
Just 10 minutes from Beverly Hills and 20 minutes from Santa Monica, Hollywood is certainly a great neighborhood to spend a few nights if you love shopping, nightlife and, of course, movies: this is where most of the most interesting things to see in Los Angeles are located, at least for fans of American movies. In our article devoted to where to stay in Los Angeles we suggest some particularly interesting hotel names in the area.
