Hollywood Museum

About 95% of the year, Los Angeles affords us with perfect adventure and exploring weather – sun shining bright, a cool ocean breeze every now and then, and a comfortable temperature at around 70 degrees. But, during the other 5% when the sky is gloomy and rain is pounding, most of us (myself included) would rather nix the adventures and stay inside with hot chocolate and Netflix. This winter, though, I’m on a mission to continue my adventures indoors because a little rain shouldn’t stop me from doing what I do best…exploring! I’m excited to share that I am collaborating with the L.A. Tourism Board (@DiscoverLA on Instagram) on their #InsideLA campaign, which includes a “101 Things to Do in L.A. On a Rainy Day” list. I’ll be photographing and sharing a variety of fun experiences with my blog readers and with their 1 million+ social media fans over the next two months. Such a fun and exciting opportunity!

As part of the #InsideLA collaboration with @DiscoverLA, I was able to explore the Hollywood Museum, ranked by the L.A. Weekly as the #1 tourist attraction in Hollywood. As much as I love finding hidden gem adventures around the city, I will also probably check out every tourist attraction in the city at some point – I love learning about and experiencing anything related to Los Angeles, even when it is a little cheesy. ;) The Hollywood Museum is the official museum of Hollywood and is home to the largest Hollywood memorabilia collection in the entire world. We all know that Hollywood is the entertainment capitol of the world, but I don’t think many of us know the reason why filmmakers began to flock to Los Angeles in the early 1900’s to make their films! I love learning about history and getting a BTS view of the making of Los Angeles, so I’m always hungry for more information about our city.

Throughout the four floors of the Hollywood Museum, you will take a walk through the history of tinsel town and will see all sorts of memorabilia from some of your favorite TV shows and movies. Think costumes, props, pictures, scripts, personal items, and so much more! Whether you’re a fan of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, I Love Lucy, Superman, Star Trek, Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, JLo, Baywatch, Jaws, Planet of the Apes, or Harry Potter… there’s definitely something for everyone here. You’ll be especially fascinated if you’re a fan of cult horror movies – the lower level houses Hannibal Lecter’s jail cell from the Silence of the Lambs, Frankenstein and Elvira, and other memorabilia from some spooky faves.

Something especially cool about the Hollywood Museum is that it’s located inside the historic Max Factor Building where Max Factor (apparently he was Hollywood’s infamous make up king…it was the first time I had heard of him, to be honest!), did the make up for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars back in the day – Katherine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, and more. How cool is that? You can check out Max Factor’s make up rooms and see where some of the biggest movie stars got all dolled up!

Overall, I thought the Hollywood Museum had its pros and cons. As you make your way through the exhibits, you can definitely tell some of the cases and décor is a bit outdated and could use some modern retouches. I also thought the organization of some of the memorabilia was a bit confusing and random, but I guess it could be somewhat difficult to organize when you are presenting artifacts from a wide variety of movie genres and decades. On the positive side, I liked that the museum caught your eye at every turn and there was SO much entertainment memorabilia to be seen.  I think my favorite part of the museum was the Max Factor make-up rooms and being able to see all the items that Marilyn Monroe owned in particular. To see the actual outfits she wore and some of the beautiful jewelry she owned, and to be able to sit in the chair where she first had her hair dyed blonde, was a special and heartwarming experience! I also liked that while the museum had an overwhelming amount of memorabilia, the entire museum can be explored in about an hour or so, making it the perfect rainy day outing if combined with a warm meal out, either before or after. :)

If you want a healthy dose of tinseltown history and are a total TV or movie buff, the Hollywood Museum is a great #insideLA spot for you to explore during the next rainy day! The Hollywood Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00am-5:00pm and is located at 1660 Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028.