What’s Hot in Southern California :: The Hollywood Wax Museum

Grandma and Kate outside The Hollywood Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard.

 

 

This past week I had a chance to visit the Hollywood Wax Museum that is located on Hollywood Boulevard and has been run by the same family since 1965.  I grew up in Orange County but had not taken the time to visit the Hollywood Wax Museum in all my years!  What a waste!  My daughter, mother-in-law and I made a day out of it and really had so much fun!  The drive up from Orange County was surprisingly hassle-free and we found parking easily next to the Hollywood Wax Museum.  It is fun to play tourist for the day because you are exposed to sights you might have overlooked.  The Hollywood Wax Museum, like the Hollywood sign, is a part of the Los Angeles landscape and really is worth the time to check out. The Hollywood Wax Museum is located in the building that back in the early 1930s housed The Embassy Club, an exclusive entertainment industry nightclub.  I love seeing “Old Hollywood” and it provides the perfect opportunity for a family outing and learning experience.  My daughter put her hands in Cary Grant’s hands that are in front of the Chinese Mann Theater and took pictures alongside Spiderman and other characters waiting to take a picture with you!

 

 

 The History of The Hollywood Wax Museum:

I was intrigued to learn that The Hollywood Wax Museum opened in 1965 and is the brainchild of entrepreneur Spoony Singh.  It is the longest-running wax museum in the United States. The lobby and most of the inside was renovated in 2006, and a new neon sign containing 1,532 incandescent lightbulbs and 1,189 feet of neon was erected in honor of the Museum’s 40th anniversary. Wax figures and sets continue to change regularly. Each wax figure is a piece of art. Over time and currently, the Hollywood Wax Museum has worked with numerous sculptors, mold makers, and finishers to create life-like wax figures. Stylistic differences occur depending on which artists crafted the figures.

 

There is also a Chamber of Horrors, featuring classic and current movie monsters.   This might have been my daughter’s favorite area.  There are figures from all the classic horror movies that include Jason, the creepy character from Texas Chain Saw Massacre (yes, I saw the first one in high school), and many other scary characters.  Granted, she held both our hands while walking through it, but asked to go again once we finished the tour.  This area would be best for kids 8 on up – or if you have a fearless kid like mine – then you can make the call.

 

 

After Singh’s retirement, his sons and grandson continued to own, operate and further the Hollywood Wax Museum’s legacy. In June 2012, the family was recognized as Heroes of Hollywood by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation for their staunch and generous support of the Hollywood community. (Source: Wikipedia).  Wax figures and sets continue to change regularly. Most of the wax statues looked very much like the actors they portrayed.  My daughter’s favorite one was of Arnold Schwarzenegger from a scene in Terminator and she even got to dance with John Travolta!

 

 

Hollywood Wax Museum is the only wax museum in the country devoted entirely to celebrity figures. That means a visit to the Hollywood Wax Museum puts you face-to-face with icons of the silver screen, recreated so faithfully that you’d swear they were alive.  We took a picture of my daughter and I sitting next to Forest Gump trying to get a piece of chocolate.   I think this re-creation was one of the best ones in the place!  Plus we are big fans of Tom Hanks and this movie!

 

A Fun Family Outing:

So make a day out of visiting Hollywood Boulevard and checking out The Hollywood Wax Museum.  We had so much fun playing tourist for the day and even stopped off to eat at The Hard Rock Café and treated ourselves to classic American staples like burgers and fries.  A fun family attraction that our crew really enjoyed visiting!

 

You can keep up to date with The  Hollywood Wax Museum on Facebook

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

 

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