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The Hollywood Wax Museum is a wax museum featuring replicas of celebrities located on Hollywood Boulevard in the tourist district in Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. The replicas on display include A-List stars as well as classic entertainers.

The museum claims in promotional literature to be the only wax museum dedicated solely to celebrities.

History

The Hollywood Wax Museum opened on February 25, 1965, to a line 1/2 mile long. After opening, owner Spoony Singh continued to build the museum's fame by befriending celebrities, gossip columnists, members of the foreign press association, and fans.[1]

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.

Sets and exhibitions

Wax figures and sets featuring replicas of celebrities continue to change regularly. There is also a Chamber of Horrors, featuring classic and current movie monsters.

Location

Wax Museum building

The Wax Museum building was designed by Carl Jules Weyl and built in 1928.[2] It once housed the most exclusive hangout in Los Angeles: The Embassy Club.[3]

In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with the Wax Museum building listed as a contributing property in the district. Aspects of the building cited in the register include its Spanish Colonial Revival design, Churrigueresque detailing, and street level arches.[2]

In 2021, the building was sold for $22 million.[4]

Other locations

Hollywood Wax Museum Branson opened in Branson, Missouri in 1996[5] and was completely renovated in 2009. In 2011, the museum was recognized with the Branson Beautification Award for improving an important stretch of Highway 76.

A third Hollywood Wax Museum opened in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in 2007. However, it closed three years later, to be replaced by the larger Hollywood Wax Museum Pigeon Forge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee that opened in May 2012.

The fourth Hollywood Wax Museum opened at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2014.

The Hollywood Wax Museum has appeared in The Mechanic,[6] Cursed,[7] and America's Next Top Model.[8] It also features on the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles.

References

  1. ^ Douglas Martin (October 25, 2006). "Spoony Singh, 83, Dies; Created Hollywood Wax Museum". New York Times. p. A17.
  2. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District". United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. April 4, 1985.
  3. ^ Bailey, Mark (September 30, 2014). Of All the Gin Joints. ISBN 9781616203986. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  4. ^ "6763 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028". Property Shark. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Spoony Singh". malibutimes.com. October 25, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  6. ^ "IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  7. ^ "Cursed (2005)". Movie Locations and More. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  8. ^ "America's Next Top Model". Game Show Kingdom. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.

34°06′07″N 118°20′17″W / 34.101961°N 118.338158°W / 34.101961; -118.338158

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