The Hollywood Wax Museum is a
wax museum
A wax museum or waxworks usually consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses, wearing real clothes.
Some wax museums have a special section dubb ...
featuring replicas of celebrities located on
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...
in the tourist district in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, with other locations in
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...
,
Branson, and
Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 6,343. Situated just 5 miles (8 km) north of Great Smoky Mountains National Pa ...
. Among the wax replicas on display include those of A-List stars, classic entertainers, and legendary singers (such as Elvis Presley).
Overview
The museum, brainchild of entrepreneur
Spoony Singh, opened on February 25, 1965,
and claims in promotional literature to be the only wax museum dedicated solely to celebrities.
When Singh opened the Hollywood Wax Museum, the line to get in was 1/2 mile long.
The former sawmill operator from Canada built the Museum's fame by befriending celebrities, gossip columnists, members of the foreign press association and fans.
After Singh's retirement, his sons and grandson have 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.
In popular culture
The Hollywood Wax Museum has appeared in the following movies and TV shows:
The Mechanic (1972),
Wes Craven's
Cursed (2005),
and
America's Next Top Model
''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...
(2007).
The Hollywood Wax Museum is also featured on the video game,
Midnight Club: Los Angeles.
Mr. Singh himself appeared on the popular quiz show
What's My Line?
''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
on the night of November 7, 1965. This also marked the last show featuring long-time panelist
Dorothy Kilgallen
Dorothy Mae Kilgallen (July 3, 1913 – November 8, 1965) was an American columnist, journalist, and television game show panelist. After spending two semesters at the College of New Rochelle, she started her career shortly before her 18th birth ...
.
Location
The Hollywood Wax Museum building once housed the most exclusive hangout in Los Angeles:
The Embassy Club. It is on Hollywood Blvd, near Highland Ave.
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.
Other locations in the US
The group opened
Hollywood Wax Museum Branson in
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postm ...
in 1996,
which was completely renovated in 2009 and was recognized with the 2011 Branson Beautification Award for improving an important stretch of the Highway 76 strip. The next Hollywood Wax Museum was opened in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is located southeast of Knoxville and had a population of 3,944 at the 2010 Census and a U.S. Census population of 3,577 in 2020. It is a popular vacation res ...
in 2007 and closed in 2010 to make way for the larger
Hollywood Wax Museum Pigeon Forge attraction in
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee that opened in May 2012. The fourth location opened in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...
in 2014 at
Broadway at the Beach
__NOTOC__
Broadway at the Beach is a shopping center and entertainment complex located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Broadway at the Beach is owned and operated by Burroughs & Chapin. The $250 million attraction is set on in the heart of Myrtl ...
. In 1979, Singh expanded his business operations after opening the Thousand Oaks Self Storage (now known as the
Hollywood Storage Center).
References
External links
* Hollywood Wax Museum
www.hollywoodwaxmuseum.com*Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center
www.hollywoodwaxentertainment.com
{{coord, 34.101961, -118.338158, region:US_type:landmark, display=title
History museums in Hollywood, Los Angeles
Museums established in 1965
Media museums in California
Wax museums in California
Hollywood Boulevard