Hollywood Wax Museum

Wax museum in Hollywood, California

34°06′06″N 118°20′17″W / 34.101627°N 118.338133°W / 34.101627; -118.338133TypeWax museumWebsitewww.hollywoodwaxmuseum.com

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, United States, with other locations in Myrtle Beach, Branson, and Pigeon Forge. 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,^[1] 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.^[1] 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),^[2] Wes Craven's Cursed (2005),^[3] and America's Next Top Model (2007).^[4] 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? on the night of November 7, 1965. This also marked the last show featuring long-time panelist Dorothy Kilgallen.

Location

The Hollywood Wax Museum building once housed the most exclusive hangout in Los Angeles:^[5] 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 in 1996,^[6] 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 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 in 2014 at Broadway at the Beach. In 1979, Singh expanded his business operations after opening the Thousand Oaks Self Storage (now known as the Hollywood Storage Center).^[7]

Hollywood Wax Museum in Branson, Missouri
Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Hollywood Wax Museum in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

References

^ ^a ^b Douglas Martin (October 25, 2006). "Spoony Singh, 83, Dies; Created Hollywood Wax Museum". New York Times. p. A17.
^ "IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
^ "Cursed (2005)". Movie Locations and More. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
^ "America's Next Top Model". Game Show Kingdom. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
^ Bailey, Mark (September 30, 2014). Of All the Gin Joints. ISBN 9781616203986. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
^ "Spoony Singh". malibutimes.com. October 25, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
^ "Hollywood Storage Center". insideselfstorage.com. October 1, 2002. Retrieved May 29, 2015.