Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Photo: Krista Kahl
Hollywood abounds with sightseeing tours that give you an insider’s view of the entertainment capital of the world. Red Line Tours takes you behind the scenes of many notable Hollywood landmarks. And Starline Tours lets you catch rare glimpses of your favorite box-office icons, as well as their Beverly Hills “home sweet homes.” Now a handful of Tinseltown tours get you even closer to your favorite stars. There’s just one catch: these tours zoom in on those not-so-living legends that have already passed on to the “big movie screen in the sky.”
You can now visit the sights where Hollywood’s best and brightest gasped their final words, as well as those places we might fondly refer to as their “forever homes.” It can seem strange to visit a celebrity-filled cemetery, but these tours will guarantee you’ll get close to the world’s biggest stars. Just don’t expect any autographs. Really.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
One of the most popular places to catch up with celebrities, both living and otherwise, in Los Angeles is on Santa Monica Boulevard. The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the final resting place for one of the biggest stars of all time — silent movie heartthrob Rudolph Valentino — as well as beloved “Golden Girl” star Estelle Getty and midnight movie scream queen Vampira. Daily walking tours of the cemetery take about two hours and start at $15 and can be scheduled at www.cemeterytour.com. And, during the summer, films are screened on the cemetery wall, with a DJ spinning tunes before and after the movie. Upcoming Cinespia features include “Annie Hall” and “Evil Dead 2.” A $10 donation allows guests to reserve plots… um… spots for lawn chairs and blankets. Don’t forget your drinks, picnic dinner and popcorn to make this unique graveside cinematic experience complete.
The Hotel Roosevelt, said to be haunted by Marilyn Monroe, among others.
The Haunted Hollywood Tour
What trip to Hollywood is complete without a little action? The spooky StarLine Tours Haunted Hollywood Tour gives its guests a peek at the more paranormal aspects of America’s entertainment capital and its happening after-life. Visit supposedly haunted haunts like The Hotel Roosevelt as well as the exact location where Marilyn Monroe left her mortal coil. This is the only tour that goes out at night (from 7-9 p.m.) to some of the most notorious sites in history, including the O.J. Simpson crime scene and the Tate Mansion, site of the gruesome Manson family murders. It’s all very “CSI Hollywood” style.
Dearly Departed Hollywood Tragical History Tour
As much as we are obsessed with how movies stars live, we seem to be just as obsessed with how they die. Dearly Departed Hollywood’s Tragical History Tour takes you to the spaces and places where the likes of River Phoenix, Bela Lugosi and Michael Jackson spent the last few remaining moments of their lives. Beyond last-breath stops, this tour also visits Hollywood’s more notable naughty hot spots (including the infamous restroom where George Michael got in a wee bit of trouble), making this an adult-only tour not recommended for young children. With approximately 100 locations on the tour, this daily trip takes about 2.5 hours. For complete tour and ticket information click here.
