Madame Tussauds Hollywood is a wax museum and tourist attraction located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
Location history
A full narrative history section
Madame Tussauds Hollywood is a wax museum and tourist attraction located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It is the ninth location for the Tussauds franchise, which was set up by sculptor Marie Tussaud, and is located just west of the TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly Grauman's). Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments.
The three-story museum was under construction for eight years before finally opening. It features 125 wax figures of famous celebrities - the first ones made for the location were of singer Beyonc and actor Jamie Foxx, at a cost of approximately $350,000 (USD) each. Each wax figure has its own placard placed on a wall in close physical proximity to it, containing information about the portrayed figure. A few matching props have been placed near select figures for visitors to use while taking photos.
The biggest figure in the museum is King Kong. The figure sits inside the attraction.
Marilyn Monroe and Johnny Depp are among some of the figures used in the lobby to entice guests to enter the museum.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is said to be haunted by moving figures, a sign that turns on and off by itself, and unexplained music after closing time. Museum staff says the eyes move on the wax figure of Bette Davis, too. There's been speculation that the museum is haunted by Victor Killian, an actor who was beaten to death in the vicinity.
In 1979, Kilian appeared in an episode of All in the Family, "The Return of Stephanie's Father", portraying a desk clerk in a seedy hotel. In the same episode fellow veteran Hollywood character actor Charles Wagenheim (1896-1979) appeared as a "bum" in the hotel's lobby. Just weeks before the episode aired, on March 6, 1979 (Kilian's birthday), the 83 year-old Wagenheim was bludgeoned to death in his Hollywood apartment after he was surprised coming home from grocery shopping during an act of robbery. Five days later, on March 11, 1979, Kilian, who lived alone in Hollywood just blocks from Wagenheim, was also beaten to death by burglars in his apartment.
On March 20, 1979, All in the Family posthumously aired the episode "The Return of Stephanie's Father", with Wagenheim's and Kilian's last screen performances. Victor Kilian's cremated remains were scattered in the rose garden at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
All in the Family - The Return of Stephanie's Father
