History

The Hollywood Entertainment Museum history is a saga of resourceful individuals who persisted in creating what is today a lively, innovative, interactive venue that acts as a portal to the world's most dynamic industry, showcasing many of its rarified treasures and behind-the-scenes magic.

The journey began in 1984, when David Roberti, then president pro tempore of the California State Senate, reignited the concept of an entertainment museum in Hollywood. Initial planning funds were secured through the California Department of Commerce and Phyllis Caskey, administrative assistant in Senator Roberti's office, led the project feasibility and site selection committees. Incorporated as a non-profit public benefit corporation in 1986, the concept officially became known as "Hollywood Entertainment Museum" in 1989.

In 1994, Hollywood Entertainment Museum became a signature project for the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles. In 1992, Proctor & Gamble donated the Max Factor Collection, including the famous "Beauty Calibrator," and made a significant cash contribution. The same year, actress Edie Adams donated the Ernie Kovacs Collection and before there was a physical space the Museum unveiled its first exhibition entitled "Hollywood Windows," displayed in windows along Hollywood Boulevard. That was followed in 1994 by arrival of the Hollywood Miniatures - a series of six sets designed in the 1940s - which were added to its archives.

Hollywood Entertainment Museum officially opened its doors on October 5, 1996, with support from the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, on Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood - the first significant evidence of the area's emerging renaissance.

Since then the Museum has evolved into a multifaceted experience, successfully presenting a panorama of exhibits and programming to celebrate significant achievements in the entertainment arts and the history of Hollywood. It has also become the home to a model Education Center for at-risk youth that includes opportunities for work in the entertainment industry.

Its behind-the-cameras tour is highlighted by visits to the actual sets from three of TV's most popular series - "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Cheers" and "The X-Files." Its universe of Hollywood memorabilia features an in-depth historical time line of Hollywood from 1887; a multi-screen presentation of classic, iconic movie and television moments; an innovative gallery exploring technological "firsts" in the entertainment industry; a science-fiction gallery.

In 1997, the Museum opened its pioneering Education Center for the Entertainment Arts, a model collaboration with the Los Angeles County Office of Education's Division of Juvenile Court Community Schools and the Los Angeles County Probation Department. It offers a full curriculum to youth offenders on probation and other at-risk teenagers, enabling them to earn a high school diploma or equivalency. The Center was extended in 2002 to at-risk community students who are not on probation, the same year the Museum introduced a curriculum guide and resource center to help teachers integrate the entertainment arts into their core subject areas.

To complete the cycle, the Museum has established internships and employment opportunities with industry partners including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Color Deluxe Labs, Eastman Kodak, FotoKem and Crest National. These programs are made possible by the generous support of Governor Gray Davis and former Governor Pete Wilson, in addition to state grants through the Workforce Investment Act and private funding from AT&T, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Workplace Hollywood, Weingart Foundation and the Foreign Press Association.