39th Annual Hollywood Forever Cemetery Walking Tour

Showings

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sun, Oct 10, 2021
Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sun, Oct 2, 2022 10:30 AM

Description

Hollywood Goes Underground

Sunday, October 2, 2022, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.


The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles “digs up the dirt” on Hollywood’s history---and several of its scandals---through a walking tour of the 123-year-old Hollywood Forever Cemetery at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard. Visit the gravesites of early Hollywood stars, movie moguls, and pioneers, hearing their fascinating tales from historians and living history interludes. Guided walking tours will depart (rain or shine) from the parking lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum (follow the main road, Dr. Stanley & Regina Aizin Drive, through the front gate around to the southeast corner of the cemetery) every 20 minutes, from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Tours are approximately 2 1/2- to 3-hours.Comfortable walking shoes (tour goers will be walking on uneven, grassy terrain), water, and sunscreen are recommended. Parking and check-in are at the parking lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum. Click the "Buy Tickets" tab to view all available tour times


Ticket Pricing: 

$16 for ADSLA members 

$20 for General Admission 


Featured on the tour are those who mapped Hollywood---including Col. Griffith J. Griffith and Hollywood founder Harvey Wilcox---and those who put Hollywood on the map: silent film swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks, heartthrob Rudolph Valentino, actress and William Randolph Hearst mistress Marion Davies, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, screen siren Barbara La Marr, slain director William Desmond Taylor, and over twenty other legendary Los Angelenos.

Health and Safety Information: In accordance with the current Covid-19 safety mandates, the entire tour will be outdoors; tour groups will be limited to twenty-five persons each. Masks are optional.

***Tourgoers are asked to please take care not to get in the way of any funeral services that may be in progress; allow mourners their space, speak quietly, and refrain from photographing mourners. Kindly avoid touching or standing on headstones or monuments, as doing so might cause damage.  Restrooms are located in the parking lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum.


Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is the maximum number of people in a tour group?

In accordance with the current Covid-19 safety mandates, groups have been reduced from thirty to twenty-five people to allow those from different households to distance.  

What should I wear?

Since temperatures vary in October and tourgoers will be walking on uneven grassy terrain, cobblestones, stairs, and a stone path, please wear comfortable clothing and appropriate walking shoes.  Hats, sun parasols, sunglasses, and sunscreen are highly recommended.

Am I able to wear a costume on the tour?

Many Art Deco enthusiasts enjoy dressing in vintage attire and this is perfectly acceptable. The cemetery has asked that people refrain from wearing costumes, however.  

Is the tour entirely outdoors? 

Given the current health sitiation, the entire tour is outdoors. Tourgoers will nonetheless have the opportunity to enter the cemetery's majestic Cathedral Mausoleum in small, guided groups at the end of the tour if they choose.

Where do I park?

Parking is available in the lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum; follow the main road, Dr. Stanley & Regina Aizin Drive, through the front gate around to the southeast corner of the cemetery (an ADSLA attendant will be on hand to direct you).  In the unlikely event that the lot is full, an attendant will direct you to a nearby spot. Please do not park in any other areas. 

Where is the restroom located?

The restroom is near the check-in table in the parking lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum in the cemetery's southeast corner. 

Will the tour be cancelled if it rains? 

No.  The show goes on!

Is water available for sale on the tour?

Yes.  Bottled water may be purchased at the check-in table (located in the parking lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum in the cemetery's southeast corner).

May I record the tour? 

While photographs are permitted, video recording and audio recording the tour are prohibited.

Is the tour the same each year?

While many of the key stops remain the same, the overall lineup tends to differ each year. 

Cemetery Etiquette

Is there anything I should be aware of while visiting the cemetery?

Tourgoers are asked to please take care not to get in the way of any funeral services that may be in progress; allow mourners their
space, speak quietly, and refrain from photographing mourners.  Kindly avoid touching or standing on headstones or monuments, as doing so might cause damage.  Please park only in areas designated by the ADSLA parking attendant (the lot behind the Cathedral Mausoleum in the southeast corner of the cemetery or another designated area).

Health and Safety

* Please be advised that all information below pertaining to Covid-19 is subject to change based on the latest mandates from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

What type of terrain will tourgoers be walking on?

Tourgoers will encounter grassy, sometimes irregular terrain; cobblestones; stairs; and an uneven brick path.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes and watch your step.    

What happens if someone has a health emergency during the tour? 

911 should be called immediately.


Ticket Information

Do I need to purchase my ticket(s) ahead of time?

Since the tour typically sells out, purchasing tickets as soon as possible is highly recommended. While remaining tickets are sometimes available at the check-in table the day of the tour, the availability of such tickets cannot be guaranteed. 

How do I collect my ticket? 

This event is paperless, the name of the ticket purchaser will be on our will call list. You will need to provide the name of purchaser at the check-in table on the day of the event.

I'm no longer able to take the tour. Do you offer refunds on tickets?

Refunds will be offered up until 3 days prior to the event. Requests for a refund submitted after September 28 will not be able to be approved.

May I reserve an entire tour time slot for my private group?

Due to the decreased number of tickets available this year, all tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis with no “holds” for special groups.  

I purchased my ticket but the tour time slot I signed up for sold out before my companion purchased their ticket.  Is it possible for me to switch to a different tour time slot, or can my companion be added to my sold-out time slot?

Due to the decreased number of tickets available this year, we will not be able to accommodate time slot changes. To ensure your group is on the same tour, it is recommended that all tickets are purchased by a single individual.