Founded outside Los Angeles in 1906, Hollywood stretches for 25 miles and has less than 200,000 residents, but it it is the film capital of the world. Yet beneath its glamour lies a quirky and darker undercurrent. The normal tours will take you to the typical sights like the Farmers Market and the Walk of Stars, however these tours will go deeper to reveal Hollywood's intriguing, spooky and hip sides.
Hollywood is a city with an edge, and the genre of "Film Noir" or black film reflects its seedy side best. The gritty stories had themes of murder and deceit, and one of the style's best known writers was James M. Cain. This tour takes you into Cain's world to tour Hollywood's skid row, where he gained inspiration to write some of his classics, including "Double Indemnity" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." You will visit Forest Lawn Memorial Park and the Glendale Train Station, both prominent features in his films. Cain's filmmaker contemporaries, Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, play supporting roles in the tour with stops at some of their favorite hangouts, such as a shop that serves cigarette flavored ice cream and whiskey gum. The tour offers no refunds or rain dates.
Esotouric
1001 N Alameda
Los Angeles, CA 90013
323-223-2767
esotouric.com
If you want to explore the creepy side of Tinsel Town, then you will enjoy the Haunted Hollywood Tour. The two hour tour, which you can opt to take in a classic limousine, takes you to the sites where famous celebrities died, including Marilyn Monroe's hotel room, the Sharon Tate murder scene and one of the most haunted spots in Hollywood, the Roosevelt Hotel. The story of the Black Dahlia will give you a still unsolved Hollywood mystery to ponder. The last tour stop is the final resting place for many stars, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, where you can walk among the departed such as Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne and Jim Belushi, among many others. The tour picks up and returns you in front of Mann's Chinese Theater.
Haunted Hollywood Tour
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA.
818-415-8269
hauntedhollywoodtours.com
Put on your running shoes and act like a star as you jog or just stroll a four mile jaunt through Beverly Hills from Wilshire Boulevard to Rodeo Drive. Playful and fake paparazzi will snap your photo as you window gaze at haute couture stores. Stop in for a bite at an actual celebrity hot spot, The Ivy, with its sandwiches named after movie stars. The tour ends with each "star" receiving a t-shirt and a custom-made cupcake from Crumb's Bake Shop, one Hollywood's best known bakeries.
Off 'N Running Tours
Beverly Gardens
N. Santa Monica Blvd. and N. Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-246-1418
offnrunningtours.com
