Known for creating fictional tales of murder and mayhem, Hollywood is no stranger to morbidity. The star-studded and glamorous city has been plagued by its fair share of real-life violent gore and unexplainable loss. Some stories have made headlines, while others have been immortalized on the big and small screen. Whether it's an actor bidding farewell with a bottle of prescription pills, a cult-driven mass murder, or the murky details of a troubled singer with a knife through his chest, Hollywood's best stories and cliffhangers are found in the nooks, crannies and history of the city itself.
The long-running Starline Tours operates the Haunted Hollywood Tour, focusing its attention on the Hollywood and Beverly Hills area. Departing from the Grauman's Chinese Theater, and offering pick-up from selected hotels, the tour seeks to visit places that have a reputation for being haunted. Starline promises to tell the tales of murder, mayhem and suicide that caused each locale to gain its ghostly reputation.
It's no secret that Hollywood stretches the truth, so keep one eyebrow up as you embark on a self-guided "American Horror Story" tour. The popular 2011 television show was filmed in Los Angeles and was loosely based on real events, murders and murder victims, all related to a residence known on the show as "Murder House." Fans of the show can visit filming locations such as the Murder House, itself, as well as the high school that was the scene of the Westfield Massacre and real-life spots that inspired some of the folklore presented on the show. These include the location where the Black Dahlia's body was found, as well as the murder site of Sal Mineo, who appeared opposite James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause."
The morbid folks at Dearly Departed Tours have two dedicated death tours on their roster. Choose from the story of Hollywood's tragic history, inclusive of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the notorious Sunset Strip. On the multimedia Tragic History bus tour you'll stop at physical locations and hear stories old and new about tragic murders, suicides and other horrific happenings. You'll also be privy to crime scene photos and audio clips -- like the 911 call reporting River Phoenix's overdose outside the Viper Room. As expected, the Helter Skelter tour, just over three hours, covers the grisly Manson Murders. The tour goes a few steps further than just visiting the site of the Tate and LaBianca murders by reconstructing the lives of the victims and the killers in the hours just before the murders. The tour's goal is to help you grasp a deeper understanding of the infamous event. The outing includes a bonafide piece of rock from the Tate family fireplace.
An odd combination of murder and cuisine, Esotouric's Blood and Dumplings Tour leaves Hollywood behind in favor of fanning the flame on some of East Los Angeles's forgotten murders and bizarre crimes. Before downing your fair share of the San Gabriel Valley's best dumplings, learn about the woman whose lover fed her downers after a domestic dispute over petty cash, the Man from Mars Bandit and more. Some of the stories are so weird that you couldn't make them up if you tried. For example, consider the bride buried alive on her wedding day under her mother's house.
