story and photos by Kayte Deioma

Update: The Hollywood Entertainment Museum has permanently closed at its Hollywood location. They plan to eventually re-open at a new location downtown. Visit www.hollywoodmuseum.com for the latest news.

While the Hollywood Museum has a heavy movie and memorabilia focus, the Hollywood Entertainment Museum features sets from some of America’s most popular TV shows and information about what goes into the production of television shows and movies. The admission price to the Hollywood Entertainment Museum includes a guided tour, which is the only way you get to see all the “back-lot” areas.

Your docent-led tour starts out in the prop room with various monster heads looming on shelves above you and glass cases featuring props from various movies. Helmets, facemask and breast plates from “The Shadow” are next to dental headgear from “Problem Child III,” with a mask mold from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” opposite . Unfortunately, you get rushed through this area without any time to stop and examine the various prop displays.

The next stop is the wardrobe hallway next to the costume design studio, where at-risk high school students are taught costume design as part of the Museum’s accredited high school program for 11 th and 12 th graders. Whoopi Goldberg’s fuscia and black suit from the movie “Ghost” adorns a manikin in the hallway. Around the corner, you get a peek into the Art Director’s office where story boards and set models are in various stages of production.

You step into the “transporter” from “Star Trek” and with a quick “Beam me up Scotty” are transported to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. You can take a seat in the captain’s chair for a quick photo op. There is a Borg recharging alcove, complete with Borg. The intricacies of becoming an alien life form are explained over the latex masks of various creatures before you walk though the corridor of the Enterprise.

You land next in Mulder and Scully’s office from the “X-Files”. The chairs still don’t match. The bulletin board is still full; and the “I Want to Believe” poster still adorns the wall. A collection of yellow No. 2 pencils poke into the ceiling panel.

Finally you step through a doorway onto the set of “Cheers.” Everything is just as you remember it, except for the interactive interpretive kiosks on one wall that tell you about the different characters. The carved Indian stands guard by the door. The Wurlitzer juke box is there. The manager’s office is right where it should be. There are nicks in the bar where Norm scratched at it over the years.

After the guided backstage tour, you’re free to explore the common areas on your own. A nice collection of special effects aliens and monsters lines the left wall in the Science Fiction Collection. On the right an audio exhibit called The Dream Merchants lets you listed to the voices of various actors and directors talking about their craft. On my visit, only a few of the audio kiosks were in working condition.

Behind the audio exhibit, a corner is set aside for the history of movie and TV technology including a short documentary film that kept me riveted for its 10 minute duration. An alcove displays the progression of radio technology. Several interactive kiosks are set up to run video on cartoons, sit-coms and dramas but they were only half operational and I didn’t quite grasp whatever information was being offered.

Summer hours at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum are daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Winter hours from Labor Day to Memorial Day are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Wednesdays in winter. Adults $12; Seniors $10; Students with I.D. $5; Children 5 and under are free.

The Hollywood Entertainment Museum is located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Avenue and Sycamore Avenue in the lower level of the Galaxy Building. There is underground parking off of Sycamore. It is $2 for 2 hours with validation from the Museum. Parking on the next block at Hollywood & Highland is $2 for 4 hours with validation from participating businesses. On the Metro Red Line, exit at the Hollywood & Highland station, exit toward Hollywood Blvd. and turn right to the middle of the next block. You can get a $2 discount on Museum entrance if you show your Metro pass or Metro ticket.

Visit www.hollywoodmuseum.com or call 323-465-7900 for more information.