Hollywood Heritage Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1985 |
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| Location | 2100 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood, California |
| Type | Heritage centre |
The Hollywood Heritage Museum, also called the "Hollywood Studio Museum," is in Hollywood, California, USA. It's located on Highland Avenue.
The museum is across from the famous Hollywood Bowl. It's inside a special old building called the Lasky-DeMille Barn. This barn was bought in 1983 by a group called Hollywood Heritage, Inc. They moved it to its current spot and opened the museum on December 13, 1985.
Since 1985, Hollywood Heritage has worked to save and restore important items from early Hollywood. The museum shows old photos from the silent movie era. You can also see real movie props, old documents, and other cool movie stuff.
The museum also has historic photos and postcards of Hollywood's streets and buildings from its "golden age." They often have special events called 'Evenings at the Barn'. These events include speakers, movie showings, or slideshows about Hollywood's early days. Sometimes, they even show old silent films!
Contents
History of the Museum Building
The building that holds the Hollywood Heritage Museum is known as the Lasky-DeMille Barn. It was built way back in 1901. At first, it was a stable for horses.
In 1910, Hollywood joined the city of Los Angeles. Soon after, in 1911, the first movie studio opened in Hollywood. The barn became the second movie studio in May 1912. It was rented by Louis Loss Burns and Harry Revier. They even had a lab there to develop film!
How the Barn Became a Movie Studio
In December 1913, a famous director named Cecil B. DeMille came to California. He was part of a new company called the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company. This company included Mr. Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn, who later became very famous in Hollywood.
DeMille and his partners rented the barn and studio for $250 a month. On December 22, 1913, they signed the lease. This is where they made The Squaw Man. This was the first full-length movie ever made in the Hollywood area!
The Barn's Journey to Paramount
In 1916, the Lasky Company joined with another company to become Famous Players - Lasky Corporation. Later, this company grew into what we know today as Paramount Pictures.
By 1926, the movie company had grown too big for the barn's original location. They moved to a much larger studio on Melrose Avenue. This is where Paramount Studio is still located today. The founders loved the barn so much that they moved it with them!
The barn was used for many things at the new studio. It was a film set, a research library, and even a gym. You can even spot the barn in some old movies like "The Rainmaker" and TV shows like "Bonanza."
A Historic Landmark
On December 27, 1956, the Lasky-DeMille Barn was officially recognized. It was called "Hollywood's First Major Film Company Studio." It also became California State Historic Landmark No. 554. This means it's a very important place in California's history. It represents the start of the Hollywood movie industry.
In 1979, Paramount Pictures gave the barn to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. It was moved a few times before finding its permanent home.
In February 1982, the barn was moved to its current spot on Highland Avenue. For the next three years, volunteers worked hard to restore the building. They used donated materials and services to bring it back to life.
In 2013, the barn was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This happened 100 years after Lasky and DeMille first arrived!
The Hollywood Heritage Museum is run by Hollywood Heritage, Inc. This is a non-profit group started in 1980.
California Historical Landmark Marker
The sign for California Historical Landmark NO. 554 at the museum says:
- NO. 554 CECIL B. DeMILLE STUDIO BARN - Cecil B. DeMille rented half of this building, which was then a barn. This is where the first full-length movie in Hollywood, "The Squaw Man," was made in 1913. Samuel Goldwyn and Jesse Lasky, Sr. worked with Mr. DeMille on "The Squaw Man." The barn was first at Selma and Vine Streets. In 1927, it was moved to Paramount Studios.
See also
- Cinecon
