Movieland Wax Museum facts for kids

The Movieland Wax Museum was a famous place in Buena Park, California, where you could see over 300 lifelike wax figures. It was one of the biggest wax museums in the United States for many years. The museum was located near Knott's Berry Farm on Beach Boulevard. It was a popular spot for families and movie fans to visit.

The Museum's Beginning and Growth

A postcard showing the Movieland Wax Museum.

A man named Allen H. Parkinson started the Movieland Wax Museum on May 4, 1962. He got the idea after visiting the famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London. The opening day was a big event, with silent film star Mary Pickford helping to dedicate the museum. Building it cost about $1,500,000.

In 1970, Parkinson sold the museum to the Six Flags Corporation. A talented Spanish sculptor named Antonio Ballester Vilaseca [es] created many of the early wax figures. He made figures of stars like Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, and Charlton Heston. He also created famous scenes like Don Quixote.

Six Flags tried to open a similar museum in Florida in 1975, but it closed in 1984. Later, in 1985, Six Flags sold the California Movieland Wax Museum to new owners, Fong & Paul Associates. They also owned the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Stars and Movie Magic

During its most popular years, many actors and actresses visited the museum to see their own wax figures. Some even gave their actual movie costumes to be worn by the wax likenesses. The museum had sets that looked just like famous movie scenes. It also played movie music and sound effects to make the experience feel real.

Each wax figure display had a movie clapperboard. This board shared interesting facts about the movie, the props used, the costumes, and the person the wax figure was based on. It was a fun way to learn about movies.

The museum was even featured on the PBS children's TV show Reading Rainbow in 1990. The host, LeVar Burton, visited the museum and saw his own wax figure there!

The Museum's Closing

Sadly, the museum's founder, Allen Parkinson, passed away in 2002 at 83 years old. A few years later, on October 31, 2005, the Movieland Wax Museum closed its doors for good. It had been open for 43 years and welcomed over 10 million visitors. The main reason for closing was that fewer people were visiting, and the museum was not making enough money.

Many of the wax figures and movie sets were sold off at an auction in March 2006. The City of Buena Park bought the museum property in 2007. There were plans to turn it into a Butterfly Palladium, a place for butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. It would also have an aquarium and a 3D movie theater.

In October 2016, the main Movieland Wax Museum building was torn down. This made way for new shops. The tall tower sign, which was the tallest in Orange County, was removed in 2018. The old gift shop in front of the museum is now a Starbucks Coffee.

Famous Figures You Could See

The Movieland Wax Museum had figures of many famous people from movies, TV, and music. Here are just some of the stars and characters that were displayed:

The Starprint Gallery

Outside the Movieland Wax Museum, there was a special area called The Starprint Gallery. Here, you could see handprints and footprints of many celebrities pressed into cement. It was similar to the famous handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater in nearby Hollywood. These prints were made starting in the early 1980s.

The celebrity prints stayed there even after the museum closed. However, they were removed when the museum building was torn down in 2016.

Some of the celebrities who left their prints included: