Guinness World Records Museum in Hollywood

In what was once the The Hollywood Theatre, the second movie theatre ever built in Hollywood, is the Guinness World Records Museum.  Not only is it a museum of exhibits of the records that have been broken, it is a place where ticket holders can attempt to set their own world records.  Some of the records that have been broken here are Largest California Roll, the Longest Chair Balance on the Edge of a Building, and the Longest Bicycle Wheelie Journey.

Thanks in part to its location in the historic old theatre, it is one of the glitziest locations on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  The Hollywood Theatre opened as a silent movie palace on December 20, 1913.  It filled its 750 seats with patrons paying 10 cents to see a film. By the late 1980s, the historic theater stood in tattered condition across the street from the Hollywood Wax Museum. Unwilling to see the demise of the historic movie theater ever built in Hollywood, Hollywood Wax Museum partner Raubi Sundher modeled it to create the Guinness World Records Museum and retained the original marquee. The building is now a National Register Landmark.

History

Most of us are better acquainted with Guinness as the Guinness Book of World Records, a reference book that was published annually listing world records for human achievements and extremes in the natural world. Founded in 1954 as the brainchild of Sir Hugh Beaver, the book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted book of all time. As of the 2017 edition, it is now in its 62nd year of publication, published in 100 countries and 23 languages.

In 1976, the first Guinness Book of World Records museum opened in the Empire State Building. Exhibits included life-size statues of the world’s tallest man and world’s largest earth worm, an X-ray photo of a sword swallower and much more.  It was closed in 1995.

In more recent years, the Guinness company has permitted the franchising of small museums with displays based on the book and there are Guinness World Record Museums in several cities around the world including the one in Hollywood.  I can’t find out when or how this occurred, but currently franchises for the museums are being licensed by Ripley Entertainment, Inc., the same company that runs the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museums.

Today the the museum vividly showcases records dealing with all aspects of life and the world we live in. The Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum is located directly across Hollywood Boulevard from the world-famous Hollywood Wax Museum. If you are traveling to Hollywood, you can find it on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 6764 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028.  For more info visit the Hollywood Guinness Museum website.