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One thing every visitor to Hollywood needs to know is this city doesn’t exist and don’t even think about going to the Hollywood sign. Yes, there is a city called Hollywood in north central Los Angeles, and yes Grauman’s Chinese theater is there, but that’s it. The real Hollywood is scattered throughout the thirty mile radius of Los Angeles.

If your of the gothic or horror sort like I am, or you love Halloween, your going to want to visit Hollywood’s essential horror landmarks. It’s going to take some driving, but let me tell you what’s worth the drive.

1. Dapper Cadaver – okay, sure, I’m a little biased, but we’re the only horror prop shop in Hollywood that welcomes the public. We’ve done blood and gore for most of the crime shows and horror shows of the last six years, and where else are you going to find stacks of body parts, shelves of specimen jars, and mummies hanging on a rack? check out http://www.dappercadaver.com and http://www.bjwinslow.com fo more photos and info. Open m-f 10-6. Open saturdays during septemeber and october for Halloween.

2. The CIA – Nothing like the Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA in North Hollywood is part speak-easy, part underground venue, part freakshow museum. CIA actually stands for the California Institute of Abnormal Arts (I guess that last A is silent). See the Mummified Clown and the Feegee Mermaid! 11334 Burbank Blvd. Irregular Hours.

3. Necromance – A store that specializes in the beautiful side of the dead. Funeral memorabilia, jewelery made of dead animals, and vintage scientific charts. 7220 Melrose Ave

4. Hollywood Forever Cemetery – the most famous cemetery in LA with the most famous internees. A beautiful location. Oh, and the screen movies on the side of their mausoleum.
6000 Santa Monica Blvd

5. Wacko – Occult books, bizarre toys, horror action figures, tiki statues and an outsider art gallery all under one roof. Also known as La Luz de Jesus and the Soap Factory.
4633 Hollywood Blvd

6. Sunken City – You know how they say LA is going to fall into the ocean one day? Well part of it did. Located in San Pedo, the jagged ruins of this city block are part on a cliff, part in the sea. It looks like if one of the Tony Hawk skateboarding games had a Flintstones themed level. This is where they scattered Donny’s ashes in The Big Lebowski. Down hill from the Korean Bell at Angels Gate Park, Gaffey and 37th Street, San Pedro 90731

7.La Brea Tar Pits – this famous LA landmark and location is totally worth the price of admission, but the best part is the grounds around it. Statues of giant ice age mammals lurk in the park, and tar bubbles up everywhere, often rising up inside the statues and dripping in sticky black tears from their eyes. Also, the baby elephant tableau in the front main tar pit is the most tragically moving statue I have ever seen. It’s like the mastodon version of La Pieta . 5801 Wilshire Boulevard

8. The Magic Castle – a members only club for Magicians, by Magicians. I was part of the first freakshow ever allowed to perform there. What strange mysteries you will find if you make it inside!
7001 Franklin Ave

9. Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena – This is the most filmed cemetery in Los Angeles. You’re sure to recognize some of television more somber moments amongst the great monuments, including “Susan’s” funeral from Seinfield. TV’s first Superman, George Reeves, who died a tragic and mysterious death, is also buried there.
2400 Fair Oaks Ave

10. Reggie the Alligator – for three years this monster lurked in a Los Angeles lake, menacing locals, eating dogs and outfoxing a slew of potential captors. Eventually Reggie was caught and interned at the LA Zoo, where he escaped the very next day and was loose in Griffith Park for a week. This dangerous beast now has a specially designed maximum security habitat and his own guard. LA Zoo on Zoo Dr in Griffith Park