Museum of Death

Museum of Death is an exhibition on mortality and crime along Hollywood Boulevard that displays collections of autopsy videos, crime scene photographs, and execution tools. The space extends through several connected halls where visitors view documented evidence from real criminal cases and forensic materials.

J.D. Healy and Catherine Shultz established the institution in San Diego in 1995 and moved to Hollywood in 1999 after their landlord ended the lease. Since then the museum expanded its collection through acquisitions from judicial auctions and private donations.

The institution gathers personal belongings from convicted criminals, including handwritten letters and drawings that offer insight into their minds. Visitors also encounter recreated rooms from well-known criminal cases that continue to shape American awareness of violence and justice.

The institution opens daily from 11 AM to 8 PM and charges an entrance fee of 20 dollars. Due to the disturbing content the exhibition is not recommended for children or individuals with emotional sensitivity to graphic violence.

The institution preserves a faithful replica of the site where 39 members of the Heaven's Gate group committed suicide in 1997, complete with bunk beds and clothing. This installation shows details of communal living before the event and remains one of the most controversial displays inside.