Hollywood Entertainment Museum nears grand opening.

HOLLYWOOD - After years of delays and controversy, the Hollywood Entertainment Museum is scheduled to officially open this coming Saturday, Oct. 5.

Backers of the museum hope the facility will provide a big boost for Hollywood, which has enjoyed record tourist traffic this summer but continues to be widely viewed as a seedy area in need of rejuvenation.

The museum, located at 7021 Hollywood Blvd., is being financed with about $5.5 million in public and private funds, and has been in the works for nearly a decade.

But before this particular project surfaced, the idea of a museum dedicated to the entertainment industry had been discussed, debated, negotiated and fought over since the mid-1950s.

"At long last," said Leron Gubler, executive director of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. "We're of course very excited about this. It's a critical piece of the puzzle in returning Hollywood to its pre-eminent place in entertainment history."

The 33,000-square-foot museum includes memorabilia and high-tech audio and visual exhibits about the movie, television and music industries. Costumes, original scripts, photographs, sets and props from movies and television shows will be on exhibit. A miniature-scale model of Hollywood has been built under transparent flooring.

One section of the museum features an interactive video display, and another area houses a library and educational section for students.

The museum occupies most of the space at the Galaxy center, a former retail complex located one block east of La Brea Avenue near Mann's Chinese Theater - right in the heart of Hollywood's tourist district.

But not only tourists are expected to visit the facility. Local residents and entertainment industry officials and students are also expected to visit and use the facility, said a spokeswoman for the museum, a nonprofit organization that will operate the museum.

The organization, which is headed by President and Chief Executive Officer Phyllis Caskey, also annually presents a Legacy Award to individuals or groups that promote Hollywood.

At the Oct. 5 official opening of the museum, the organization will present this year's Legacy Award to the Clooney family, which includes singer Rosemary and actor George.

The museum's Oct. 5 opening ceremony includes a $500-a-plate dinner. The following day, Sunday, Oct. 6, will include a street party in front of the museum.

The museum has been open to the public on a limited basis since Sept. 12 so staff can test the equipment and judge traffic flow. After Oct. 5, the museum will be open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $7.50 for adults and $3 for children.

Revenue from the museum will go to defray operating costs and repay $2.5 million in loans from the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. The balance of the costs of opening the museum came from private donations, including many entertainment industry companies and individuals, said Gubler.

Before the Galaxy site was selected, several other sites in Hollywood were considered for the museum. The most prominent site was the Pacific Theatre building, which was knocked out of contention because of damage it sustained in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

The latest effort to develop the museum has not been without controversy. Some community activists criticized the City of L.A.'s decision to subsidize the project. Initially, Caskey asked the CRA for $3.5 million.

Before the latest effort, various groups or individuals had tried to build an entertainment museum. Probably the most notorious incident related to an entertainment museum was in the 1970s.

A group led by former California State Sen. David Roberti tried to build a museum near the Hollywood Bowl. To clear land for the museum, buildings had to be demolished, including the residence of a man who refused to move. When the man was away, the building was demolished, causing an uproar of protest in the community.