Hollywood Bowl Museum

Don't come to the Bowl without stopping by the terrific and free Hollywood Bowl Museum! It's open every night before concerts - and daytime all year round.

New at the Bowl Museum: Rock +Roll at the Bowl

Carlos Santana, 1993. Photo: Donald Dietz

Jimi Hendrix

From Frankie Avalon to the Flaming Lips, the Hollywood Bowl has been home to the greatest rock shows of all time. The Beatles caused a sensation in 1964, followed soon by the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Sonny & Cher, the Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the rest of the world of classic rock. Elton John, Sting, and Rod Stewart have played the Bowl many times over the years, and more recent blockbuster artists include Coldplay, Radiohead, Bjˆrk, Nine Inch Nails, and many more.

Mick Jagger at the Hollywood Bowl, 2005. Photo: Corbis

The Hollywood Bowl Museum celebrates this fabulous history with an all-new exhibit featuring never-before-seen photos, posters, videos, and rock memorabilia. Some of the more intriguing items include candid backstage photos of Jimi Hendrix hanging out with Michelle Phillips and Mama Cass of the Mamas & the Papas, photos of the Grateful Dead's tower of amps completely covering the Hollywood Bowl stage, dozens of backstage passes, and great rock posters.

Continuing at the Bowl Museum: Letters to the Bowl

Inspired by letters received from Hollywood Bowl concert-goers, Letters to the Bowl tells the big story of the Bowl through small stories from the past.

One patron's letter describes riding the "red car" train to the Bowl all the way from Long Beach. Along with the letter are a model "red car" on loan from the Los Angeles Railroad Heritage Foundation and a photograph of the "red car" passing in front of the entrance to the Hollywood Bowl.

Frank Sinatra sings at the Bowl

Another letter-writer remembers the thrill of her teenage years: seeing a very young Frank Sinatra make his Bowl debut in 1943. On display with the letter are the actual microphone used by Frank Sinatra at the Bowl, the program from the concert, a picture of Sinatra onstage, and a recording of the event, where Frank thanks "the men [sic] in the orchestra for being so wonderful. I've done a few of these - about five or six - and I might say you have probably what I think in my little opinion the finest orchestra in the United States today, the Los Angeles Philharmonic [applause]. I nearly slipped and said 'the boys in the band'Ö"

Other letters talk about great moments in rock and roll, blind dates, and, believe it or not, a ski jumping contest at the Bowl! Along with great photos, new DVD documentaries trace the history of the Bowl along with digital projections of vintage movies and state-of-the-art audio stations that track the musical history of the Bowl.

Museum Resource Center

Second Floor Gallery:
The Museum Resource Center, the Hollywood Bowl Museum's own intranet site, covers the history and breadth of the Bowl through hundreds of photographs, audio and video samples, as well as past museum exhibits. There are three computer workstations open at all times during the museum's public hours. In addition, the museum's collections are available for study by appointment.