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| Walt Disney and the Carolwood Pacific Railroad Photo: Metrolink |
WALT'S BARN
In 1950, the Disneys moved to 355 N. Carolwood Dr. in the affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood. A lifelong train enthusiast, Walt built the Carolwood Pacific Railroad (CPRR), a rideable 1:8 miniature railroad that circumnavigated the estate. The live steam locomotive was built by the Walt Disney Studio machine shop and named the Lilly Belle after his wife. Walt himself built the caboose.Disney ran the CPRR for family and friends, and even welcomed visitors to ride and occasionally drive the train. A charter member of the Los Angeles Live Steamers, Walt donated 1,500 feet of CPRR track to the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Griffith Park. After Walt's death, Lillian donated the rest of the track to the museum.The CPRR control center was a red barn inspired by a similar barn at Disney's family farm in Missouri. In July 1999, the barn was relocated to the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum.
Operated today by the Carolwood Foundation, Walt’s Barn is a family-friendly museum that boasts a collection of Disney’s tools, train equipment, miniature train depots and more. Walt's Barn is generally open on the third Sunday of the month from 11am to 3pm. For updated info, visit the Walt's Barn Facebook page.
The Tam O'Shanter was designed in the Storybook style by Harry Oliver, an Oscar-nominated art director who also designed the Spadena House (aka "The Witch's House") in Beverly Hills. During the 1920s, the Tam was a hangout for Hollywood legends like Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson and many others.
With the Hyperion Studio only a couple of miles away, Walt Disney and his staff became regulars at the Tam - so much so, it became known as "the Disney Studio Commissary." Fans know that Table 31 (near the fireplace) was the favorite of the Disney crew, as commemorated by a plaque and a signature Table 31 cocktail with High West Double Rye. Disney himself was reportedly fond of the patio, which reopened in 2018 after a long hiatus.
In October 2022, Imagineer and Executive Creative Designer, Chris Turner presented an original painting to the Tam that celebrates the restaurant's centennial and its long relationship with Disney. The piece was inspired by the Tam's unique interior, including the staff’s signature tartan uniforms. A caricature of Lawrence Frank in full Scottish regalia - created by Imagineer John Hench and signed by Disney in 1958 - is displayed in the reception area.
Walt Disney Concert Hall became a Los Angeles icon the moment it opened its doors to the public in October 2003. Located on Grand Avenue in Downtown LA, the concert hall seats over 2,200 people and is home to the LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, with acoustics by Yasuhisa Toyota, Walt Disney Concert Hall has received worldwide critical acclaim and praise from concertgoers for its stunning architecture and extraordinary sound.
The rooftop Blue Ribbon Garden is filled with lush landscaping that blooms throughout the year. One of the garden’s highlights is A Rose for Lilly - the Frank Gehry-designed fountain is a tribute to the late Lillian Disney and her love for Royal Delft porcelain vases and roses. The fountain is a large rose that’s covered in thousands of broken pieces of Delft porcelain and tiles, creating a one-of-a-kind mosaic. The Blue Ribbon Garden hosts pre- and post-theater receptions and private events.
Mickey Mouse became the first animated cartoon character to receive a star (6925 Hollywood Blvd), which was dedicated on his 50th anniversary in November 1978. Mickey has since been joined by several more Disney characters, including a few at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop (6834 Hollywood Blvd) next to the El Capitan.
More than 350,000 people are buried at the 300-acre Forest Lawn (described by Smithsonian as "the Disneyland of Graveyards"), including more Hollywood stars than any other cemetery in the world. Fans making the pilgrimage should note that, in the interests of privacy, staff won't give directions to Walt Disney's grave - or anyone else's, for that matter.
TAM O'SHANTER
Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp opened Montgomery's Country Inn in June 1922 along a dirt road that's now Los Feliz Boulevard. In 1925, the eatery was renamed Tam O'Shanter after a Robert Burns poem. The brothers-in-law would later open Lawry's The Prime Rib on La Cienega in 1938.The Tam O'Shanter was designed in the Storybook style by Harry Oliver, an Oscar-nominated art director who also designed the Spadena House (aka "The Witch's House") in Beverly Hills. During the 1920s, the Tam was a hangout for Hollywood legends like Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson and many others.
With the Hyperion Studio only a couple of miles away, Walt Disney and his staff became regulars at the Tam - so much so, it became known as "the Disney Studio Commissary." Fans know that Table 31 (near the fireplace) was the favorite of the Disney crew, as commemorated by a plaque and a signature Table 31 cocktail with High West Double Rye. Disney himself was reportedly fond of the patio, which reopened in 2018 after a long hiatus.
In October 2022, Imagineer and Executive Creative Designer, Chris Turner presented an original painting to the Tam that celebrates the restaurant's centennial and its long relationship with Disney. The piece was inspired by the Tam's unique interior, including the staff’s signature tartan uniforms. A caricature of Lawrence Frank in full Scottish regalia - created by Imagineer John Hench and signed by Disney in 1958 - is displayed in the reception area.
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
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| Walt Disney Concert Hall at sunset | Photo: The Music Center |
The rooftop Blue Ribbon Garden is filled with lush landscaping that blooms throughout the year. One of the garden’s highlights is A Rose for Lilly - the Frank Gehry-designed fountain is a tribute to the late Lillian Disney and her love for Royal Delft porcelain vases and roses. The fountain is a large rose that’s covered in thousands of broken pieces of Delft porcelain and tiles, creating a one-of-a-kind mosaic. The Blue Ribbon Garden hosts pre- and post-theater receptions and private events.
WALK OF FAME
Walt Disney received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 1960: in the category of Motion Pictures (7021 Hollywood Blvd) and Television (6747 Hollywood Blvd). Walt's brother Roy received his star in the category of Motion Pictures (6833 Hollywood Blvd) in July 1998. |
| Walt Disney's star on the Walk of Fame Instagram: @ourroad_aroundtheglobe |
- Snow White (6920 Hollywood Blvd) - the first star for a female character was dedicated on the 50th anniversary of Snow White in June 1987.
- Donald Duck (6840 Hollywood Blvd) - to celebrate his 70th anniversary in August 2004.
- Minnie Mouse (Ghirardelli) - dedicated on her 90th anniversary in January 2018.
- Tinkerbell (Ghirardelli) - dedicated on the character's 105th anniversary in September 2010.
- Winnie the Pooh (Ghirardelli) - dedicated on his 80th anniversary in April 2006.
FOREST LAWN GLENDALE
Walt Disney died on Dec. 15, 1966. Pay your respects at the original, flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. Disney was cremated two days after his death and interred in a private garden adjacent to the entrance of the Freedom Mausoleum. The garden features a Little Mermaid statue and a plaque that notes that Walt's wife Lillian, their daughter Sharon Disney Brown Lund, and son-in-law Robert Brown are also interred there.More than 350,000 people are buried at the 300-acre Forest Lawn (described by Smithsonian as "the Disneyland of Graveyards"), including more Hollywood stars than any other cemetery in the world. Fans making the pilgrimage should note that, in the interests of privacy, staff won't give directions to Walt Disney's grave - or anyone else's, for that matter.
* Words by Daniel Djang
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