“I like to help others and count it as my greatest pleasure in life to see a person free himself of the shadows which darken his days.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Millions from across the country and around the world visit Hollywood each year, and among the district’s unique attractions is the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition which celebrated its 33rd anniversary this month. The museum presents the panorama of Mr. Hubbard’s extraordinary life. With expertise in so many varied disciplines, he has been described as a man who lived 20 lifetimes in the span of one. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most published works by one author, and his groundbreaking discoveries on the mind, spirit and life form the Scripture of Scientology—the world’s youngest major religion.

In honor of this anniversary, Exhibition Manager Chelsea Garcia was featured in The Author’s Quill podcast with United Public Radio’s Joe Montaldo.

 

It is only fitting that the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition is located just a block from the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine, as Mr. Hubbard was a leading light of American pulp fiction, a screenwriter in the Golden Age of Hollywood, and a creative visionary.

The museum at 6331 Hollywood Blvd. was dedicated April 21, 1991. Spotlights and fireworks lit the night sky over the Hollywood Walk of Fame as California State Senator David Roberti helped cut the ribbon, describing the exhibition as “a fitting tribute to Mr. Hubbard who has given not only to our state, not only to our country, but to the world itself the gift of better understanding.”

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored the exhibition’s anniversary and its participation in the life of the community, stating, “In keeping with our mission to promote and enhance the business, cultural and civic well-being of Hollywood, we would like to express our appreciation for everything you do to contribute to the safety, beauty and esprit of our unique community.”

 

This is in no small part due to the Exhibition’s support and contribution to Scientology-supported humanitarian initiatives, including the Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s drug education and prevention campaigns; United for Human Rights, which raises awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, on call throughout the year to provide help and support in times of disaster great or small. 

Exhibition staff also help organize and produce Hollywood’s annual Faith & Blue activities — a collaboration of the Los Angeles Police Department, local churches, and scores of community partners to promote a safer, stronger, more just and more unified community. And they follow this with year-round distribution of The Way to Happiness, Mr. Hubbard’s common-sense moral code that can be used by people of all faiths and none.

Personal guided tours of the exhibition take visitors through dozens of displays covering Mr. Hubbard’s early accomplishments, his travels to faraway lands, his career as a writer, and his groundbreaking research that led to his publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health and his founding of the Scientology religion.

The exhibition occupies the ground floor and mezzanine of the Hollywood Guarantee Building, recognized as a historic landmark in 1979. With 12 stories, it was one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles when it opened in 1923. Charlie Chaplin invested in the building’s construction and owned an office on the 2nd floor. All historic elements of the exhibition spaces were meticulously restored, down to the intricate ceilings and their gold leaf designs.