Dearly Departed: The Tragic History Tour of Los Angeles

As “Hooray for Hollywood” kicks in on your van ride, it’s clear that Dearly Departed is possibly the most well-produced and upbeat tour of misery and tragedy. Where else can you hear the gruesome details of infamous homicides, see where celebrities ate their last meals and hear a list of all of the famous people that have died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center? With crime scene photos and 911 tapes, this is an oddly fun, meticulous and historical tour of Hollywood—the culture and the district itself—and the unique theme only helps to differentiate itself from other tours. It manages to treat Hollywood’s history of deaths— both the chilling and the inane—with the reverence and incredulity that they deserve. Honestly, who isn’t the least bit curious to visit the house where the Black Dahlia lived? Just don’t look at the crime scene photos.