Throughout the month of June 2026, Los Angeles will celebrate the 100th birthday of Marilyn Monroe, the iconic Hollywood starlet who became one of the world's most enduring movie icons. Marilyn's story is a classic LA success: born in the city and overcoming a challenging childhood to find fame and fortune. Decades after her untimely death at 36, Marilyn's charm, wit, and star power still lights up screens and hearts around the globe. 

To honour her legacy, Los Angeles Tourism invites visitors to experience the city through Marilyn’s eyes, from her favourite restaurants to fascinating collections of Monroe memorabilia. 

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures new exhibit ‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’   

Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon is a new exhibition that will celebrate Marilyn Monroe as a visionary actor and image-maker. The exhibition will examine how she shaped her public image through hundreds of original objects, many of which are on display for the first time, including the famous pink dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). 

Opening on 31 May 2026, the exhibition will include posters, portraits, photographs, production documents, letters, and rarely seen personal materials, giving unique insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon. Starting June 1, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will present a 17-film series in her honour, including favourites such as Some Like It Hot, How to Marry a Millionaire, Gentlemen’s Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch. The film schedule is here.  

Cruise LA in a convertible Cadillac with Classic Experiences 

Classic Experiences offers the ultimate tribute to LA’s most glamorous resident, with their special Marilyn Monroe’s Los Angeles Tour. Sit back in a convertible Cadillac as you cruise the streets of LA and listen to tales of her life and death. The tour includes a visit to Marilyn’s Beverly Hills home, breakfast tea at Hotel Bel-Air where she posed for Bert Stern’s famous “Last Sitting” photos, Canter’s Deli which she frequented with her third-husband Arthur Miller and her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Classic Experiences allow you to choose between a 4-hour or 6-hour tour. 

Have a classic & historic stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt  

The landmark Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was Marilyn Monroe’s home for two years, just as her modelling career began to take off. Monroe stayed in one of the vintage 1950s Cabanas at the time of her first professional magazine shoot, which took place at the Roosevelt’s famed Tropicana Pool. The pool remains almost the same today, so visitors can recreate the same images as the iconic actress, whilst staying in the 750 square-foot Marilyn Monroe Suite, featuring a loft-like open floor plan, kitchenette, and a balcony that overlooks the pool. 

Visit the quirky Hollywood Museum to see Marilyn showbiz treasures 

Dedicated to the history and heritage of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, the Hollywood Museum houses 10,000 showbiz treasures from over 100 years of Hollywood history, making it one of the most extensive collections of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. The museum includes Max Factor’s world-famous make-up rooms, where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde and Lucille Ball became a redhead. The museum’s Marilyn Monroe collection includes everything from personal items and wardrobe to her limousine. Marilyn Monroe’s million-dollar honeymoon dress is one of the most memorable items on display at the Hollywood Museum. Monroe wore it on her honeymoon when she married Joe DiMaggio, as well as when she entertained troops in Korea in 1954.  

Step in Marilyn’s shoes at the TCL Chinese Theatre  

Marilyn Monroe’s "dumb blonde" persona was used to great comedic effect in films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), co-starring Jane Russell. Thanks to the film’s success, Monroe and Russell were invited to put their signatures, hand and shoe prints into cement at the famed Forecourt of the Stars at the TCL Chinese Theatre, then known as Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Marilyn’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star is just a block away at 6774 Hollywood Blvd.  

Dine at Hollywood institution Musso & Frank Grill  

Generations of celebrities and some of the 20th century’s greatest writers have dined on classic steakhouse dishes and sipped famous Martinis at Musso & Frank Grill. Opening in 1919, Musso's has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, including Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Bosch, The Kominsky Method and Mad Men.   

Guarded by a famously strict maître d', the Back Room at Musso's opened in 1934 as an exclusive, private space reserved for the Hollywood elite. In the ‘50s, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, Elizabeth Taylor, and Steve McQueen were just a few of the Hollywood legends that enjoyed drinks and appetizers in the Back Room. If you reserve a table, make sure you ask for Marilyn’s booth.  

Take a movie studio tour  

Most of Marilyn’s movies were created at the historic FOX Studio Lot located in Century City. While this isn’t open to the public, visitors can head to the nearby Paramount Studio Tour for a look behind the scenes.  

When young Marilyn (then Norma Jeane Mortenson) lived in Los Angeles Orphans Home Society, it is said she would look out her window at the water tower of RKO Studios (now Paramount Studios) and dream of stardom – a wish that later came true. Although Marilyn didn’t film directly on the Paramount lot, the studio tour offers a glimpse back at the real history of Hollywood and the chance to spot live productions taking place today.  

Dine at the Formosa Café  

The Formosa Café opened next to The Lot, a studio previously known as the Warner Hollywood Studio, Samuel Goldwyn Studio and United Artists Studio. Billed as the place "where the stars dine," the Formosa interior was lined with hundreds of autographed photos of its famous patrons, a galaxy of legendary stars that includes Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor. The Formosa reopened in June 2019 after a stunning $2.4-million renovation.  

Celebrity spot at the Beverly Hills Hotel  

Marilyn Monroe lived at the Beverly Hills Hotel several times during her career. Her last stay at the “Pink Palace” was during the filming of Let’s Make Love (1960). Monroe and her husband, playwright Arthur Miller - who re-wrote the script without a credit - stayed in a bungalow adjacent to her co-star, Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret, who had just won the Best Actress Oscar for Room at the Top. Monroe and Montand reportedly bonded during the film’s troubled production, and a brief affair ensued. Monroe and Miller divorced shortly before Monroe’s final film, The Misfits, premiered in 1961. 

Pay your respects at Marilyn’s final resting place  

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is the final resting place for the Who’s Who of pop culture, including Marilyn Monroe, Ray Bradbury, Truman Capote, Farrah Fawcett, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Dean Martin, Roy Orbison, Natalie Wood, Frank Zappa and many more.  

Monroe is interred in a pink marble crypt (no. 24) at the Corridor of Memories. Hugh Hefner, who died in September 2017, was buried next to her. Her former husband Joe DiMaggio had a half-dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week for the next 20 years.  

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MEDIA CONTACT 
Myfanwy McGregor 
Director, Global Communications  
mmcgregor@latourism.org  

+61 433 177 664 

ABOUT LOS ANGELES & LOS ANGELES TOURISM  
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) is the non-profit destination marketing and sales organization for the Los Angeles tourism industry and the ultimate resource for where to stay and play in the LA area. Los Angeles is a dynamic, ever-evolving destination – where diversity thrives, and everyone is welcome. Discover the true LA by exploring its more than 30 culturally rich neighbourhoods, each one offering a distinct vibe. LA is home to more than 300 days of warm sunshine, 75 miles of idyllic shoreline, more museums and performing arts venues than any other US city, and an innovative culinary scene led by influential tastemakers. A global creative capital and the epicentre of the sports universe, LA presents limitless possibilities for visitors from around the world. For more information, visit discoverlosangeles.com, follow at facebook.com/DiscoverLosAngeles, or @discoverLA on Instagram.