The Heart of Screenland

The Heart of Screenland

Culver City. Located halfway between Hollywood and the coast, Culver City shares a glamorous history of its own. Known as "Screenland," the area boasts two film studios. The first, Culver City Studios (9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232. 310/202-1234. www.ci.culver-city.ca.us/) is best known as the location where Gone With the Wind was filmed in addition to classics including Citizen Kane and the Desilu Productions TV hits of the '50s including The Andy Griffith Show, Lassie,and Batman. This studio does not offer tours to the public. Sony Studios (10202 W. Washington, Culver City, 90232. 310/244-4000. www.sonypicturesstudios.com), where movie magic from Wizard of Ozto Spiderman was made, offers two-hour walking tours ($25, reservation recommended) to dive into their rich TV and blockbuster film history. If game shows are your thing, you can also watch be a part of the studio audience for Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune (for tickets call 800/482-9840. The area of Culver City itself has seen revitalization in recent years as visitors discover the charming district of the area's "downtown." In its heart is the Culver Hotel (9400 Culver Blvd., Culver City, 90232. 310/838-7963. www.culverhotel.com), built in 1924 and now preserved as a Historical Landmark; it will catch your eye with its old world glory and lobby entrance with its sweeping dark wood and high ceiling that's a seductive as the many classic film stars that took up residency here over the years including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Clark Gable, Buster Keaton, Ronald Reagan, and cast members from Wizard of Ozand Gone With the Wind as they filmed in the nearby studio. The surrounding area is loaded with shops, cafés, the art deco-style Pacific Movie Theatre 310/360-9565, and a vibrant art gallery scene.One museum with its own unique spin is the Museum of Jurassic Technology (9341 Venice Blvd., Culver City. 310/836-6131. www.mjt.org. $5 suggested donation. Thurs. 2-8, Fri.-Sun. noon-6), with an oddball assortment of natural (and partly fictional) "art" pieces such as fruit stone carvings, theater models, string figures, finds from mobile home parks, and a tribute room filled with paintings of dogs from the Soviet Space Program, all housed in a low-lighted haunted house-style atmosphere that makes you feel as if the Addams' Family butler will come to greet you at any moment. If you feel inclined to stay awhile, head up to the second floor to the small, samovar-equipped tearoom for a free cuppa to allow your brain to process all that you've seen.