| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
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Sign me up again next time I'm in LA!
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| Sat, Jul 11 9:00 AM |
powerwest |
Male |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| My friend and I were in LA on vacation from Peoria, Illinois. I've read about the TLB case for years and thought this tour would be informative. Little did I know it would also be so entertaining! Scott did, however, handle the subject matter with dignity and respect...very sympathetic to the victims. I liked the tour so much I even bought his recently released DVD, "Six Degrees of Helter Skelter." I watched it last night and it's like taking the tour all over again. It's a very fringe subject aimed at a very unique (and bizarre, self-admittedly) audience. If you've ever had an interest in what led to the events of July and August 1969 in LA, make your reservation immediately. You won't be disappointed. |
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Great tour!
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| Sat, Jul 11 9:00 AM |
ThomasJ3373 |
Male |
40-49 |
Local |
Couple on a Date |
| This was a very fun and informative tour. The AV stuff on the bus really enhanced the experience, and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. A very enjoyable experience, highly recommend it! |
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IF YOU ONLY HAVE TIME TO DO ONE THING IN LA...
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| Sat, Jul 11 9:00 AM |
dgcain |
Male |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| I have been interested in the Tate-LaBianca case for quite sometime. Have read Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" and followed developments with the victims and the guilty through the years. I've also heard about and been interested in Dearly Departed Tours, and when I discovered they were running a Helter Skelter tour, I knew I had to try and go while I was in Anaheim for a conference. It was an ordeal to get to LA via trains and cabs from Anaheim, but from the moment I got into my seat in the van, it was absolutely worth it! Scott Michaels does a tremendous job as your tour guide, giving you the best information available, all the theories that might make sense, always ready to hear from his guest about what they've read or heard and always ready to answer your questions. Scott takes you to every eerie spot and to some important contextual places to fill out the story I hadn't anticipated. While traveling to the locations, you wind your way through some of LA's most famous locales, the Sunset Strip, Laurel Canyon, Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. The music from 1969 adds to the atmosphere, and the video and audio clips take you into the lives and minds of both the victims and the murderers. And always at the center is a consummate, enthusiastic tour guide sharing with you what he loves to do. All the stars are in alignment for a great trip back to the moment that helped bring the 60s to its dramatic and disturbing conclusion. It's just not often that you find something that actually exceeds your expectations, but this tour did it for me! Don't worry about the cost or the amount of time or the size of the van or anything else, just sign up and GO! It's a great, great tour you won't forget! I'll certainly do it again next time I'm in the area. Thanks, Scott! |
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Helter Skelter Tour
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| Sat, Jun 13 9:00 AM |
ChrisNerone |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| Kudos to Scott Michaels for an extremely entertaining and informative recount of this tragical story. I have read just about everything surrounding this crime and still Scott was able to shed new light on the little things you just can't find in print.
Thanks Scott...........would take the tour again for sure......
Chris N |
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Exceeded my expectations
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| Sat, Jun 13 9:00 AM |
ryanjustin |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| Great tour - Scott is an incredible tour guide. Everything you wanted to know and more about the Manson murders! Enjoyed every minute of the tour - Scott takes you step by step through the entire gruesome story. Can't wait to come back and take his other tours!! Thank you for a perfect morning in LA! |
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Helter Skelter Tour
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| Sat, May 16 9:00 AM |
SBELLAMY |
Female |
50-59 |
International Tourist(s) |
Other |
| I loved it - always have had a fascination with the Manson Murders and have previously gone on Graveline Tours on 3 occasions. I am Australian and as there were other Aussies on the tour I went on - I obviously am not the only one who finds this interesting. This is an event which everyone of any age group recalls and to be able to see the places which I have read about and see the exact location and the remoteness - you can understand how they were able to get away. I recommend this tour to anyone with an interest in this part of history. |
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Excellent, comprehensive tour
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| Sat, May 16 9:00 AM |
janaho |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| I highly recommend the Helter Skelter tour for anyone who's interested in history in general or the murders in particular. Scott knows so many details and locations, it was incredibly fascinating. Not a dull moment on the whole tour, and the integration of multimedia sources made it all the more interesting. Very well done! |
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Experience a part of L.A.'s History
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| Sat, Apr 4 9:00 AM |
edgygirl |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| This is the second time I've taken this tour, which tells you how fantastic it is already. But I really want to point out to prospective tour-takers - this is not a cheesy, exploitational experience like I am sure some might assume. It is quite the opposite.
Scott, the tour guide (and it does not do him justice to call him that) - is one of the kindest, classiest and most well educated persons on not only this murder case, but on Los Angeles itself. He IS Los Angeles. He lives and breathes every nuance of the city and represents it with just the right amount of humor, intensity and reverence for the lost souls and the lost minds that abound here.
He has created something that I wouldn't even call a tour - it is more like a perfectly choreographed travel back in time to the LA of 1969 and the hot summer when the tragic crimes took place. Everything has been meticulously researched. You will find out things you would never know unless you take this tour. This seems to be a personal passion for Scott and it is clear that his respect for the victims is utmost in his mind.
However, there is no way to give a thorough tour or re-telling of the Tate/LaBianca murders without having to delve into some gruesome details, and this tour is not for young children or people who are easily offended by being exposed to the actual aftermath of vicious murder. This is not a "joyride." It is not meant to be fun. It is an education that leaves your head reeling and your heart aching for the victims and their families. To me, that is NOT exploitation, that is making sure no one forgets those who suffered.
A portion of your ticket goes to the fund organized by Sharon Tate's mother for crime victims.
The tour itself is a little over 3 hours, with a break in the middle. The van holds 13 people and is kept in IMMACULATE CONDITION.
I cannot recommend this tour enough for anyone interested in the murder case, or even just LA in general. It is a MUST on your list if you are visiting, and if you're a local, you have no excuse for not having taken it already.
Purchasing tickets is very easy but plan ahead because the tours sell out fast and sometimes you may have to wait a few weeks until the next tour is available.
BUY A TICKET NOW - it's well worth your time and money. And you'll meet some fantastic people too. |
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Great, Informative -- Creepy
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| Sat, Mar 14 9:00 AM |
groolster |
Male |
40-49 |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| Scott,
I absolutely loved the tour and was properly creeped out all weekend for a variety of reasons. (The main one being that I truly almost bought what I know know was Voycek Frykowski's (sp?) drug house on Woodstock Drive, the other being that as a now slightly dirty old man, I found some of the Manson chicks to be hot - especially Leslie Van Houten, and also because of the group song that the Family was singing about "Come On Home". The song was catchy, and not bad musically, and it has stayed in my head every day, which scares me to think I could "Come on home" and be inducted into the family). Anyway, my cousin Fred and I had a great time, and I'm sure I'll be back with other friends from work, including my friend Gary, whose ticket you graciously told me you'd honor when we're able to see the tour again. That being said, I did want to offer two pieces of criticism, which I only intend to be constructive, and they are as follows.
First, remember when people in the seats closest to you in the van ask questions or comment, those of us in the back seats can only hear your response. So whenever that happens, I would remind you to repeat people's questions so we all know what's going on. On the day we were there, you had a bit of a fanatic riding shotgun with you and there was all sorts of give-and-take between the two of you that most of us couldn't hear, which was a little frustrating. It was still great though.
The second criticism, or suggestion if you will - and I really hope you'll take this to heart - would be that those crime scene photos are truly horrible and my one errant peek into the binder at the slaughtered corpse of Sharon Tate deeply disturbed me, and though I'm admittedly more sensitive than some people, it put a bit of a pall on the whole experience for me and I wish I didn't have that image in my head. So, here's my suggestion - perhaps you could offer a couple of binders that are censored in the manner that the photos in the Bugliosi book are - or perhaps don't have the photos at all. That way, your customers would be able to enjoy the other photos, such as the Helter Skelter slide, the vintage photos, and even the coroners reports, etc. without being exposed to the grisly reality of those horrible images. (My cousin Fred isn't thrown by gore, but I had a lot of trouble with it). So, maybe a couple of "PG-13" books for the sqeemish such as I. Just a thought.
Thanks again for an awesome experience. I'm certain I'll see you again, and I'm also talking your tour up to people who I think would enjoy it.
Danny Smith |
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Wamba - what a tour!
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| Sat, Mar 14 9:00 AM |
MayraP |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| My friend and I did not know what to expect but were completely open for this experience. We have to give some major kudos to our tour guide because we were so impressed by the amount of detail he provides to ensure we understand the intricacies’ of this tragic event. He has video, sound bites, photos and of course you are taken to the majority of the major sites. For anyone considering whether you should take part in this tour, my thought is that you won't be disappointed. |
