ABOUT US

Red Line Tours Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes is one of Hollywood’s most popular and enduring attractions and has become part of Hollywood’s modern history.  Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes explores Hollywood's secrets and discovers what most tours miss.  Our expert guides reveal the stories behind filming locations, classic movie palaces, the Hollywood Sign, Walk of Fame... and Hollywood's hidden hideaways of the Stars. Go INSIDE places normally closed to the public. Learn the truth about Hollywood's star-studded history and tales about famous Chinese Theatre footprints. Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes changes Hollywood from ordinary to extra-ordinary!

Live-Audio

We use a "Live-Audio" system on all our tours - they're not pre-recorded. You will be fitted with an audio headset so that your guide can speak to you over a headset microphone. This will allow you to hear above extreme city noise such as traffic, construction noise, etc. The system allows you to absorb the surroundings without having to concentrate on the guide as he or she speaks.

To find out more about Live Audio, click here.

Company Bios

Tony Hoover, Founder (Mishawaka, IN)
Okay my life story isn't as colorful as those below.  Actually, my story is rather boring by comparison, unless you count the 1984 cow-tipping incident in Muncie, Indiana - which we won't go into because they may still be looking for me. I grew up in the small town of Mishawaka (IN) aka "the Princess City" (no snickering) and have a BFA (that's Fine Art) from Ball State University aka "Testicle Tech".  My life came to an abrupt halt when I decided to start my own business, Red Line Tours, in March of 1999.

Michael Hernandez, Operations Director
(Los Angeles, CA) I’ve lived in California my entire forty-one years of age.  I am the youngest of seven children from Mexican immigrants that came to the United States to build a better life for themselves and their family.  A couple of things that people don't know about me are...I am a twin and second I am the only child in my immediate family with an American name.  That was due to my oldest sister having the biggest crush on a boy in her school and begged my parents to name me after him...Aaah young love!  I have spent most of my working career in the non-profit sector working with people living with disabilities.  I am a HUGE animal lover.  I live with 3 dogs (two Great Danes, Natasha and Titus and 1 Boxer, Panda) and 2 cats (Montgomery and El Pachino).  We are one big happy family.


Mike Sonksen, Tour Guide Extraordinaire
(Los Angeles, CA) Mike Sonksen, also known as, Mike the Poet, is a 3rd generation L.A. native widely acclaimed for live performances, published articles & legendary city tours. Mike started tour guiding in 1997 right after graduating from U.C.L.A. Along the way he's published in the L.A. Citybeat, New Angeles, L.A. Weekly and performed over 1,000 spoken word poetry gigs in art galleries, literary festivals and major universities across the country.  His book I AM ALIVE IN LOS ANGeLES! has been added to the curriculum of several colleges and high schools. Mike is proud to be a Red Line tour guide, he's been walking the boulevard for Red Line since 2005. His unique blend of tour guiding and poetry is edutainment. He's been known to rock poems at any time or any place and drop facts the whole way.   


Kathrin Klueppel, Tour Guide Extraordinaire
(Kassel, Germany) Kathrin was born in the town of Kassel, which is in the middle of Germany and used to be very close to the barrier to East Germany. She was raised in a little village called Sand and when she was a child she would not have imagined living in the USA one day. She is interested in history, art, music, different cultures, and of course movies and the entertainment industry.  Back home she always loved to watch American movies (talking about the American influence on a child growing up in West Germany in the 1980s).  After a visit to Los Angeles and Hollywood when she was an Au-Pair in northern California she knew that she wants to move to LA one day. Back home in Germany and still in university she received a letter which stated that she had won the green card.  That is called destiny!!! She finished her Masters in American Studies and economics moved to LA and here she is ……


Jarod Millsap, Tour Guide Extraordinaire
(Riverside California) Jarod grew up in Southern California and has always had an interest in Los Angeles history and architecture. I feel really lucky that I get to share some of his favorite places with the guests and clients of Red Line Tours. He likes to stand on the roof of his favorite building "The Griffith Observatory" point down to Hollywood and say "Look! That’s where I work..!