He went on a two-week scouting trip to Los Angeles where he toured famous attractions on Hollywood Boulevard devoted to celebrities.

After realizing that he had not seen any celebrities at these attractions save for their foot and handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Singh decided to create a place where fans could see them.

He bought an empty brassiere factory and luggage shop located at 6767 Hollywood Boulevard and, on 25 February 1965, opened the museum to the public.

In one instance, Singh hired people to jump out from behind the wax figures to scare patrons; the practice was later stopped for fear of lawsuits.

[2] Singh, who used his middle name (which means "lion") as his surname for professional purposes, became something of a celebrity in the local Hollywood community.

[3][5] His ever-present dastar, Nehru jacket, full beard (Singh was an observant Sikh),[1] and penchant for flamboyant showmanship to promote his museum made him a well known personality.