Chicago

Tour Guide Takes Passengers to Playboy Mansion After Hugh Hefner's Death for Unique Experience

Tour guide Jeff Napshin had been running his business, Start Track Tours, for four years but never caught sight of the American icon

It wasn't what he was expecting for the evening, but when tour guide Jeff Napshin of Star Track Tours received notice that Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner had died on Wednesday, he knew immediately where to take his passengers.

"I said to the folks in my vehicle, 'Folks, I don't want to tell you where we're going in a moment, but trust me, it is going to be very special,'" he said.

Napshin said his tour would have stopped by the famous Playboy Mansion anyway, but he decided to drive there immediately to give his passengers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I knew that this moment was going to come," Napshin said. "I hoped it wasn't going to happen for a while."

Napshin said he had always hoped he would see Hefner on one of his drives past the mansion, but was never able to. He enjoyed driving his passengers by the iconic home because of how influential Hefner was.

"He's a very famous person with a big impact on society and we want people to know the full picture of Hugh Hefner, who he was and how he affected so many people," Napshin said.

Hefner died of natural causes at 91 on Wednesday in his Playboy Mansion home. He is remembered for being a spokesperson for sexual revolution, advocating free speech and developing the flamboyant lifestyle that his Los Angeles mansion exemplified. 

Numerous celebrities, former and present playmates and fans took to social media to express their respect and gratitude for the legendary publisher and condolences to his family. He had four children.

Playboy magazine began in Hefner's kitchen table in his Chicago home. The first issue, published in 1926, featured nude photos of Marilyn Monroe, causing a stir of controversy and forever changing the American lifestyle.

His magazine expanded to an enterprise that included clothing, a successful televesion series and more.

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