25 Best Things to Do in Hollywood, California
Best known as the home of the Griffith Observatory and for the park’s proximity to the http://businesspeoplezone.com/ sign, there are plenty more things to do and see at L.A.’s biggest park. Among legendary guests are Ella Fitzgerald, Danny Elfman, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Garth Brooks, John Williams, and many, many more. The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor concert area set in a natural amphitheater, which has been hosting performers from around the world for over 100 years.
The hotel became internationally known and was the center of the civic and social life and home of movie stars for many years. In 1956, a man named Buck Stahl and his wife built their dream home, designed by Pierre Koenig. The end result was a modern structure with huge glass windows overlooking the lights of Los Angeles. This house, which was officially declared an Historic Cultural Landmark in 1999, became an icon of the modern architectural style. Tours of the house and grounds can be reserved online, and experienced docents will lead visitors through the house to show architectural points of interest and tell stories of the history of the place and its cultural significance.
- The agreement is effective retroactively to Nov. 9, when the 118-day actors’ strike ended, and expires June 30, 2026.
- Movie studios had to prepare for civil defense and erected elaborate bomb shelters.
- It’s worth walking into the Hollywood Roosevelt just to explore its dramatic downstairs lobby—or to bowl a few frames inside swanky bar the Spare Room.
- By the turn of the century, Hollywood had a post office, markets, a hotel, a livery and even a street car.
- Social media, tabloids, a 24-hour news cycle and online movie review websites can make or break movies, movie stars and movie industry professionals overnight.
- If you’re specifically looking to see the Hollywood Sign tour, consider one of these tours.
The museum’s main exhibit is its collection of 3D illusions that can put you on center stage, walking the red carpet, in the middle of an African Safari, or balancing on the ledge of a skyscraper. Find the best places to visit with our list of the top tourist attractions in Hollywood, California. This 160-acre park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains has one main loop, plus a bevy of dirt hiking trails.
The expansive area offers unique architectural and historical exhibits of some of the Oscars’ biggest nights. The Hollywood Roosevelt is a classic hotel that over the years has hosted stars like Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, and Clark Gable, and which has served as a set location for countless films over the decades. Today, the hotel is still in operation, with rooms that have a distinct Old Hollywood feel to them. The Roosevelt also offers plenty of food and drink options, from The Spare Room – a 1920s speakeasy with a two-lane bowling alley – to the Library, where there are no menus, only a wall full of drink ingredients that guests can choose from.
But there are also a few less-touristy pockets, most notably an actually-worth-visiting row of restaurants and bars on Cahuenga Boulevard and its parallel streets, between Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. Weinstein’s downfall empowered many more entertainment industry employees—both male and female—to come forward with their own sexual abuse stories, some of them decades old. The fallout is challenging Hollywood to face its culture of silence in the face of abuse and enact meaningful change. When the money runs out, these would-be stars often become desperate, even homeless. After the fiasco, the Hollywood Ten, not including Dmtryk, and anyone else in the industry suspected of supporting communism were blacklisted and denied work. Hundreds of actors, musicians, writers, producers and directors made the ignominious list, including Lena Horne, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Lloyd Bridges, Burl Ives and Anne Revere.
Only the Hollyhock House and two secondary residences were built before the project ended. In 1926, Barnsdall donated the Hollyhock House and 11 acres to Los Angeles in the memory of her father with the condition that the space remain as a public place and would be used for the arts. Even though she never lived in the home, the doors of a private residence opened to the public.
In 1949, because the sign had been damaged (the H fell over), it was repaired to read “Hollywood.” Learn more. Hollywood is a district within the city of Los Angeles, whose name is synonymous with the American film industry. This 1927 landmark, a beautiful example of Spanish colonial design, once welcomed the A-listers who frequented it during Hollywood’s heyday. It’s worth walking into the Hollywood Roosevelt just to explore its dramatic downstairs lobby—or to bowl a few frames inside swanky bar the Spare Room.
The only exception is the CitySightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Tour, which is guided by GPS pre-recorded professional commentary in nine languages, while guests ride in an open-top double decker bus. Since it was dedicated in 1923, the Hollywood Sign has become a Los Angeles icon and synonymous with the city. Today the 45-foot-tall, 350-foot-long sign is in its best condition ever, thanks to the ongoing preservation efforts of the Hollywood Sign Trust. From hiking trails to unique views on horseback and even in a helicopter, read on for the best ways to view the world-famous Hollywood Sign.
While a cemetery might seem like an interesting choice for a tourist destination, Hollywood Forever is no ordinary cemetery. Located on Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the final resting place for more famous people than any other cemetery in the world. So many familiar faces from the golden age of Hollywood have been put to rest in this place, including Rudolph Valentino, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Victor Fleming, and Iron Eyes Cody. The names written in stone on the markers at Hollywood Forever are like a journey through history, and will inspire any lover of film who walks among them. The Musso & Frank Grill has been delighting diners since 1919, and prides itself as one of the oldest restaurants in Hollywood. The classic restaurant has been frequented by many stars throughout the years, and its classic menu, which is almost 100 years old, remains mostly unchanged from its original version.
Built in the 1920s in Bolton Canyon, the Bowl eventually grew into the enormous venue that it is today, capable of seating 20,000 people and accommodating another 10,000 standing. The stage has presented artists from all genres, including both theater and musical performances. Hollywood Boulevard is probably most famous for the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards, where the Oscars are awarded each year.
