Local Attractions
Explore Exciting Things To Do In Los Angeles
Hollywood boasts an international reputation that no other neighborhood in Los Angeles has. Urban and gritty, refined and glamorous, Hollywood still sparkles with gems of cinematic history, celebrity hangouts and an emerging commercial cityscape. We've listed some of our favorite spots in the iconic move town along with a few stops away from the crowds just outside its borders.
Originally created in 1923, the then "Hollywoodland" sign was supposed to be up for only a year and a half, yet here it is over 90 years later. There's plenty of parking to view the sign by Lake Hollywood Park, the easiest to reach viewpoint.
Granted, you will encounter suspect superheroes, large crowds and a never-ending line of gift shops, tattoo parlors and lingerie stores, but there’s actually a lot of old Hollywood history and glamour to discover along the Walk of Fame.
The heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood Boulevard, right down the block from Vine Street, stands the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
This gorgeous outdoor amphitheater has been hosting concerts since the LA Philharmonic first played here in 1922. Nestled in an aesthetically blessed fold in the Hollywood Hills, the 18,000-seat venue can bring out the romantic in the terminally cynical.
Though technically outside of the neighborhood, this LA landmark feels like an essential party of any Hollywood visit. The vista here is stunning, particularly at night when Los Angeles twinkles below.
Yearning to relive your childhood and indulge in a Disney flick? El Capitan's your spot—the lavish 1926-built theater screens Disney's most current feature along with classics in between releases.
It's still a great place to catch a movie but most people come to the Chinese Theatre for the hand and/or foot imprints of around 200 Hollywood stars.
Despite a name change after the theater's main sponsor switched from Kodak to Dolby in 2012, this 3,400-seat center remains one of LA's most impressive live entertainment venues, with a year-round series of high-profile screenings, premieres and events.
The owners of Hollywood Forever have been criticized for promoting the place as a tourist attraction, but any cemetery that houses the remains of such celluloid luminaries as Cecil B. DeMille and Jayne Mansfield would probably become one regardless.
Emblematic of the Hollywood commercial renaissance, this ambitious mall has become a popular destination for shopping and gawking at the Hollywood sign from its upper level catwalks.
Even if you’ve never seen it in person, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the Stahl House (Case Study House #22 for you modernist fanatics) and its twinkly vista.
Built as a private art museum in the 1920s, this Japanese palace is a spectacular structure with extraordinary views of Hollywood.
Open since 1919, the Musso & Frank Grill is Hollywood's oldest restaurant, a steak-and-cocktails joint formerly favored by Charlie Chaplin and Raymond Chandler.
Built by the same man who erected the Chinese Theatre and El Capitan Theatre, the Egyptian was faithfully restored by American Cinematheque in 1998.
Just outside the Hollywood border, this hilly park is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House.
This overlook in the Santa Monica Mountains has fantastic views of the downtown skyline all the way to the ocean and it's right on top of the Hollywood Bowl.
This 160-acre park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains has one main loop, plus a bevy of dirt hiking trails.
This cylindrical tower is so closely tied with postcard pictures of sunny California that it’s hard to separate the building from the lore.
If you keep driving up Beachwood Drive in search of the Hollywood Sign, eventually you'll hit a dead end at Sunset Ranch Hollywood's cluster of horse stables. The ranch offers a variety of daily trail rides through Griffith Park, and you can book ahead on their website.
The Hollywood Sign
Originally created in 1923, the then "Hollywoodland" sign was supposed to be up for only a year and a half, yet here it is over 90 years later. There's plenty of parking to view the sign by Lake Hollywood Park, the easiest to reach viewpoint.
Hollywood Walk Of Fame
Granted, you will encounter suspect superheroes, large crowds and a never-ending line of gift shops, tattoo parlors and lingerie stores, but there’s actually a lot of old Hollywood history and glamour to discover along the Walk of Fame.
Pantages Theater
The heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood Boulevard, right down the block from Vine Street, stands the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
Hollywood Bowl
This gorgeous outdoor amphitheater has been hosting concerts since the LA Philharmonic first played here in 1922. Nestled in an aesthetically blessed fold in the Hollywood Hills, the 18,000-seat venue can bring out the romantic in the terminally cynical.
Griffith Park Observatory
Though technically outside of the neighborhood, this LA landmark feels like an essential party of any Hollywood visit. The vista here is stunning, particularly at night when Los Angeles twinkles below.
El Capitan Theatre
Yearning to relive your childhood and indulge in a Disney flick? El Capitan's your spot—the lavish 1926-built theater screens Disney's most current feature along with classics in between releases.
Chinese Theatre
It's still a great place to catch a movie but most people come to the Chinese Theatre for the hand and/or foot imprints of around 200 Hollywood stars.
Dolby Theatre
Despite a name change after the theater's main sponsor switched from Kodak to Dolby in 2012, this 3,400-seat center remains one of LA's most impressive live entertainment venues, with a year-round series of high-profile screenings, premieres and events.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
The owners of Hollywood Forever have been criticized for promoting the place as a tourist attraction, but any cemetery that houses the remains of such celluloid luminaries as Cecil B. DeMille and Jayne Mansfield would probably become one regardless.
Hollywood Highland
Emblematic of the Hollywood commercial renaissance, this ambitious mall has become a popular destination for shopping and gawking at the Hollywood sign from its upper level catwalks.
Stahl House
Even if you’ve never seen it in person, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the Stahl House (Case Study House #22 for you modernist fanatics) and its twinkly vista.
Musso & Frank Grill
Open since 1919, the Musso & Frank Grill is Hollywood's oldest restaurant, a steak-and-cocktails joint formerly favored by Charlie Chaplin and Raymond Chandler.
Egyptian Theatre
Built by the same man who erected the Chinese Theatre and El Capitan Theatre, the Egyptian was faithfully restored by American Cinematheque in 1998.
Barnsdall Art Park & Hollyhock House
Just outside the Hollywood border, this hilly park is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House.
Hollywood Bowl Overlook
This overlook in the Santa Monica Mountains has fantastic views of the downtown skyline all the way to the ocean and it's right on top of the Hollywood Bowl.
Runyon Canyon
This 160-acre park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains has one main loop, plus a bevy of dirt hiking trails.
Capitol Records Building
This cylindrical tower is so closely tied with postcard pictures of sunny California that it’s hard to separate the building from the lore.
Sunset Ranch Hollywood
If you keep driving up Beachwood Drive in search of the Hollywood Sign, eventually you'll hit a dead end at Sunset Ranch Hollywood's cluster of horse stables. The ranch offers a variety of daily trail rides through Griffith Park, and you can book ahead on their website.