HOLLYWOOD
BOULEVARD & VICINITY
Tick the Hollywood Walk of Fame off your bucket list and spot the red stars embedded
in the sidewalk honouring celebrities ranging from actors to athletes to
astronauts. Tour the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, where plaques
commemorate every Best Picture award. Outside, buses line up for Starline’s classic tours of film locations and celebrity
mansions.
The building that once housed Max Factor cosmetics is
now the Hollywood Museum – a quirky hidden gem. Stars like Lucille Ball,
Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland got their signature looks
here, based on complexion and hair colour, in rooms designated for redheads,
brunettes, blondes and “brownettes.” Museum exhibits include the jailhouse set
from “The Silence of the Lambs.”
The
glitz and glamour of old Hollywood can be found at elegant hotels like The Hollywood Roosevelt, where the Academy Awards were first presented in
1929. Hollywood has seen a hotel boom in the last decade, with the latest arrival,
Whisky
Hotel, opening its doors in spring
2025. Offering dark, intimate interiors, a rooftop restaurant, and a shot of
whisky on arrival, it is sure to be a new favourite. Nearby, the newly
renovated west coast flagship W Hollywood
features a glamourous newly remodelled lobby and rooftop with a WET Deck pool,
cabanas and views of the Hollywood Hills.
Iconic restaurants include Musso & Frank Grill, serving Italian fare and steaks since 1929.
Elsewhere, the legendary Clark Street Diner has been a backdrop for “Gilmore Girls,” HBO’s
“Entourage” and many films, while The Breakfast Club serves everything from grain bowls to pancakes to
your retro American cereals. On Sundays, visit the massive Hollywood Farmers’ Market for organic produce, pastries and ethnic fare.
VINYL DISTRICT
The Vinyl District is home to clubs, hotels, bars and restaurants, some
with a nod back to the area’s musical history. Grandmaster Recorders is
named for a studio that once recorded Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Foo
Fighters. Today it has a restaurant, rooftop bar and 71Studio, a club with live music.
Vinyl District hotels include the sleek Dream Hollywood; Thompson
Hollywood, known for its Mes
Ami brasserie and rooftop lounge Bar
Lis, along with its sister hotel, Hollywood
Volume, home to KA’TEEN restaurant’s
Yucatán-inspired food and Desert 5 Spot rooftop bar.
GRIFFITH PARK
One of LA’s most beloved destinations, Griffith Park is home to the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, and much more. Take
a tour with Bikes & Hikes to explore some of the park’s 53 miles of trails.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2025,
the Griffith Observatory has been featured in “La La Land,” “Jurassic Park,”
“Back to the Future,” “Terminator” and Adele’s
2021 televised concert. Admission is
free except for planetarium shows ($10 for adults); there’s also free night-sky
telescope viewing.
Elsewhere in the park, the Greek Theatre is an outdoor music venue, while Travel Town features a miniature train ride, real vintage trains
and kids’ play area. The Autry Museum of the American West, founded by Hollywood’s “Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry,
houses a multicultural collection of art and artifacts exploring topics like
the environment, Western imagery in pop culture and the fraught history of
Native communities.
Find
a first-timer’s guide to Hollywood with more information
here.
Posted by: Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Posted on: 10/04/2025