Looking for things to do in Hollywood? What’s so great about Hollywood Blvd? Where do we begin? For starters, there is the view of the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, Madame Tussaud’s wax celebrity figures, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, The Dolby Theatre where the Oscars are held, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere…okay, maybe not the last two but they were there once!
But there is so much more. When looking for things to do in Hollywood, Hollywood Boulevard should be at the top of your list. Get a ticket to a show or a museum. Take a specialized tour with a unique take on the history of the Boulevard. See a red carpet event or shop and dine like a celebrity. Whether looking for what to do in Hollywood or what to see in Hollywood, the sky is the limit…well, your budget is the limit but we can work with that. Let’s go!
Hollywood Wax Museum vs. Madame Tussauds Hollywood
Figuring out what to see in Hollywood usually revolves around some sort of celebrity attraction. What better way to get your celebrity fix than to see life-size versions of them?
ArraySo, what’s the deal with the Hollywood Wax Museum and Madame Tussauds? Both museums feature wax replicas of celebrities, so which one do you choose? It depends on your criteria. There are several things to compare.
What you’ll first notice is the price difference. The Hollywood Wax Museum is much cheaper. However, it does have more of a history on the Boulevard having opened in 1965 than Tussauds, which opened in 2009. It can also boast the trivia of being the longest running wax museum in the United States.
On the other hand, you do get what you pay for. Madam Tussauds may be pricier, but the work on the wax figures is considered to be superior and more lifelike than its Hollywood Blvd competitor.
Array ArraySome of the wax figures in the original wax museum have been said to look like the celebrity on crack. That can actually be a great attraction to some people depending on their tastes. It’s ultimately up to you, and both have merit so you really can’t go wrong.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
One of the biggest Hollywood attractions is all along Hollywood Boulevard where you can walk all over a celebrity’s star. See which celebrities have been immortalized as you walk on their names and end up at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – Hollywood Theater – where you can see their actual handprints and footprints.
Array Array Array ArrayGrauman’s Chinese Theatre is a Hollywood theater that is well known for its epic movie premieres and the home of the celebrity handprint, footprint and autograph ceremonies. Each concrete entry, more than 200, is contained in the theater’s forecourt and is the perfect conclusion to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Array ArrayHollywood & Highland Center of Fabulous
Come to 6801 Hollywood Blvd. at the Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Center for red carpet events and world-class shopping. Oh, did we mention it’s also home to The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre), which is the permanent home of the Academy Awards? It is and it’s fantastic.
The center is 387,000 square feet of pure Hollywood, which includes the aforementioned Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and runs along the Walk of Fame. This includes 65,000 square feet of posh event space that includes the Grand Ballroom used for the Oscars Governor’s Ball.
Array ArrayWondering if the food is good? Oh, Wolfgang Puck only runs his regional headquarters out of there. I’m sure that doesn’t make the restaurateurs surrounding the center up their game or anything.
The complex is such a valued addition to the Boulevard that it has become prime real estate to celebrities who have recently had a star added to the walk of fame.
Feel like bowling a few lanes? There’s also a Lucky Strike Bowling Alley as well as a nightclub to celebrate or try to forget your bowling score. It’s no wonder that Hollywood and Highland is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Hollywood.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
The Roosevelt is one of the more famous Hollywood hotels. The hotel is in such a prominent location that many celebrities throughout the years have stayed there. Marilyn Monroe lived there for two years.
It held the very first Oscar ceremony and has been declared a historic-cultural Hollywood monument. Come in and rest your weary bones from walking the Walk of Fame as it sits right across from the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
There is also talk of the hotel being haunted by Old Hollywood celebrities. And why not? Celebrity ghosts like to hang out in style, too. What an exciting and creepy red carpet event that would be!
Pantages Theatre (The Broadway of L.A.)
If you’re still wondering what to do in Hollywood, the Boulevard still has answers. Pantages Theatre, located at the famous corner of Hollywood and Vine, has a rich history that goes back to the vaudeville days. The art deco architecture and interior takes you back in time and cements the theater as a cultural monument in Hollywood.
Pantages started out as a vaudeville attraction and has morphed into several different types of venue over its long life. For a few decades after the Great Depression, it became a movie theater that also hosted the Academy Awards from 1949 – 1959.
In the late seventies, it went through its last transformation from a movie theater to a stage theater and has hosted popular Broadway shows ever since. Check out the website to see what the latest show is. It’s most likely going to be the hottest Broadway production. Get your ticket now and end your Boulevard walk with an award-winning Broadway musical.
Other Hollywood Blvd Attractions
How long is Hollywood Boulevard to hold all of these attractions and more? The Boulevard runs between Sunset Blvd and Laurel Canyon Blvd, which is about 4.6 miles. There are about 15 blocks of this stretch that have the most Hollywood attractions and is most visited by tourists.
We detailed the most popular attractions. However, there are other unique museums and theaters that might interest you on the Boulevard including several other Hollywood museums and Hollywood movie theaters. There’s nothing else like ‘em!
Check out these Hollywood Blvd Attractions, too:
- American Cinematheque
- Barnsdall Art Park
- Bob Hope Square (Hollywood and Vine)
- Broadway Hollywood Building
- Capitol Records Tower
- Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre
- El Capitan Theatre
- Fonda Theatre
- Frederick’s of Hollywood
- Hollywood Pacific Theatre
- Hollywood Masonic Temple
- Musso & Frank Grill
- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium
- Vista Theatre