24 Must-see Hollywood Tourist Attractions On and Off the Walk of Fame

24 Must-see Hollywood Tourist Attractions On and Off the Walk of Fame

By the 1930s, at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the movie industry was one of the largest businesses in the United States. Even in the depths of the Great Depression, movies were a weekly escape for many people who loved trading their struggles for a fictional, often dazzling world, if only for a couple of hours. The Golden Age of Hollywood was a period of great growth, experimentation and change in the industry that brought international prestige to Hollywood and its movie stars. The Hollywood sign is a must-see tourist attraction, although it didn’t start out that way.

• Since pioneering the Movie Stars Homes Tour in 1935, Starline Tours continues to offer the best of LA to visitors from around the world.
• The museum’s newest addition is Smash It, an area where museum guests can get their frustration out by literally smashing items in a safe space.
• At the Giant House, visitors can pose with oversize everyday items, from a massive high heel shoe to a slice of pizza bigger than a doorway.
• First built in 1923 (a new sign was erected in 1978), the sign originally said “Hollywoodland” (to advertise new homes being developed in the area), but the sign fell into disrepair, and the “land” section was removed in the 1940s when the sign was refurbished.
• The 45-foot-tall billboard, placed on Mt. Lee 1000 feet above the city, was originally lit with 4,000 light bulbs.

Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) and comedies such as The Kid (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin were popular nationwide. Soon, movie stars such as Chaplin, the Marx Brothers and Tallulah Bankhead were adored everywhere. The world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame features more than 2,700 terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalk along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street. The five-pointed stars honor the accomplishments of actors, musicians, directors, producers and others in the entertainment industry.

The gorgeous hilltop restaurant and estate, which is named for the Japanese word for “mountain palace,” has been one of the city’s top attractions for more than a century. Its menus were recently overhauled, highlighting elegant dinner fare such as koshu-braised wagyu short ribs, sake-marinated lamb chops, and belly-on pork handle with yama-hog sauce. A full sushi and sashimi menu is also showcased, along with an ishi-yaki cooking stone dining experience available for the entire table. Unique experiences at the restaurant throughout the year include a http://moviesnreviews.com/ Night Market event, which brings more than 30 food vendors to the restaurant’s grounds and showcases live music performances. Lake Hollywood Park is home to the Hollywood Reservoir, a large manmade lake in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Some areas have permit-only parking on weekends and holidays and the area is well monitored. In addition to being an architectural feature, the Capitol Records Building has earned its place as a historic landmark as well. Home to Capitol Records’ recording studio, some of the world’s most talented artists have laid their tracks here, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and the Beach Boys. On its south wall, a 1972 mural by local artist Richard Wyatt pays tribute to the artists and clubs that made Hollywood a center for innovative jazz. Even if you don’t see a show here, a tour of the building will let you admire the stunning architecture and décor of the lobby and audience seating area, known for its Italianate influences. Tours are available daily, and visitors can learn about the building’s history and see the highlights.

Tens of thousands of years ago, sticky tar (natural asphalt) created pools in the ground, which trapped a variety of large and small animals. Preserved within the substance, over time their remains became fossils, which now help to shed light on these extinct species, some of which have been frozen in place for nearly 50,000 years. For a bite to eat, some shopping, or to catch a movie, wander over to the pedestrian-only City Walk, where there are dozens of restaurants, cinemas, comedy clubs, and even indoor skydiving.

Hollywood was laid out as a real-estate subdivision in 1887 by Harvey Wilcox, a prohibitionist from Kansas who envisioned a community based on his sober religious principles. Whitley, known as the “Father of Hollywood,” subsequently transformed Hollywood into a wealthy and popular residential area. At the turn of the 20th century, Whitley was responsible for bringing telephone, electric, and gas lines into the new suburb. In 1910, because of an inadequate water supply, Hollywood residents voted to consolidate with Los Angeles. With Ultimate Hollywood Tours, guests can see Hollywood while enjoying the sunshine from the back of an open-air bus.

With the introduction of movies with sound, Hollywood producers churned out Westerns, musicals, romantic dramas, horror films and documentaries. Studio movie stars were even more idolized, and Hollywood increased its reputation as the land of affluence and fame. Los Angeles has one of the best dining scenes in the country, offering everything from street food to James Beard Award-winning restaurants. In Hollywood, food aficionados can dine at landmarks like Musso & Frank Grill and Yamashiro, or experience the acclaimed restaurants of culinary stars like Ludo Lefebvre, Michael Cimarusti and Curtis Stone. Starline’s main terminal is located at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre – pick-up and drop-off from many hotels in the greater LA area is also available. Starline tours are fully commented by professional guides, in comfortable air-conditioned coaches or mini-buses.

The history behind Barnsdall Park begins in 1915 when Aline Barnsdall commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to create a cultural hub in Los Angeles. She selected the 36-acre site known as Olive Hill to develop a center for theatre; which included a director’s house, dormitory, studios, shops, theatres, and a home for herself. Barnsdall and Wight first began by designing the Hollyhock House; construction commenced 1919 and was completed in 1921. The vision of Barnsdall was never completed due to financial and artistic difference; before the house was even finish Wright was fired from the job.

Take a joyride on the classic highway in the hills and stop at some of our favorite overlooks. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Movie ticket sales declined in the 1990s, but Hollywood pressed on thanks to a surge in VCR video rentals and later, DVDs and Blue-Ray. With the 2000s came an increase in Disney movies, big-budget blockbusters and crude comedies. Some critics and movie fans regard the 1960s and 1970s as a second Golden Age of Hollywood, as the old studio system of the 1930s completely broke down and restrictions on sexual content, obscenity and violence loosened.

But over the next two decades, the area became a thriving agricultural community called Cahuenga Valley. The diverse neighborhood includes areas such as Franklin Village, Little Armenia, Spaulding Square, Thai Town and the Yucca Corridor. Hollywood was laid out as a subdivision in 1887 by Harvey Wilcox, who was a prohibitionist from Kansas. Hollywood became a municipality in 1903 and was incorporated into Los Angeles in 1910.