Top Tourist Attractions
In addition to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios Hollywood (of which you will read more in Chapters 18 and 19, respectively), the Los Angeles area teems with all kinds of things to do and see. These are some of the most popular, organized by area:
Hollywood
When people say “Hollywood,” they sometimes have a vague idea of what the area really is, if it exists at all, thinking more of the film industry than a specific place. Nevertheless, they often head for Hollywood Boulevard looking for Hollywood magic, and in recent years, the venerable boulevard has become a capsule of film industry cachet. Along Hollywood Boulevard, centered on its intersection with Highland, you'll find the following:
Hollywood & Highland
6801 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 467-6412
www.hollywoodandhighland.com
A $615 million family-entertainment destination, Hollywood & Highland occupies 1.3 million square feet. Reached from the boulevard via steps along a winding, mosaic-paved path inlaid with short quotes from figures in Hollywood history, the central courtyard is surrounded by an arch and columns that pay tribute to D. W. Griffith's classic 1916 film Intolerance. Beyond the courtyard is an oversize casting couch that makes a perfect spot to take an “I was there” photograph with the Hollywood Sign in the background.
The complex also includes more than seventy upscale retail shops and restaurants and the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.
The Kodak Theatre
6801 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 308-6300
www.kodaktheatre.com
The Academy Awards ceremonies returned to Hollywood when this theatre was finished in 2002. When it isn't staging the star-studded awards spectacular, the Kodak Theatre hosts a mix of Broadway shows, music concerts, and live nationally televised specials. On most days, you can also take a guided tour. Tour prices are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, children over twelve, and students. Children under age three are free.
Traveling south along Hollywood Boulevard, you'll find these points of interest:
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea and along Vine Street from Yucca to Sunset
www.hollywoodchamber.net
Since the Walk of Fame began in 1960, more than 2,000 brass-and-terrazzo stars have been embedded in the Hollywood sidewalks, memorializing people from all aspects of the entertainment industry. Some visitors enjoy walking along and reading the names they recognize, but if you want to find a specific star, visit the Walk of Fame Web site ahead of time to find out where it's located.
FAST FACT
Each time a new honoree receives a star on the Walk of Fame, a special dedication ceremony is held. The star cannot be placed unless the celebrity shows up in person, making this one of the most reliable ways to see a superstar. To find out if one of these fun events will take place during your visit, go to the Walk of Fame Web site or call (323) 469-8311.
Mann's Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 464-6266
www.manntheatres.com/chinese
Built in 1927 as Grauman's Chinese Theatre, this beautiful, Chinese-themed motion picture theater is a famous landmark for many reasons. Hollywood's biggest motion pictures have held their premieres here since the days of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, but perhaps even more famous are the cement handprints and footprints that adorn the forecourt. Celebrities who have left their mark in Mann's cement include Clint Eastwood, Clark Gable, Tom Hanks, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Marilyn Monroe, and Jane Russell (whose inscription reads, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”), Eddie Murphy, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Star Wars robots R2-D2 and C-3PO. Besides the standard handprints, footprints, and signatures, you'll also find an imprint of Roy Rogers's horse Trigger's shoe, Whoopi Goldberg's dreadlocks, and Jimmy Durante's nose.
When a gala “red carpet” premiere event isn't taking place, the theater is open to the public, showing first-run films. You can take a guided tour or buy a ticket to the show — a peek at its interior is worth the price of admission, no matter what's playing.
RAINY DAY FUN
Going to the movies on a rainy day isn't a new idea, but in Hollywood, you can give it a different twist. Take in a film at the Mann's Chinese Theatre or the El Capitan (www.americancinematheque.com) to get a glimpse of film-going's golden age.
Hollywood Wax Museum
6767 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 462-8860
www.hollywoodwax.com
If you want to see movie stars and other celebrities modeled in wax, this is the place for you.
RAINY DAY FUN
On a rainy day in Hollywood, take the kids to the El Capitan Theatre where a family-friendly movie is always playing. Owned by the Disney Company, the theater also features a live mini-musical featuring Disney characters such as Buzz Lightyear. Before or afterward, Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store next door is also a big hit with the kids.
Guinness Book of World Records Museum
6764 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 463-6433
www.guinnessattractions.com
Filled with the one-of-a-kind exhibits the Guinness Book of World Records is famous for, the museum is open from 10 A.M. to midnight. Admission is $12.95 for adults and $6.95 for kids aged six to twelve.
Musso and Frank grill
6667 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 467-7788
Around for more than eighty years, Musso and Frank is Hollywood's oldest restaurant. The last survivor of Hollywood's famous eateries, it serves old-fashioned dishes rarely seen on today's menus — corned beef and cabbage, Postum (but no espresso), jellied consommé, and it has been a favorite of stars and celebrities since Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner sat at the bar and Charlie Chaplin dined at table number one. While it's a bit expensive for the kind of food it serves, it's a Hollywood tradition that deserves a look.
Ripley's Believe It or not! Museum
6780 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 466-6335
www.ripleys.com
Another Hollywood standby, the Ripley museum is filled with the odd, weird, and truly strange stuff they're famous for. Get $2 off adult admission and $1 off child's admission with coupons on their Web site.
RAINY DAY FUN
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library houses a fascinating collection of presidential memorabilia. Located north of Los Angeles in Simi Valley, the library is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission costs $12 for adults, $9 for seniors over sixty-two years old, $3 for children ages eleven to seventeen, and anyone under eleven years old is free. www.reaganlibrary.com
Hollywood Bowl
2301 North Highland Ave.
(323) 850-2000
www.hollywoodbowl.org
The Los Angeles Philharmonic's outdoor home is by far the city's most enjoyable outdoor performance venue. Concertgoers in the know bring a picnic to enjoy before the show begins. and most concerts allow you to bring in alcoholic beverages. Special events include the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular and the JVC Jazzfest. Ticket prices range from $1 to $5 each in the uppermost benches to over $100 for a garden box seat.
Hollywood Heritage Museum
2100 North Highland Avenue
(323) 874-4005
www.hollywoodheritage.org
When producer Emile Lasky and director Cecil B. DeMille arrived in Hollywood in 1913 looking for a place to turn their hit play The Squaw Man into a motion picture, they leased a barn at Selma and Vine Streets to use as their studio. They were so successful that in 1914, they formed Paramount Studios. The barn was moved to the new studio location, where it stayed until 1979, when it was rescued from demolition and moved to its current location. Today it houses a museum that focuses on silent films and the early film industry. The museum is open on weekends only. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, and $1 for children aged three to twelve.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Boulevard
(323) 469-1181
www.hollywoodforever.com
Known as “The Resting Place of Hollywood's Immortals,” the cemetery, which has been around since the late 1800s, is the last resting place of many Hollywood founders and early stars, including Cecil B. DeMille, Jayne Mansfield, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks. You can pick up a map at the shop near the entrance and learn more about those interred there at the LifeStory theaters located throughout the park.
The Hollywood Sign
Hollywood is filled with signs and billboards, but the largest is the world-famous Hollywood sign, which stands 50 feet tall and 450 feet across. It has been a Hollywood landmark for more than seventy-five years. The sign was originally built as an advertisement for Hollywoodland, a 1920s Beachwood Canyon real-estate development. It can be seen from many locations in the Hollywood area and makes an excellent backdrop for a family photo, but it is not accessible to the public.
Beverly Hills
Justifiably famous for its opulence and as the home of many early film stars, Beverly Hills provides some nice glimpses of the rich and famous lifestyle.
Rodeo Drive
www.rodeodrive.com
Rodeo Drive is known for its beyond-upscale shops, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. It's not uncommon to find Rolls Royces, Mercedes Benzes, Lamborghinis, and Lotus Elans parked at the metered spots along Rodeo Drive, which may give you a clue about the price levels at the shops they're visiting. The street is only about three blocks long, but it's a fun place to walk, and you won't be alone, even if you're just window-shopping. Almost any time, more gawkers than real shoppers stroll the sidewalks here. Architecture buffs may enjoy seeing the Anderton Court Shops (322 N. Rodeo Drive), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Where Rodeo runs into Wilshire Boulevard is the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, better known as the Pretty Woman hotel for its pivotal role in the film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
RAINY DAY FUN
On a rainy day, Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers a museum for almost any taste, from classic art to fossilized woolly mammoths to arts and crafts.
Beverly Hills Trolley Tour
For a modest $5 per adult and $1 per child, the Beverly Hills trolley tour takes you past many interesting sights. Guides won't tell you who lives where now, but they have plenty of stories from days gone by. For more information, go to www.beverlyhills.org or call (310) 285-2438.
Surprisingly, the parking lots around Rodeo Drive (whose entrances look more like high-priced hotel driveways than simple parking lots) are free, and they even provide valet parking.
FAST FACT
Bijan (420 Rodeo Drive) prides itself on being one of the world's most expensive stores in the world, and you need an appointment just to shop there. During a typical visit, a customer will spend over $100,000.
West Hollywood and Sunset Strip
The heart of the city's gay and lesbian community is also a gathering place for wannabe trendsetters and the truly trendy they emulate. Along Santa Monica Boulevard, you'll find great shopping and dining opportunities.
Melrose Avenue
Melrose Avenue between Highland Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard is one of West Hollywood's better-known streets, boasting cutting-edge boutiques and clothing stores, as well as cafés and restaurants. It's easy to spend a few hours walking along the street and exploring the one-of-a-kind shops. Several secondhand clothing stores on Melrose sell clothing worn by famous celebrities, including Decades (8214 Melrose Avenue).
Sunset Strip
Also in West Hollywood is the famous Sunset Strip. The 1.5-mile-long section of Sunset Boulevard between Doheny Drive and N. Crescent Heights Boulevard is a lively nightspot, lined with famous clubs such as Whisky-A-Go-Go, the Roxy, and the Viper Room.
For more information about activities in West Hollywood, visit www.weho.org.
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is the country's largest urban park, with more than 4,000 acres of natural terrain. It's also the home of the Hollywood Sign, located on Mount Lee. Other attractions in Griffith Park include the following:
Los Angeles Zoo
(323) 644-4200
www.lazoo.org
The 113-acre zoo receives over 1.4 million visitors per year. You may remember seeing it during the opening sequence from the television sitcom Three's Company. From crocodiles to elephants, exotic birds to primates, and bears to lions, the zoo showcases more than 1,000 animals and features a special children's zoo. The Los Angeles Zoo is open daily, except Christmas. Admission costs $10 for adults, $5 for children, and $7 for senior citizens.
Griffith Park Observatory
(213) 473-0800
www.griffithobs.org
Also film-famous from the ending scene of the James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause, the Griffith Park Observatory features outer space-oriented exhibits, a planetarium, and other public astronomy programs. The Griffith Observatory is open six days a week (closed Monday). Admission is free.
Other attractions in Griffith Park include the Autry National Center, formerly known as the Museum of Western Heritage ((323) 667-2000, www.autrynationalcenter.org); Travel Town ((323) 662-9678); and the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad ((323) 664-6788, www.gprah.com).
Santa Monica
Favorite Santa Monica tourist spots include the Santa Monica Pier (and its seaside amusement park) and the Third Street Promenade.
Santa Monica Pier
(310) 458-8900
www.santamonicapier.org
The Santa Monica Pier is home to Pacific Park, one of California's few remaining seaside amusement parks, but its most famous occupant is the beautiful, historic carousel featured in many films, including The Sting and Titanic. The view from the pier is awesome, and the area is well worth exploring for an hour or so, especially if the weather is nice. There's a nearby beach and parking is available. Admission is free (but the rides charge admission), and the pier is open all year.
Third Street Promenade
www.downtownsm.com
A short walk from the pier, the Third Street Promenade offers lots of shopping, an outdoor pedestrian mall, and a nearby indoor mall. With several restaurants, a street closed to automobile traffic, street performers, and two movie theaters, Third Street is a popular, lively spot on weekend evenings.
Long Beach
It's easy to find Long Beach. Just go south on I-605 until it ends. Besides being home to the Los Angeles area's busiest harbor, Long Beach offers a few things you may enjoy:
The Queen Mary
1126 Queen's Highway
(562) 435-3511
www.queenmary.com
The RMS Queen Mary, once the world's fastest ship, has docked in Long Beach for more years than she sailed the Atlantic. On board, you'll find tours and displays about her years as a luxury liner and a troop carrier, along with a special Ghosts and Legends Tour, and an after-hours Paranormal Shipwalk. You can even spend the night in one of the staterooms at Hotel Queen Mary. General admission costs $22.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors and military, and $11.95 for children aged five to eleven. First Class Passage tickets, which include a self-guided shipwalk tour, a guided tour of the ship's World War II history, a behind-the-scenes tour, and the Ghosts and Legends tour cost $27.95 for adults, $24.95 for seniors and military, and $16.95 for kids ages five through eleven.
Aquarium of the Pacific
100 Aquarium Way
(562) 590-3100
www.aquariumofpacific.org
This large aquarium is home to more than 12,000 marine animals representing over 550 species. Permanent exhibits focus on marine life in the Pacific Ocean.
Museums of Note
The Los Angeles area is home to more museums than almost any other place in the country. These are a few of the most popular and well noted, but if you have a special interest, you'll find a complete list at http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/calamuseums.
The getty
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles
(310) 440-7330
www.getty.edu
It's hard to say which is better at the Getty Center: Richard Meier's architecture or the collections housed inside. If you want to visit and figure it out for yourself, it's open daily except Mondays, January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving, and December 25. The center is also open late on Friday and Saturday nights. Admission is free, but there's an $8 parking charge.
Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades
(310) 440-7300
www.getty.edu
The original Getty Museum is housed in an authentically reconstructed Roman villa filled with an impressive antiquities collection. The Getty Villa is open Thursday through Monday except January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving, and December 25. Admission is free, but advance reservations are required and parking costs $8.
George C. Page Museum at the la Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
(323) 934-7243
www.tarpits.org
There aren't any dinosaurs here, but kids who like the large reptiles will also like the woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and other creatures once captured and fossilized in the tar pits that still bubble away on the front lawn. The museum is open daily. Admission is $7 for adults, $4.50 for children thirteen to seventeen years old, and $2 for kids aged five to twelve.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
(323) 857-6000
www.lacma.org
The city's premier art museum occupies several pavilions, each with a different theme. It hosts many outstanding traveling exhibits and offers free Friday night concerts. The museum is open daily except Wednesdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Admission costs $9 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and anyone under seventeen years old gets in free.
Norton Simon Museum
411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
(626) 449-6840
www.nortonsimon.org
One of the world's most distinguished art collections, the Norton Simon holds works dating from the fourteenth through twentieth centuries, including a noted Vincent Van Gogh collection. The Norton Simon is open daily except Tuesday. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for seniors. Anyone under age eighteen gets in free.
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
www.petersen.org
Exhibits and dioramas in this four-story museum feature more than 150 rare, classic cars and other conveyances. The museum is closed on Mondays, except when Monday is a major holiday. It's also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission costs $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, and military. Kids aged five through twelve get in for $3, and kids under five years old get in free. Parking in their lot costs $8.
Some of Los Angeles's more unusual museums include the Museum of Jurassic Technology (9341 Venice Blvd., Venice Beach, (310) 836-6131, www.mjt.org), and the Bunny Museum (1933 Jefferson Drive, Pasadena, (626) 798-8848, www.thebunnymuseum.com).
Shopping
Besides Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, Rodeo Drive, and Melrose Avenue, shoppers may enjoy the Beverly Center (8500 Beverly Boulevard #501, Los Angeles, www.beverlycenter.com) at the edge of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. In the Los Angeles Fashion District ((213) 488-1153, www.fashiondistrict.org), over 1,000 shops sell directly to the public at a discount. Stores are open Monday through Saturday, and a few open on Sundays as well.
A veritable cottage industry has sprung up in Los Angeles, selling clothing items worn by stars in movies and television programs and castoffs from celebrity closets. Some of the most popular shops include It's A Wrap (3315 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, (818) 567-7366, www.itsawraphollywood.com), which sells movie and television props as well as costumes, and Star Wares (5341 Derry Avenue, Suite D, Agoura Hills, (818) 707-8500, www.starwares.com), which sells by appointment at their store and through their Web site.
Sporting Events
The downtown Staples Center is a 900,000-square foot sports and entertainment facility with a 20,000-seat capacity that hosts more than 230 sports, entertainment, and other events annually. The indoor stadium is home to professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers (basketball), Los Angeles Kings (ice hockey), Los Angeles Clippers (baseball), Los Angeles Avengers (football), and Los Angeles Galaxy (soccer). It's also one of the city's most popular concert arenas. 1111 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, (877) 305-1111 General Information, (213) 742-7340 Box Office, www.staplescenter.com.
The Los Angeles Dodgers play near downtown in Dodger Stadium (1000 Elysian Park Avenue, http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com). When there's no game going on, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour. Tours cost $15 for adults and $10 for military, seniors over fifty-five years old, and children fourteen years old and younger.
