Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a pavement memorial made up of terrazzo and brass stars set into the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. It runs for about 1.3 miles along Hollywood Boulevard, roughly between Gower Street and La Brea Avenue, and for about 0.4 miles along Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is the awarding body, and the total has passed 2,800 stars.

The stars honour people from film, television, music, radio and live theatre, and new ones are still added at public ceremonies held throughout the year, usually at 11.30am Pacific time. The Walk of Fame website has a star directory and a star map, which is the easiest way to find a particular name rather than wandering block after block in hope.

The busiest stretch is around Hollywood and Highland, close to the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre, where costumed characters and street sellers gather. It is lively rather than glamorous, and some visitors are surprised by how ordinary the street can feel away from the main blocks. Going in the morning is calmer, and walking east towards Vine takes you past the historic Pantages Theatre and the Capitol Records Building area.

It suits first-time visitors, film fans and families who want a quick, free photo stop. Plan on an hour or so for a walk along the main section, more if you are hunting for several names or combining it with a theatre tour. Keep an eye on your belongings in the crowded areas, and be polite but firm with people offering photos or CDs for money.

If you want more than a stroll, combine the Walk of Fame with something that gives context to the names underfoot. Several tour operators, including sightseeing bus companies, depart from the Hollywood Boulevard area, and the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre, with its handprints and footprints in cement, is a natural extension of the walk. Evenings bring theatre crowds and neon, while early mornings are best for unobstructed photographs of particular stars.

The Metro B Line stops at Hollywood/Highland and Hollywood/Vine, both directly on the Walk of Fame, which is far easier than finding parking. Musso and Frank Grill, the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel and the starting points for several sightseeing tours are all within a few minutes on foot.