The Jim Henson Company is located in the center of Hollywood. A 12 foot statue of Kermit the Frog, dressed as the infamous Charlie Chaplin role, “The Little Tramp,” stands at the front of the studio. Although the lot is currently owned by the creator of the Muppets, it was previously known as Charlie Chaplin Studios. Charlie Chaplin is famous for becoming the first international movie star, due to the success of the silent comedies he starred in. During the peak of his fame in 1917, Chaplin bought an vacant piece of land close to his favorite restaurant in Hollywood, and to the downtown area of Los Angeles. Construction being fully complete in 1919, the studio featured aesthetic cottages that resembled those of the English. Here is where Chaplin churned out many of his greatest films.
The Hollywood and La Brea Gateway structure, designed by production designer Catherine Hardwicke, was dedicated in February 1994. It is also commonly known as Gateway to Hollywood (possibly because it stands at one end of the Hollywood Walk of Fame) and The Four Silver Ladies of Hollywood. The four ladies in question are the subjects of the art piece: Dorothy Dandridge, Dolores del Rio, Mae West, and Anna May Wong. These four actresses were chosen to represent the multi-cultural history of Hollywood.
Listed as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, the landmark Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel opened in 1927. Sitting along the notorious Hollywood Walk of Fame and across from Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Roosevelt was financed by prominent figures Louis B. Mayer, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and Sid Grauman. The Hollywood Roosevelt was dedicated just as the Golden Age of Hollywood was taking-off. Named after the late president Theodore Roosevelt, the Hollywood Roosevelt was immediately put to use by the people who financed its creation. On May 16, 1929, the first ever Academy Awards ceremony, celebrating the movies of 1927 and 1928, was held in the Blossom Ballroom. Throughout its history, the Hotel has played host to many of Hollywood's top names, including Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Ernest Hemingway, and Errol Flynn. Marilyn Monroe's first commercial photo-shoot took place by the pool and she resided in the Hotel for two years. The Marilyn Monroe suite is one of the most requested, and costly, suites in the Hollywood Roosevelt. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was was dedicated as a Los Angeles Historical Monument in 1991 and continues to serve as a landmark structure in Tinseltown.
Built in 1927 by theater operator Sid Grauman in Hollywood, California, the TLC Chinese Theatre is an iconic movie palace located on the historic Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. Also in front of the theater are footprints, handprints, and signatures of famous Hollywood figures (in concrete). Many movies have premiered here over the years, a tradition that continues today. The TLC Chinese Theatre also has the world's largest IMAX screen.
The Dolby Theatre (originally the Kodak Theatre) was completed in 2001 and has been home to the annual Academy Award ceremony since 2002. The theater was designed to be the optimal location in Hollywood for live televised broadcasts. Many of the leading live television shows of the past decade have been filmed in the theater including the American Idol finales, America’s Got Talent, and some of the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Located in the heart of Hollywood, the El Capitan Theatre opened in 1926 and was dubbed "Hollywood's First Home of Spoken Drama." The developer behind the creation of the theatre, Charles E. Toberman, was also involved with projects such as the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the Egyptian Theatre, and Grauman's Chinese Theatre. First the theatre hosted only live performances, but then it began premiering movies such as Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941). The El Capitan suffered during the Great Depression and briefly closed before being purchased by Paramount Pictures and undergoing extensive renovation. The El Capitan became the Hollywood Paramount in 1941 and remained known as that until it was purchased by the Walt Disney Company in 1989 and restored to its original 1926 look and name. The El Capitan Theatre continues to be operated by the Walt Disney Company and has shown many Disney films since the 1991 premiere of "The Rocketeer."
The Hollywood Museum has the largest collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. Its four floors showcase thousands of pieces of Hollywood history. Visitors can step into the building’s past life as the workplace of Max Factor, walk through the “Dungeon of Doom,” or learn about the past and present of movies. Some of the museum’s items include Elvis Presley’s bathrobe, costumes from I Love Lucy, and Cary Grant’s car.
The Egyptian Theatre, completed in 1922, was one of many movie theaters in the United States whose design was inspired by the nation's interest in Egyptian architecture and culture following the search for and discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Showman Sid Grauman and real-estate developer Charles E. Toberman worked with designers to give the picture palace an “oriental” feel with details such as painted ceilings, arches, and hieroglyphics. Over the decades, the Egyptian was remodeled to meet the needs of larger screens and other equipment. It was restored in the 1990s by American Cinematheque, a Los Angeles organization that works to celebrate and present motion pictures through festivals and other events.
Musso and Frank Grill prides itself on being "the oldest restaurant in Hollywood," which emblazons on the historic sign visible from Grauman's and the Walk of Fame. While other famous Hollywood restaurants such as the Brown Derby and Chasen's did not stand the test of time, Musso's has the magic touch that keeps it going. Since 1919 when Frank Toulet opened the Hollywood Blvd. joint, it has remained a staple in Hollywood frequented by stars from Charlie Chaplin to Johnny Depp. Musso and Frank holds fast to its traditions, the same family has run the restaurant since the 1930s and the bartenders and waiters still wear the iconic red coats. The feeling of nostalgia and welcoming service is alluring and timeless.
Construction of the Warner Pacific Theatre started in 1925 with the investment of 1.25 million dollars by the Warner Brothers, and first opened in 1928. The theater was intended to utilize vitaphone technology, playing recorded audio on a phonograph at the same time as the projector. This technology was developed by the Warner Brothers and used from 1926 to 1931. It was hoped to be finished by the time the film "Jazz Singer" premiered, as it used some scenes with sound. However, in 1927, when the film premiered, it was clear the theater would not be ready in time, so it premiered in another Warner Brothers theater.
During Hollywood's golden age, one of the most beloved hotels among movie stars was the Knickerbocker Hotel. In the summer of 1929, the Knickerbocker Hotel and its nightclub, the Lido Room, officially opened. Over the next decades, entertainment legends from Marilyn Monroe to Elvis Presley stayed at the Knickerbocker. Despite its glamor, the Knickerbocker Hotel has also seen its share of tragedy. In 1962, clothing designer Irene Lentz leaped to her death from her room. In 1938, Director D.W. Griffith, an influential filmmaker whose work shaped the motion picture industry but is best known today for the notoriously racist depiction of Reconstruction in the movie Birth of a Nation, suffered a massive stroke in the lobby. As movie stars made fewer visits to Hollywood Boulevard, the hotel's fortunes declined. In 1972, the building was sold, and it was eventually made into apartments for senior citizens, which it remains today.
The Religious Technology Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to serve as the keeper of the religious texts and revered symbols of the Church of Scientology. The Religious Technology Center (RTC) is owned and operated by members of the leadership of the Church of Scientology, however, it claims that it stands as an independent organization intended to protect the logos, texts, canon, and technologies of the religion of Scientology as a whole. The international headquarters of the organization is located on the northern side of Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, in an iconic building bearing the Church’s name.
When the Taft Building was completed in 1923, it was the first high-rise office building in Los Angeles. The twelve-story building on the corners of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street was home to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1935 to 1946. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, such stars as Charlie Chaplin and Will Rogers had offices in the Taft Building, as did well-known agents, lawyers, and publicists. This staple building underwent a major renovation in 2015, restoring several of the original features that made it a landmark. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
The Hollywood Pantages Theatre, completed in 1930, was the last movie palace built in Hollywood and the last built by theater magnate Alexander Pantages. The theater has changed ownership from the Fox Film Corporation (1930s and 1940s) to RKO (1950s and 1960s) to the Nederlander Organization (1970s to today). It has hosted nine Academy Award ceremonies as well as the premieres of such classics as Cleopatra. The Pantages was originally built for exhibition of both movies and live performances but is now solely dedicated to the latter.
In the early 1950s, E.M. Stuart came up with the idea of awarding stars in film, television, radio, recording, and later, live theatre. The Walk of Fame, consisting of the first 1,600 stars, was officially dedicated in the spring of 1961, and it was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument by the Cultural Heritage Board in 1978. The Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Avenue from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue along with two other segments on Vine Street and Marshfield Way. The Walk of Fame ends with "The Four Ladies of Hollywood" gazebo, which celebrates the multi-ethnic women of Hollywood. The internationally known Hollywood Walk of Fame has become one of the most iconic emblems of the entertainment business.
The Hollywood Tower, originally known as La Belle Tour, is a world famous apartment building placed on the National Register of Historical places in 1988. This beautiful building was built in 1929. For many years, actor George Raft owned and lived in the building and the tower was one of the most popular hangouts among celebrities in Hollywood. Today, the Hollywood Tower has been renovated in a way that blends modern style with the historic charm of the original design.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
This walking tour starts at the Hollywood Tower and the east end of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The tour includes stops at a variety of theaters, museums, and landmarks related to the history of the film industry in Hollywood. The route follows Hollywood Boulevard but also includes sites that are a few blocks north and south of this famous street. New sites are being added to this tour so please check back soon.
