DISCOVER LA, YOUR WAY: HOLLYWOOD AND GRIFFITH PARK

Los Angeles Tourism encourages visitors to explore the movie culture, historic destinations, and world-famous namesake boulevard Hollywood has to offer

Los Angeles, CA (April 1, 2025) - From the Walk of Fame to the Hollywood Sign, no destination is more iconic, glamorous or culturally influential than Hollywood, located in the heart of Los Angeles.  

"Hollywood is at the heart of Los Angeles, and no visit is complete without seeing its iconic landmarks," said Adam Burke, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. "From the world-famous Hollywood Sign to the Vinyl District and star-studded Walk of Fame, every corner offers cinematic and musical history, mouthwatering culinary options and boutique hotels. Also, with the Griffith Observatory celebrating its 90th anniversary, it remains a must-see destination that beautifully blends science, culture, and LA’s stunning views."

Commonly referred to as “Tinsel Town,’ Hollywood is where the entertainment industry was born, and where it continues to thrive — in film, TV, video and music, and as a prime influence on global culture, fashion, trends and tastes. Visit the Dolby Theatre where the Academy Awards are held; look for celebrity handprints outside the TCL Chinese Theatre; glimpse mansions of the rich and famous on a Starline Tour, and pay your respects to legends like Judy Garland at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  

The nearby Griffith Park is a destination unto itself: home to the famed Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, Autry Museum of the American West, Travel Town museum and countless hiking trails to see the Hollywood Sign.  

Foodies will love the Hollywood Farmers’ Market; crave-worthy restaurants like Mother Wolf, Grandmaster Recorders and the Aster Hotel’s Lemon Grove, and classic spots like Musso & Frank Grill and Pink’s Hot Dogs. Looking to dance the night away? Try Playhouse for hip-hop, Boardner’s for alternative sounds, or find LA’s next best DJ at one of the rooftop bars. For larger artists, head to the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford or The Greek Theatre.  

Read on for LA Tourism’s detailed guide and tips for exploring Hollywood and Griffith Park:

HOLLYWOOOD AND GRIFFITH PARK AT A GLANCE

Celebrity Culture and Entertainment  

• Find favorite celebrity names on the Walk of Fame and amid the hand- and footprints outside TCL Chinese Theatre.
• Enjoy a show outdoors under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford or The Greek Theatre.  
• Attend a movie or live performance indoors at the Bourbon Room, Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s Masonic Lodge, or in iconic theaters like the Pantages, El Capitan or the Egyptian.  
• Glimpse celebrity mansions on a Starline Tour, find memorials for Judy Garland and Johnny Ramone at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and view Marilyn Monroe memorabilia at the Hollywood Museum, formerly the headquarters for Max Factor cosmetics.  
• Check out unique retailers like Amoeba Music, Funko Hollywood and Hollywood Movie Posters.  
• Chill out — or go shopping — at Ovation Hollywood, a retail and entertainment complex.
• Go clubbing at Bardot, Desert 5 Spot or Jungle.  

Outdoor Discovery

• Tour the Hollywood Hills on horseback with Sunset Ranch Hollywood or hike beautiful Runyon Canyon.
• In Griffith Park, explore 53 miles of trails, learn about the cosmos at Griffith Observatory and see the Hollywood Sign.
• Visit the LA Zoo, Autry Museum of the American West and Travel Town’s vintage trains.

Neighborhoods  

• Explore up-and-coming Melrose Hill, home to Cafe Telegrama, David Zwirner art gallery and a historic district known for Craftsman bungalows.
• In the Vinyl District, check out trendy bars and restaurants like Mother Wolf, 3rd Base and Grandmaster Recorders. Look for the Capitol Records Tower, a modern architecture icon.
• Dine out in Thai Town, the only officially recognized Thai Town in the U.S., packed with dozens of terrific restaurants.
• Stroll Franklin Boulevard, home to the Upright Citizen Brigade, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and cultural landmarks like the Hollywood Tower.  
• On bustling Sycamore Avenue, peruse groundbreaking art galleries such as Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, shop for eclectic fashion and art at Just One Eye, and indulge at Tartine, Sightglass Coffee or Mr. T Los Angeles.  
• In Larchmont, enjoy coffee at Go Get Em Tiger, get an exotic donut from Holey Grail, and browse magazines at Above the Fold, an old-fashioned newsstand.

Food, Drink & Nightlife

• Start with breakfast at Clark Street Diner, Superba, Groundwork Coffee or The Breakfast Club. Don’t miss the Sunday Hollywood Farmers’ Market.
• Grab lunch at Trails Cafe in Griffith Park or Pink’s Hot Dogs.
• For dinner, consider Yamashiro Hollywood, the Aster Hotel’s Jemma or Lemon Grove; Shirley Brasserie at the Hollywood Roosevelt, KA’TEEN or Thai Town’s Jitlada or Ruen Pair. Reserve ahead if your bucket list includes the iconic Musso & Frank Grill.
• Enjoy a cocktail at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel or rooftop bars at Grandmaster Recorders or the Thompson Hollywood.  
• Explore nightlife options like dance parties and live performances at Academy LA or Avalon Hollywood; and Houston Hospitality venues including speakeasy-style No Vacancy, ‘70s-themed Good Times at Davey Wayne's, and Harvard & Stone, a music and burlesque club.

Shopping

• Check out Iguana Vintage Clothing; Amoeba Music or The Record Parlour for vinyl, and Funko Hollywood for pop-culture merchandise.
• Visit Ovation Hollywood for top retailers like Hot Topic, Korheim Korean Beauty, Sephora and Dodgers Clubhouse.
• Visit a famed Hollywood Boulevard souvenir shop for destination themed goods.  
• In nearby Larchmont, you’ll find Chevalier’s Books, Catbird NYC for jewelry, Beyond Yoga for apparel, Larchmont Beauty Center and Flicka for kids’ clothing.

Hotels

• For upscale accommodations, consider The Hollywood Roosevelt, Loews Hollywood Hotel, the Aster Hotel, Thompson Hollywood and the W Hollywood.  
• Affordable options include the Hollywood Hotel, The Dixie Hollywood and The Adler A Hollywood Hotel.
• In the Vinyl District, The Godfrey Hotel and Dream Hollywood offer a sleek boutique experience while the Hollywood VOLUME attracts a young, club-going crowd.
• New hotel options include the Whiskey Hotel and Palihotel Hollywood.

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES TO HOLLYWOOD AND GRIFFITH PARK

Dive deeper into the neighborhoods that make up the Hollywood and Griffith Park region.

HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD & VICINITY

Start with the Hollywood Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, where red stars embedded in the sidewalk honor celebrities ranging from actors to athletes to astronauts. Tour the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, where plaques commemorate every Best Picture award. Outside, buses line up for Starline’s classic tours of film locations and celebrity mansions.

Historic movie palaces on the boulevard include the Egyptian, now owned by Netflix, and El Capitan, now owned by Disney. Catch first-run films at TCL Chinese Theatre, where the pavement is marked with celebrity handprints, footprints and the occasional knee or nose print. The Pantages Theatre hosts touring Broadway shows while Bourbon Room performances range from rock to comedy.  

The building that once housed Max Factor cosmetics is now the Hollywood Museum. Stars like Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland got their signature looks here, based on complexion and hair color, in rooms designated for redheads, brunettes, blondes and “brownettes.” Museum exhibits include the jailhouse set from “The Silence of the Lambs.”  

Hollywood history can also be found at elegant hotels like The Hollywood Roosevelt, where the Academy Awards were first presented in 1929. Buy a day pass for the pool and spa, have a classic cocktail in the lobby or try the seafood at Shirley Brasserie. The boutique Hollywood Hotel, founded in 1903, was once home to silent film heartthrob Rudolph Valentino, while the Adler A Hollywood Hotel is known for Art Deco style and a Pop Art facade.

The trendy Aster Hotel has two terrific restaurants: the rooftop Lemon Grove, where the views and the short-rib pasta are both spectacular, and street-level Jemma (try the kale salad, artisanal pizza and Light & Stormy mocktail). The glamorous W Hollywood features a newly remodeled lobby and rooftop with a WET Deck pool, cabanas and views of the Hollywood Hills. Loews Hollywood Hotel, at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, offers easy access to shops, restaurants and attractions, while the Dixie Hollywood Hotel are steps from Thai Town.

Iconic restaurants include Musso & Frank Grill, serving Italian fare and steaks since 1929. Reservations fill up months ahead, but if you arrive just before they open, you might score a seat at the bar. Elsewhere, the legendary Clark Street Diner has been a backdrop for “Gilmore Girls,” HBO’s “Entourage” and many films, while The Breakfast Club serves everything from grain bowls to pancakes to your favorite cereals from childhood. On Sundays, visit the massive Hollywood Farmers’ Market for organic produce, pastries and ethnic fare.

Specialty shops include Hollywood Movie Posters, Iguana Vintage Clothing and Funko Hollywood, which sells collectible pop-culture dolls. (You can even get a 3D doll of yourself.) Amoeba Hollywood is a huge record store that also offers free live shows and listening parties.

The Ovation Hollywood shopping and entertainment complex offers ample seating, views of the Hollywood Sign from a pedestrian bridge, free outdoor movie nights, retailers like Sephora and Lids, and local food vendors like Cafe de Leche and The Win-Dow, known for smash burgers.  

Look for the Capitol Records Building, the world’s first circular office building and a modernist architecture icon. Among those who recorded there: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Green Day, Bob Dylan and NWA.

VINYL DISTRICT

The Vinyl District is home to clubs, hotels, bars and restaurants, along with stores like The Record Parlour and curiosity shop Memento Mori.  

Grandmaster Recorders is named for a studio that once recorded Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Foo Fighters. Today it has a restaurant, rooftop bar and 71Studio, a club with live music, ‘90s music videos and a DJ spinning funk on OG Sundays.  

The Art Deco building where the Hollywood Citizen-News was once headquartered now houses Mother Wolf’s gorgeous restaurant featuring Murano glass chandeliers and upscale Italian fare like oxtail ragu and olive oil cake.  

Vinyl District hotels include the sleek Dream Hollywood; Thompson Hollywood, known for its Mes Ami brasserie and rooftop lounge Bar Lis, along with its sister hotel, Hollywood VOLUME, home to KA’TEEN restaurant’s Yucatán-inspired food and Desert 5 Spot rooftop bar.

Sports bar 3rd Base LA anchors a busy strip mall with Frog frozen yogurt, Trejo’s Cantina, Stout Burgers & Beers, and BBQ Chicken (Korean-style).    

GRIFFITH PARK  

One of LA’s most beloved destinations, Griffith Park is home to the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, Greek Theatre, LA Zoo, Autry Museum of the American West, and Travel Town train museum. Take a tour with Bikes & Hikes to explore some of the park’s 53 miles of trails.  

The observatory has been featured in “La La Land,” “Jurassic Park,” “Back to the Future,” “Terminator” and Adele’s 2021 televised concert. Admission is free except for planetarium shows; there’s also free night-sky telescope viewing. Parking is $10 an hour, but you can park free on the road a mile downhill, or take the DASH Observatory shuttle from LA Metro’s Vermont/Sunset station.  

Elsewhere in the park, the Greek Theatre is an outdoor music venue, while Travel Town features a miniature train ride, real vintage trains and kids’ play area. The LA Zoo's animals from around the world include Australian koalas, wallabies and kangaroos.  

The Autry Museum of the American West, founded by Hollywood’s “Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry, houses a multicultural collection of art and artifacts exploring topics like the environment, Western imagery in pop culture and the fraught history of Native communities.  

Griffith Park eateries include The Trails, Franklin’s Cafe and the observatory’s Cafe at the End of the Universe.

THAI TOWN

For the best Thai food this side of Bangkok, head to Thai Town. You may find long lines outside popular eateries like Jitlada and Ruen Pair. Other foodie favorites include Kanomwaan Thai Gelato and Dessert Cafe, featuring exotic flavors like lychee yuzu and black sesame, and a mini-night market of food stalls outside Silom Supermarket. This is the only official Thai Town in the U.S. and an important part of LA’s Thai community — at 50,000 people, it’s the largest in the world outside Thailand.  

FRANKLIN VILLAGE

Franklin Village is known for cultural landmarks like the Parva Sed Apartments from Nathanael West’s “The Day of the Locust”; Chateau Alto Nido from “Sunset Boulevard”; the Hollywood Tower, said to be the inspiration for Disney’s Twilight Zone of Terror, and the white-tiled gateway to Hollywood Dell. Have a treat at Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, catch some comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre-UCB Franklin, and enjoy a picnic in Franklin-Ivar Park.

LARCHMONT VILLAGE

On Larchmont Boulevard in charming Larchmont Village, try a Swedish cardamom bun from Clark Street Bakery; an iced almond-macadamia milk latte (considered one of the country’s finest coffee drinks) from Go Get Em Tiger, or vegan taro donuts from Holey Grail in unique flavors like yuzu creamsicle. For other bites and treats, try Salt & Straw ice cream; Sweet Lady Jane bakery, Levain Bakery, and Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese for gourmet sandwiches. Shops include Larchmont Beauty Center, Buck Mason menswear, Flicka kids’ clothing, Beyond Yoga apparel, Chevalier’s Books, and Above the Fold, a cool old-school newsstand.

MELROSE HILL

Up-and-coming Melrose Hill has a burgeoning food and art scene, along with a historic preservation district showcasing 50 Craftsman and Colonial Revival bungalows built between 1911 and 1926. Among the dining options try Café Telegrama, Osteria La Buca, Ggiata deli, Le Coupé for fried chicken, Kuya Lord for Filipino food, Italian restaurant Ètra and wine bar Bar Etoile. Galleries include David Zwirner, The Lodge, Fernberger Gallery, Chateau Shatto, Morán Morán, Rele Gallery and Southern Guild. There’s also cool street art like a Buddha overlooking a gas station.

SYCAMORE AVENUE

The vibrant new development on Sycamore Avenue, formerly an industrial back lot for LA’s movie industry, brought an array of art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants that make it one of the coolest streets in Los Angeles. Must-visit restaurants include French fare at Gigi’s and Mr. T’s, Tartine and Sightglass Coffee are perfect for starting your day with a curated beverage and pastry. Shop at boutiques that are redefining “cool” like Just One Eye and Supervinyl, and visit can’t-miss exhibitions at galleries like Jeffrey Deitch Gallery and Micheal Kohn Gallery.  

EXPLORE FURTHER…

• At Pink’s Hot Dogs, try a chili dog combo named for celebs like Marlon Brando, Martha Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne and Shaquille O’Neal.
• Pay your respects to Judy Garland, Chris Cornell, Johnny Ramone and other greats at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. (The gift shop sells directory maps.) The historic onsite Masonic Lodge hosts concerts and other events.  
• Join locals, their dogs and the occasional movie star hiking the trails of Runyon Canyon.
• See an outdoor show at the 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl, one of the best concert venues in the U.S. Pre-concert traffic can be heavy; alternatively, walk from Hollywood Boulevard (it’s a mile), or take the Hollywood Bowl Shuttle. Order ahead for a picnic delivered to your seat, or stop by the Plaza Marketplace, open even when there’s no show, for coffee, pastries, salads and sandwiches. The Hollywood Bowl Museum documents the venue’s history hosting stars like Billie Holliday and the Beatles. The Ford, a 1,200-seat outdoor amphitheater, is across the freeway in the Hollywood Hills’ Cahuenga Pass.  

TIPS FOR VISITING

Getting there:  

• Fly into LAX or the Hollywood Burbank Airport
• From LAX, take the FlyAway bus service to Union Station, then transfer to the Metro.
• By Metro: The Metro B (Red) Line stops at Hollywood and Vine as well as Hollywood and Highland.
• By rideshare: Uber and Lyft are efficient ways to get around without the hassles and expense of parking or car rentals.  

Safety:

• Like many other cities, LA faces complex challenges related to homelessness, addiction and mental illness. Be cautious walking alone after dark and through isolated sections of Hollywood Boulevard and the Vinyl District.
• Hiking trails in Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon are steep and rugged. It’s easy to get dehydrated in LA’s dry climate, so bring water and consider packing a drink with electrolytes like Gatorade. Rattlesnakes are native to the area; if you see one, step around it or wait for it to pass. Do not attempt to shoo them away.  

Find a first-timer’s guide to Hollywood with more information here.  

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MEDIA CONTACT  

Melissa Yunk  

Director, Global Communications  

myunk@latourism.org    

ABOUT LOS ANGELES & LOS ANGELES TOURISM

Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) is the non-profit destination marketing and sales organization for the Los Angeles tourism industry and the ultimate resource for where to stay and play in the LA area.    

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