Why Hollywood of California Is a Tourist Attraction

Hollywood, renowned throughout the world as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, is situated west northwest of downtown Los Angeles. A visit to Hollywood will predictably be jam packed with events and a host of must see sights. Hollywood is a vibrant destination for nightlife, shopping and tourist spots. The foremost attraction that no tourist to Hollywood should miss is the HOLLYWOOD sign.

The Hollywood Sign is considered as one of the world’s most evocative symbols and a well-recognized landmark in the Hollywood Hills area. The Hollywood Sign is a lot more than just nine white letters spelling out the name of the region.

The iconic sign spells out the name ‘HOLLYWOOD’ in 45-foot-tall and 350 foot long letters. In fact, it was originally conceived in 1923 as an advertisement sign, but acquired increasing recognition over time. The sign is protected and maintained by the Hollywood Sign Trust that also undertakes to educate the visitors about its historical and cultural importance.

The heart of Hollywood is at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Here, you will find some of most exciting Hollywood tourist attractions such as the Kodak Theatre, Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex, Madame Tussaud's and a short walk away are the familiar attractions, such as the Hollywood Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not.

There is the well-known Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Here, you can see more than 2,300 bronze stars with the names of actresses and actors. There is also the Universal Studios, a theme park featuring movie studios, tours, attractions, rides, restaurants and more. For some Hollywood education, the best place to visit is the Hollywood Museum, with four floors of 5,000 displays.

The Academy's Grand Lobby Gallery and Fourth Floor Gallery offer free exhibitions pertaining to the film industry, and are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. Both galleries are located at the Academy Headquarters in Beverly Hills.

The Hollywood Bowl is a premier location for summer evenings to enjoy some thrilling music, dance, and film, fine dining under the stars and witnessing spectacular fireworks. Hollywood Bowl Museum will present you with photos, posters, videos, and rock memorabilia from events at the Hollywood Bowl.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery was founded in 1899 and it is the solemn resting place of hundreds of Hollywood's greatest stars. Recently renovated to reclaim its original solemnity, the cemetery attracts hordes of tourists from all over the world.

Hollywood Heritage Museum is a treasure house dedicated to the early days of filmmaking in Hollywood. The Museum features archival photographs ranging from the silent movie days of

motion picture production, movie props, historic documents and other movie related memorabilia.

At the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, you will find all demographic data, visitor information, Hollywood Sign history, and Walk of Fame history.

You can avail the Celebrity and Movie Stars Homes Tour which is one of the most popular guided tours that take you to the homes of the movie stars. They go around the current homes of top stars like Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise and Dr. Phil as well as former homes of super stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. There are several such guided tours to take you around all the hot spots of Hollywood.

Source: California Tours