THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
Day Two of The Three-Day Getaway Guide to Los Angeles centers on the endless entertainment options available to visitors in Hollywood. From Downtown, take a short ride on the Metro Rail Red Line, exit at the Hollywood/Highland Station and check into one of the nearby hotels, such as the family-friendly Loews Hollywood, the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel or the Holiday Inn Express, a popular value property. The Hollywood/Vine station is the next Metro stop to the south, where options include hip properties like the W Hollywood and The Redbury. The Universal City station is the next Hollywood Metro stop to the north, where options include the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City and the Sheraton Universal.
Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, and there’s no better place to get the ultimate Hollywood experience than Universal Studios Hollywood, featuring incredible theme park rides and shows, a real working movie studio, and the shops, restaurants and cinemas at Universal CityWalk. Go behind the scenes and see how Hollywood movies are made on the legendary Studio Tour, or strap yourself in for Transformers™: The Ride-3D, an immersive, next generation thrill ride that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
Though you could spend the entire day at Universal Studios, there are plenty of other things to do in Hollywood, like a visit to the Hollywood & Highland Center, located in the heart of Tinseltown. Movie fans will love touring this lively retail and entertainment complex, which is home to the historic TCL Chinese Theatre as well as the state-of-the-art Dolby Theatre, site of the annual Academy Awards. If you'd prefer enjoying the great outdoors, there's plenty of hiking options in the area including Runyon Canyon and several trails in nearby Griffith Park. Read More →
Speaking of stars, the nearby Hollywood Walk of Fame features nearly 2,500 terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalk along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street. The five-pointed stars honor the accomplishments of actors, musicians, directors, producers and others in the entertainment industry. Recent ceremonies include Hugh Jackman (6931 Hollywood Bl.), Javier Bardem (6834 Hollywood Bl.), Ellen DeGeneres (6270 Hollywood Bl.), Scarlett Johansson (6931 Hollywood Bl.), Jennifer Aniston (6270 Hollywood Bl.), and Paul McCartney (1750 N. Vine St.).
One of the best things to do in Hollywood is visit one of its museums, such as the amazing wax figures at Madame Tussauds Hollywood, adjacent to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Located in the historic Max Factor Building, the Hollywood Museum features the world's most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia. More than 10,000 authentic treasures are exhibited across four floors, including Marilyn Monroe’s million-dollar honeymoon dress (worn on her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio) and Hannibal Lecter’s jail cell from Silence of the Lambs.
Classic American menus, modern restaurants and a variety of other dining options can be found in Hollywood. Head to Yamashiro for panoramic views of the city and Asian fusion cuisine. Musso & Frank Grill is Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, known as much for its legendary Martini as it is for its retro cuisine. Family-friendly restaurants include Hard Rock Cafe on Hollywood Blvd. and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. at Universal CityWalk.
There are plenty of nightlife options in Hollywood, from spectacular Broadway productions at the Pantages Theatre to the world-class movie experience at Arclight Hollywood, located next to LA's music mecca, Amoeba Music. Some of LA’s top bars and lounges are also located a short distance from each other, perfect for a Tinseltown bar crawl. Playhouse and AV are just two of the cutting edge Hollywood nightclubs where you can dance the night away to international DJs.