Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame lines 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, with more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo stars embedded in the sidewalk, each honoring a figure from film, television, music, radio, or live theater. The Walk runs from Gower Street in the east to La Brea Avenue in the west along Hollywood Boulevard, then along Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. The first star was installed in 1960, and new honorees are added in public ceremonies roughly 20 to 30 times per year. The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue is the most visited section, adjacent to TCL Chinese Theatre — formerly Grauman's Chinese Theatre — where more than 200 celebrity hand- and footprint impressions are preserved in the cement of the theater's forecourt. Among the most sought-after prints are those of Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, and more recent additions from franchise films. The Dolby Theatre, which hosts the Academy Awards ceremony annually, is within the same Highland Center complex and offers public tours on non-show days. El Capitan Theatre across the boulevard shows Disney and specialty films in a restored 1926 movie palace interior with a full Wurlitzer organ. The Egyptian Theatre, operated by the American Cinematheque, presents revival screenings and film premieres in an open courtyard setting dating from 1922. Each star identifies the honoree's entertainment category with an embossed icon at its base — a film camera, television set, phonograph record, radio microphone, or theater mask. Celebrity impersonators operating as street performers for tips are concentrated near TCL Chinese Theatre; engagement is entirely voluntary. The Hollywood and Highland Metro B Line station provides direct access from downtown Los Angeles, making public transit the most practical option on busy weekends.