Los Angeles Tours and Attractions

In Los Angeles nothing seems to be more than 30 years old, people flock to this historical vacuum in an effort to live like stars. There is no better place in the world to do so! Bring your sense of style and an attitude; both are mandatory in this city full of celebrities and attractions. Cruise through the city of Los Angeles and watch the sunset over the Pacific in Santa Monica or stay to see sights, the stars of the Walk of Fame, the Universal Studios, the Grauman's Chinese thatre, the Hollywood sign and go to shopping in Rodeo Drive.

These 50 ft. high, 30 ft. wide, slightly erratic letters perched on Mt. Lee in Griffith Park stand as a universally recognized symbol of the city of Los Angeles. The original 1923 sign read HOLLYWOODLAND and was an advertisement for a new subdivision in the Hollywood Hills. The Hollywood sign has been a target of many college, which have made it read everything from "Hollyweird" to "Ollywood". A fence keeps out at a distance of 40 ft. The Hollywood sign makes frequent appearances in popular culture, particularly in establishing shots for films and television programs set in or around Hollywood, and appears in the background of the current CGI fanfare logo of 20th Century Fox. Signs of similar style, but spelling different words, are frequently seen in parodies.

Modeled on a Chinese temple, this monumental, eye-catching theatre is a Hollywood icon that frequently rolls out out the red carpet for movie premieres. The sculptures on the exterior columns-"Heaven Dogs"-were imported from China, where they once supported a Ming Dynasty temple. The Theatre houses a collection of celebrity foot- and handprints pressed into cement as well as other stars trademarks, including Whoopi Goldberg's dreadlocks. Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922. Built over 18 months, beginning in January 1926 by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman, the theater opened May 18th.

Tourists along Hollywood Blvd. stop mid-stride to gawk at the sidealk's over 2000 bronza-inlaid stars, which are inscribed with the names of the famous and the infamous. Stars of the Walk of Fame are awarded for achievements in one of five categories: movies, radio, TV, recording and live performance. Only Gene Autry has all five stars. The Walk of Fame was created in 1958: many honorees received multiple stars during the initial phase of installation for contributions to separate categories. However, the practice in recent decades has been to honor individuals not yet represented, with only a handful of previous honorees being awarded additional stars. In 1978, the city of Los Angeles designated the Walk of Fame as a Historic-Cultural Monument. The Walk of Fame began with 2,500 blank stars. A total of 1,558 stars were awarded during its first sixteen months. Since then, about two stars have been added per month. By 1994, more than 2,000 of the original stars were filled, and additional stars extended the Walk west past Sycamore to La Brea Avenue, where it now ends at the Silver Four Ladies of Hollywood Gazebo (with stars honoring The Beatles and Elvis Presley).

Rodeo Drive, the greedy heart of the city is known for its clothing boutiques and jewelery shops and is it located in the Golden Triangle, a wedge formed by Beverly Dr., Wilshire Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. Built to look like an old Italian church, GP Deva stands out on this ultramodern street. The triple-whammy of Cartier, Gucci and Chanel sits on prime real estate, with rents approaching $40,000 per month. At the south end of Rodeo Drive there is a pedestrian shopping complex that features Versace, Tiffany and salons of the stars. Across the way is the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, featured in Pretty Woman.

For a breath of fresh air and a respite from city life, take to the rugged slopes of Griffith Park, the nation's largest municipal park, nestled in the hills between U.S. 101, I-5, and Rte.134. A stark contrast to the concrete heights of downtown and the star-studded streets of Hollywood, the park's dry grass foothills and scrub-forested valleys are the site of many outdoor diversions. Some 52 mi. of hiking trails, three golf courses, a planetarium, a zoo, museums and the 6000-seat Greek Theatre are all found within its rolling 4107 acres. The park has numerous equestrian trails and places to saddle up.

El Pueblo Historical Park is historical birthplace of Los Angeles and is now known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical monument, bordered by Cesar Chàvez Avenue, Alameda Street, Hollywood Fwy. and Spring Street. Established in 1825, the square is the centre of El Pueblo, and hosts several festivals including the Mexican Indipendence Celebration (September16). As you wander through the area, check out the plaques found on the walls and sidewalks for all sorts of fun historical facts about the area and its former inhabitants.

The Music Center is an enormous, beautiful complex most easily identified by the sweeping silver curves of the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. This gleaming 2265-seat structure is the brand-new home of the L.A. Philarmonic and the L.A. Master Chorale. The musical fun continues next door with the Dorothy Chandler Pavillon, home of the L.A. Opera and former site of the Academy Awards. Also part of the Music Center are the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre, known for their world-class shows.

Santa Monica is known more for its lively shoreside than for its surf. The famous pier is the heart of Santa Monica beach and home to the roller coasters, arcades and Ferris wheels of Pacific Park. Look for the small aquarium and free TV show tickets near the north entrance of the pier. The paved Ocean Front Walk is a palm-lined mini-freeway of cyclists, skaters and runners. Immediatly south of the pier on the ocean Front Walk, skilled players match wits at the public chess table at the International Chess Park. North of Santa Monica along the Pacific Coast Highway, the cityscape gives way to appealing stretches of sandy, sewage-free shoreline. Malibu's beaches are clean, relatively uncrowded and the best in Los Angeles County for surfers, sunbathers and swimmers alike. Venice is a carnivalesque beach town where guitar-toting, wild-eyed, tie-dyed residents sculpt masterpieces in sand. Manhattan Beach is favored for surfing; Hermosa Beach, L.A. Country's most popular urban beach, is also one of the cleanest.

The Universal Studios are a movie and television studios that happen to have the world's first and largest movie-themed amusement park attached. Universal Studios Hollywood is the most popular tourist spot in Tinseltown and Los Angeles. The signature Studio Tour tram brings riders face-to-face with King Kong and Jaws, rattles through a masive earthquake and wanders past blockbusters serts including War of the Worlds, Apollo 13, Jurassic Park, Psychio and many more. But for some, the 45 minutes tour plays second fiddle to the park's interactive attractions. While the movie may have bombed, the live stunts and pyrotechnics at waterworld are impressive, and you can test your mettle by participating in Fear Factor Live.

Opened in 1955, Disneyland now has been visited by about 515 million people. Certainly in those years they had not the size and the reputation of nowadays: it was not a simple inauguration, for the Walt Disney difficulties to recover the funds needed for its construction and because during the inauguration, in which were invited celebrities, the television and the press, the asphalt thrown only in the evening before literally pasted the heels of ladies shoes. In 1990 Disneyland Park became Disneyland Resort, indicating the extension and the services made available such as hotels and restaurants. In 2005 the park celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with initiatives and renovations, which were in fact already begun some years earlier. Disneyland covers an area of 344,000 square meters. The whole area is divided in sub-areas, the most famous are certainly Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

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