Hollywood Boulevard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard sign
Former name(s)	Prospect Avenue (1887–1910)
Maintained by	Bureau of Street Services, City of L.A. DPW
Nearest metro station	:      Hollywood/Highland      Hollywood/Vine      Hollywood/Western
West end	Sunset Plaza Drive in Hollywood Hills West
Major junctions	US 101 in Hollywood
East end	Sunset Boulevard / Hillhurst Avenue / Virgil Avenue in Los Feliz
Other
Known for	Hollywood and Vine Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The revamped Hollywood Boulevard as seen from the Dolby Theatre, 2005
Built	1939
NRHP reference No.	85000704
Added to NRHP	April 4, 1985

Hollywood Boulevard is a very famous street in Los Angeles, California. It runs from west to east through many interesting neighborhoods. These include Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz.

The street starts in the Hollywood Hills and ends at Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz. Hollywood Boulevard is known worldwide for its exciting tourist spots. These include the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Ovation Hollywood shopping and entertainment center.

Exploring Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard begins in the Hollywood Hills. It starts as a winding street for homes. Then it becomes a main road through Hollywood's popular tourist areas.

A special part of the street, between La Brea Avenue and Gower Street, is home to the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here, you can see stars on the sidewalk honoring celebrities.

At the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, you'll find the Ovation Hollywood complex. This is where the Dolby Theatre is located, famous for hosting the Academy Awards. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine Street was once a symbol of Hollywood itself.

East of Gower Street, the boulevard crosses the Hollywood Freeway (US 101). It then goes through East Hollywood. Parts of the street also border Little Armenia and Los Feliz. Thai Town is centered along Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie Avenues.

You can easily get around Hollywood Boulevard using the Metro B (Red) Line subway. There are three stations right on the boulevard: Hollywood/Highland station, Hollywood/Vine station, and Hollywood/Western station.

History of the Boulevard

Early Days: From Prospect Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard

Before it was Hollywood Boulevard, part of this road was called Prospect Avenue. It was a dusty road that connected Hollywood to the city of Los Angeles. In 1899, a new railroad project began to link these two areas.

By 1901, a new road surface with an electric railway was built. The road was made much wider, from 20 feet to almost 100 feet in some places.

In 1903, Hollywood became its own town. People sometimes called Prospect Avenue "the Boulevard of Hollywood." Then, in 1910, Hollywood joined Los Angeles. That's when Prospect Avenue officially became Hollywood Boulevard.

The Roaring Twenties: A Time of Growth

In the early 1920s, a man named Charles E. Toberman had a big dream for Hollywood. He wanted to create a lively theater district. He helped build many famous places, like the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Toberman worked with Sid Grauman to open three amazing movie theaters. These were the Egyptian, El Capitan, and Chinese theaters.

Hollywood's Shopping Hub

Around 1920, Hollywood Boulevard became a major shopping area. People came from all over to buy clothes, appliances, and fancy items. Many well-known stores opened here.

For example, Schwab's opened in 1921, and I. Magnin in 1923. Large department stores like Robertson's and The Broadway also set up shop. By 1930, there were over 300 stores on the boulevard! Later, other shopping areas in Los Angeles became popular, offering new places for people to shop.

Mid-Century Moments: Stars and Parades

In 1946, country music star Gene Autry was riding his horse in the Hollywood Christmas Parade. This parade still happens every year on Hollywood Boulevard. He heard kids shouting, "Here comes Santa Claus!" This inspired him to write the famous song "Here Comes Santa Claus."

In 1958, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was created. It honors artists from the entertainment industry with stars embedded in the sidewalk. It stretches for many blocks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.

Making Hollywood Boulevard Shine Again

By the 1970s, parts of Hollywood Boulevard became less appealing. However, efforts began to bring back its sparkle.

In 1984, a section of the boulevard was recognized as a historic place. In 1992, the street was even paved with glittery asphalt!

The El Capitan Theatre was beautifully restored in 1997. A special business group was formed to help improve the area.

The Metro Red Line subway opened in 1999, making it easier to visit. Stops are at Western Avenue, Vine Street, and Highland Avenue.

In 2001, the Hollywood and Highland Center (now called Ovation Hollywood) and the Dolby Theatre were built. These projects helped make Hollywood Boulevard a popular spot once more.

By 2005, the city updated the street with new streetlights, palm trees, and stoplights. In the years leading up to 2007, over $2 billion was spent on new buildings and improvements in the neighborhood.

In 2021, the Vogue Theatre reopened as the Vogue Multicultural Museum. The Hollywood and Highland Center was renovated and renamed Ovation Hollywood in 2022. Also in 2022, colorful lights were added to over 100 trees for special events like the LA Pride parade.

Plans for a Pedestrian-Friendly Boulevard

There are exciting plans to make Hollywood Boulevard even better for people walking around. Many people want to close parts of the street to cars. This would create a "pedestrian zone" from La Brea Avenue to Highland Avenue. This idea is popular because of all the tourists, movie premieres, and award shows that happen there.

In 2019, the City of Los Angeles started a plan to improve the Hollywood Walk of Fame area. This plan includes adding bike lanes, new plants, and wider sidewalks. It also suggests making public plazas and car-free zones.

In 2022, the first part of this plan was finished, removing some parking lanes. In early 2024, a new plan called "Access to Hollywood" was announced. This plan will add bus-only lanes and more bike lanes. It will also make sidewalks even wider for pedestrians. These changes are expected to be completed by 2025.

Another plan, called "Vision Zero," is also underway for the eastern part of Hollywood Boulevard. This plan focuses on making the street safer for pedestrians with new crosswalks and alert striping.

Major Crossings

Mile	Roads intersected	Notes
0.0	0.0	Sunset Plaza Drive	Western end of the street
1.8	2.9	Laurel Canyon Boulevard
2.0	3.2	Fairfax Avenue
3.0	4.8	La Brea Avenue	Western start of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
3.4	5.5	Highland Avenue	Near Ovation Hollywood and Hollywood/Highland station
3.8	6.1	Wilcox Avenue
3.9	6.3	Cahuenga Boulevard
4.1	6.6	Vine Street	Hollywood and Vine intersection; near Hollywood/Vine station
4.3	6.9	Gower Street	Eastern end of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
4.6	7.4	US 101 (Hollywood Freeway)
5.0	8.0	Western Avenue	Near Hollywood/Western station
5.5	8.9	Normandie Avenue
6.1	9.8	Vermont Avenue
6.4	10.3	Sunset Boulevard / Hillhurst Avenue / Virgil Avenue	Eastern end of the street
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Gallery

Events

One fun event on the boulevard is its transformation for Christmas. Shops light up their stores with decorated trees and lights. The street becomes "Santa Claus Lane." The Hollywood Christmas Parade also travels along Hollywood Boulevard each year.

Famous Places to See

TCL Chinese Theatre

Images for kids

• 

  Artistic map of Hollywood Boulevard's shopping district in the late 1920s

See also

In Spanish: Hollywood Boulevard para niños

• List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood