TCL Chinese Theatre
1927 movie palace on Hollywood Blvd famous for its forecourt of celebrity hand- and footprints.
The call
Worth it if you're traveling with kids and you're traveling as a couple.
Short answer
Is TCL Chinese Theatre worth it?
TCL Chinese Theatre deserves a place on most first itineraries. Go early or reserve ahead. Crowds are part of the cost.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
The one genuinely rewarding stop on this stretch of Hollywood Blvd.
- 02
The forecourt of the 1927 pagoda is smaller and more intimate than photos suggest — you're crouching among nearly 200 sets of hand- and footprints in cement, and the fun is the specificity: Marilyn Monroe's prints, the wands and Daniel Radcliffe's hands from Harry Potter, R2-D2's wheel tracks.
Is it a fit?
Go if
This is your first trip to Los Angeles
The single rewarding thing on this block — treat it as a five-minute hunt for prints you actually recognize.
You're traveling with kids
With kids, TCL Chinese Theatre is an easy yes.
You're traveling as a couple
As a couple, TCL Chinese Theatre is an easy yes.
You're traveling solo
Solo, TCL Chinese Theatre is an easy yes.
Think twice if
You're watching the budget
TCL Chinese Theatre can strain a tight budget. Go only when it is a priority.
You only have one day
Keep TCL Chinese Theatre only when it outranks a half-day elsewhere.
You care about the visual experience
TCL Chinese Theatre offers some beauty & photography, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
Plan it well
- Cost
- Free (forecourt); IMAX films ticketed
- Timing
- Morning, before the forecourt fills with tour groups.
- Booking
- Forecourt is free and walk-up; IMAX films are ticketed.
- Allow
- 20-40 minutes
- Accessibility
- Forecourt is flat and accessible.
- Getting there
- Metro B (Red) Line to Hollywood/Highland, steps away.