TCL Chinese Theatre
1927 movie palace on Hollywood Blvd famous for its forecourt of celebrity hand- and footprints.
The call
Worth it if you are traveling with kids and you are traveling as a couple.
Why
- 01
The one genuinely rewarding stop on this stretch of Hollywood Blvd.
Our read - 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.
Our read
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 are traveling with kids
With kids, TCL Chinese Theatre works.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, TCL Chinese Theatre works.
You are traveling solo
Solo, TCL Chinese Theatre works.
Think twice if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, weigh it — TCL Chinese Theatre isn't cheap for what it is.
You only have one day
TCL Chinese Theatre is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
You care about the visual experience
For beauty & photography, TCL Chinese Theatre is hit or miss.
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.