01 Arriving at Hollywood Highland Center

The Holidays at Hollywood Highland Center

The Hollywood Highland Center is right where you’d expect it to be — on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and N. Highland Avenue — and it’s worth a visit if you haven’t already been there.

Perhaps the Center’s best-known attraction is the iconic Chinese Theatre, host to countless Hollywood movie premieres and its stars’ handprints, shoe-prints and signatures in the theatre’s legendary forecourt. Right next door, you can also see the elegant Dolby Theatre, home to the Academy Awards Ceremony since 2001 and designed with that purpose in mind (guided tours, 7 days/week).

The sidewalk out front is always attended by a bevy of movie characters and superheroes in full costume. Inside the sprawling complex, you’ll find dancing water fountains, Lucky Strike Hollywood lanes (“The Original,” on Level 1), a Hard Rock Cafe, and even a great view of the Hollywood Sign from the back of the Center.

One of the stores you don’t want to miss is “SWEET!” — a 28,000 square foot candy shop, featuring a cherry red (real) Ferrari inside and a place where you can even design your own candy.

On top of all the great shopping and dining at the Center itself, it’s also surrounded by lots of other memorable venues. Located on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame, the complex sits directly across the street from the classically-styled El Capitan Theatre, Madame Tussauds, the Disney Store, Ghirardelli (chocolate!), and many other tourist destinations, just steps away.  And, while you’re across the street, you can even hang out and try to score (rare) standby tickets to see Jimmy Kimmel Live, well … LIVE.

I know, I know … corny tourist stuff. But FUN. Plan to spend the day, because there are plenty of ways to be entertained and well fed from morning until late night.

Here’s just a glimpse of what you can see and do.

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