For starry-eyed ingénues and visitors alike, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a must-see Los Angeles attraction. Located along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, there are now over 2,400 stars dedicated to entertainment industry greats set into this iconic sidewalk strip.
The very first eight coral-pink terrazzo stars set in charcoal terrazzo were laid in 1958 to honour luminaries such as Burt Lancaster and Joanne Woodward. The public sidewalk stretches along both sides of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in the heart of Hollywood and is free to visit at any time of the day and night. Who could forget Julia Roberts and Laura San Giacomo as Vivian and Kit in 'Pretty Woman' working their stretch from 'Bob Hope, Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire… all the way to Esther Williams'?
Administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Walk of Fame inducts an average of two stars a month to its extensive list. Each star ceremony costs the star $30,000, which goes towards the creation and installation of the star and the maintenance of the Walk of Fame. Every year the Walk of Fame Star Recipients are announced for the following year. The 2013 Star Recipients include actors James Franco and Helen Mirren, singer Janis Joplin and TV stars Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Baker. Ceremonies are free to watch from the public viewing area.
To visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame, from downtown L.A. take the Metro Red Line subway from Union Station to Hollywood/ Highland Station. From here it's an eight-minute walk along Hollywood Boulevard to the Walk of Fame between Gower Street and La Brea Avenue.
