Most visitors walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame, snap a few star photos, and then stand on the sidewalk wondering what’s next. That’s a missed opportunity. The stretch of Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Vine sits in the middle of one of LA’s most packed neighborhoods for landmarks, museums, and oddball attractions. Knowing what to see near the Hollywood Walk of Fame before you go makes the difference between a forgettable stroll and a full day worth remembering.
The good news: you don’t need a car to reach any of these spots. Everything on this list is within a short walk or quick ride from the Walk of Fame, and each one adds something the sidewalk stars alone can’t give you, whether that’s history, views, architecture, or a genuinely weird LA moment. We put this guide together based on years of showing visitors around Hollywood as part of our guided tours at Another Side Tours, where our local guides know every block of this neighborhood by heart.
Below, you’ll find 7 stops near the Walk of Fame that are worth your time, along with practical details to help you plan the route. Let’s get into it.
1. Take a Guided Hollywood Tour with Another Side Tours
If you want to understand what to see near the Hollywood Walk of Fame without burning time on guesswork, a guided tour with Another Side Tours is the most efficient way to cover the neighborhood. Our local expert guides know which spots reward a longer look and which ones you can walk past in two minutes, saving you from the frustration of figuring it all out on the fly.
What you’ll see near the Walk of Fame
Our Hollywood tours take you through the core landmarks surrounding the Walk of Fame, including TCL Chinese Theatre, the Dolby Theatre, Ovation Hollywood, and lesser-known corners that most visitors miss entirely. Guides add the stories behind every stop, so you walk away knowing the history and context, not just the name of a building.
Pick the right tour style for your group
Another Side Tours offers several tour formats to fit your group size and travel style. Solo travelers and couples often do well on a semi-private tour, while families or groups of five or more typically get more value from a private booking.
- Walking tours keep it simple and cover the main stretch at a comfortable pace
- Segway and e-bike tours cover more ground and suit people who want to move faster
- Private vehicle tours work well for anyone with mobility needs or a tight schedule
What’s included and what to bring
Most tours include pickup from your hotel or accommodation in Hollywood and surrounding areas. Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Your guide handles the route and all the commentary, so your only job is to pay attention and enjoy it.
Timing and how to fit it into your day
Tours run from 90 minutes to several hours depending on the package. Morning departures between 9 and 11 AM work best because foot traffic on Hollywood Boulevard is lighter and the lighting is better for photos.
Booking a morning slot on a weekday gives you noticeably quieter streets and shorter lines at the major stops.
Pricing and booking notes
Tours start at $75 per person, with group discounts available for parties of three or more. Private tours scale based on group size and duration, so check the Another Side Tours site directly to confirm current availability and pricing before your trip.
2. See the Handprints at TCL Chinese Theatre
The TCL Chinese Theatre is one of the most recognizable movie palaces in the world, and it sits right on Hollywood Boulevard, making it an obvious stop when figuring out what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame. The forecourt cement blocks with celebrity handprints, footprints, and signatures are the real draw here, and they deliver something genuinely interactive that the sidewalk stars don’t.
Why it’s worth a stop
Standing next to prints from Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, and dozens of other Hollywood legends puts you physically close to film history in a way that feels different from just reading a name on a star. The theatre itself, built in 1927, is striking from the outside with its ornate Chinese-inspired architecture.
Comparing your hands or feet to a celebrity’s prints is one of those small moments that actually lands in person.
Exact location and how to get there on foot
The theatre sits at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, roughly in the middle of the Walk of Fame’s main stretch. From the intersection of Hollywood and Highland, it’s about a 2-minute walk heading west.
What to do There Besides Photos
Beyond the forecourt, you can buy tickets for a movie screening inside the historic main auditorium, which still operates as a working cinema. The interior is worth seeing if you catch a film there.
Time Needed and What Costs Extra
Plan 15 to 30 minutes for the forecourt alone. Movie tickets cost extra and vary by screening.
Best Times to Go and Quick Tips
Weekday mornings before 10 AM keep the crowd manageable. Avoid weekend afternoons, when tour groups and street performers pack the forecourt tightly.
3. Step inside the Dolby Theatre
The Dolby Theatre is one of the most recognizable venues in entertainment, and it sits right at the top of the list when people ask what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame. Most visitors only photograph the exterior, but the building offers more than a backdrop.
Why it’s worth a stop
The Dolby Theatre is the permanent home of the Academy Awards, and that alone makes it worth pausing. The architecture is striking, and knowing that every major Oscar moment in the past two decades happened inside this building gives the place real weight.
Even if you skip the tour, standing at the entrance and looking up at the red carpet ramp puts the scale of the venue into perspective.
Exact location and how to get there on foot
The Dolby sits at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, directly inside the Hollywood & Highland complex. From the Walk of Fame’s main stretch, walk to Hollywood and Highland and head up the escalators. You’ll reach the theatre entrance in under five minutes.
What to do there besides the main entrance photo
You can book a guided backstage tour that takes you through the auditorium, the VIP lounge, and the stage itself. It’s one of the more unusual experiences in the neighborhood.
Time Needed and Ticket Options
Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the guided tour. Walk-in entry to the lobby area is free, but the backstage tour costs extra and requires advance booking through the venue.
Best Times to Go and Quick Tips
Weekday mornings offer the least foot traffic. Avoid visiting during awards season rehearsals, when access to parts of the building may be restricted.
4. Take in the Views at Ovation Hollywood
Ovation Hollywood is more than a shopping center. The complex sits at Hollywood and Highland, which puts it directly on the main Walk of Fame stretch and makes it one of the easiest answers to what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame when you need a break from the sidewalk.
Why it’s worth a stop
The rooftop terrace at Ovation Hollywood frames a direct line-of-sight view of the Hollywood Sign that you won’t get from street level. Most visitors walk through without realizing the view is up there, which means you can often get the shot without fighting a crowd.
The Hollywood Sign view from the terrace is one of the best free photo opportunities in the entire neighborhood.
Exact location and how to get there on foot
Ovation Hollywood sits at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, at the corner of Highland Avenue. From the Walk of Fame, head to the Hollywood and Highland intersection and walk directly into the complex. It takes under two minutes.
What to do there besides shopping
Beyond the view, the complex holds several restaurants and food options where you can sit down, recharge, and plan the rest of your day without leaving the neighborhood.
Time Needed and Typical Costs
Plan 20 to 40 minutes depending on whether you eat or just grab the view. The terrace itself is free to access.
Best Times to Go and Quick Tips
Late morning on a weekday gives you the clearest light for the Hollywood Sign shot and the fewest people on the terrace.
5. Snap Photos at Madame Tussauds Hollywood
Madame Tussauds Hollywood is one of the more memorable stops when deciding what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame. The combination of celebrity wax figures and themed sets makes it a genuinely fun break from sidewalk sightseeing, especially if you’re traveling with kids or want something interactive.
Why it’s worth a stop
The Hollywood location features over 150 figures spanning film, music, sports, and politics. Unlike looking at a star on the ground, here you can stand directly next to figures built to exact scale and detail, which produces photos that actually look interesting.
The Marvel 4D experience included in the standard ticket adds a layer that pushes the visit beyond a basic wax museum.
Exact location and how to get there on foot
The museum sits at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard, next door to the TCL Chinese Theatre. From the main Walk of Fame stretch, it’s a one to two minute walk in either direction along the boulevard.
What to do There to Make it Feel Interactive
Rather than walking past each figure, position yourself in the scene the way the set designers intended. Most exhibits include props and backdrops built for photos, so take your time with each setup to get the full shot.
Time Needed and Ticket Pricing Basics
Plan 60 to 90 minutes. Tickets typically run between $30 and $40 per adult, with discounts available online in advance.
Best Times to Go and Quick Tips
Weekday mornings keep the lines short. Book tickets online before you arrive to skip the box office queue entirely.
6. Catch a Show at El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is one of the most underused answers to what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame. The theatre sits directly on the boulevard and offers something most nearby attractions don’t: a fully restored, actively operating historic movie palace that still shows first-run Disney films.
Why it’s worth a stop
Disney owns and operates El Capitan, and the studio puts real effort into theming the lobby and exterior around each major release. The building opened in 1926, and the interior restoration preserved the original ornate Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in a way that makes even a standard screening feel like an event.
Walking into El Capitan during a major Disney release is one of the more genuinely theatrical experiences left on the boulevard.
Exact location and how to get there on foot
El Capitan sits at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard, directly across the street from the TCL Chinese Theatre. From the main Walk of Fame stretch, it’s a one to two minute walk from either the Hollywood and Highland intersection or the Madame Tussauds entrance.
What to do there if you are not seeing a movie
Even without a ticket, you can view the decorated exterior and lobby window displays, which Disney often designs as mini-exhibitions tied to current releases. Check the posted schedule outside for upcoming screenings before you commit to a ticket.
Time needed and ticket pricing basics
A standard screening runs two to three hours including previews. Tickets typically range from $20 to $30 per adult, with premium seating options available for an additional cost.
Best times to go and quick tips
Opening weekend screenings deliver the best in-theatre experience, since the lobby decorations are at their most detailed. Book tickets online in advance to secure preferred seating and skip the box office line.
7. Explore Hollywood History at the Hollywood Museum
The Hollywood Museum is one of the most overlooked answers to what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame, yet it holds the largest collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. Four floors of costumes, props, photographs, and set pieces from over a century of film and television fill the building, making it a strong choice if you want real depth rather than spectacle.
Why it’s worth a stop
The museum sits inside the historic Max Factor Building, which served as the working makeup studio for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars from the 1930s through the 1950s. That building history alone adds a layer that purpose-built tourist attractions rarely match.
Walking through the Max Factor makeup rooms where Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland actually sat gives the museum a connection to real Hollywood history that most stops on the boulevard simply cannot offer.
Exact location and how to get there on foot
The museum is located at 1660 N. Highland Avenue, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard. From the Walk of Fame, head to the Hollywood and Highland intersection and walk one short block north. The entrance is on your right and takes under three minutes on foot.
What to prioritize inside if you have limited time
Focus on the ground floor Max Factor exhibits first if your time is tight. The costume and prop collections on the upper floors reward a slower visit if you have room in your schedule.
Time needed and ticket pricing basics
Plan 60 to 90 minutes for a solid walkthrough. Adult tickets run around $15, which makes this one of the more affordable stops in the neighborhood.
Best times to go and quick tips
Thursday through Sunday are the standard operating days, so confirm current hours before you visit. Arriving right at opening time keeps crowds minimal and gives you the exhibits largely to yourself.
Quick Recap and Next Steps
You now have a clear picture of what to see near Hollywood Walk of Fame beyond the sidewalk stars themselves. Each stop on this list adds something specific: handprints at TCL Chinese Theatre, backstage access at the Dolby Theatre, rooftop views at Ovation Hollywood, wax figures at Madame Tussauds, a restored movie palace at El Capitan, and a century of props and costumes at the Hollywood Museum. None of these require a car, and all of them are within a short walk of each other.
The most efficient way to connect these stops is with a guide who already knows the neighborhood inside out. Another Side Tours covers the key landmarks, adds the real stories behind each one, and handles all the routing so you spend your time exploring instead of navigating. Browse our Los Angeles sightseeing tours to find the right format for your group and book your spot before you arrive.
