A Guide to Hollywood Boulevard’s Haunting History and Hidden Gems

(39 reviews)

Los Angeles, California audio tour: A Guide to Hollywood Boulevard’s Haunting History and Hidden Gems

This is a 1.2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Los Angeles, California

The United States

$9.99

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About the Tour

To many, Hollywood Boulevard is nothing but a tourist trap trading on its glory days during the Golden Age of Cinema. But there are secrets here, for those who go looking, and sometimes the dustiest rooms – and grittiest streets – yield the most fascinating treasures.

The stories on this Hollywood walking tour will lead you back to the beginnings of this neighbourhood. We’ll seek out rock legends, the perfect martini, and the best place to enjoy it. There’s a museum with a strange connection to the guillotines of the French Revolution along the way, and a certain hotel where you might hear the sounds of a trumpet – even when nobody is playing. Nobody you can see, that is.

Tour Producer

Stefanie C

2 tours

My name is Stefanie, and I blog about the history of Classic Hollywood. I am not classically trained or college-educated in film studies. I didn’t receive a degree in history from Harvard. I just love Hollywood and its history.

Armed with a knowledge of the classic film actresses/songbirds and their life stories, my trusty Android, and Eliza, my pet cat, I’m hunting down star-studded stories both past and present.

Preview Location

Location 6

The Nirvana

Notice the apartment building with the rather striking design inspired by the Far East to your right? These were once known as the Nirvana Apartments. The building was constructed at the height of the 1920s fascination with themed architecture, and the place was marketed as th... Notice the apartment building with the rather striking design inspired by the Far East to your right? These were once known as the Nirvana Apartments. The building was constructed at the height of the 1920s fascination with themed architecture, and the place was marketed as the “most exclusive apartments in Hollywood”.

Continue straight toward Hollywood Boulevard and note the building in front of you.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is one of Hollywood’s most iconic buildings. Built in 1926 in the midst of what is now considered Los Angeles’ Golden Age of Architecture, it features stunning Spanish Colonial Revival architecture complete with coffered ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers, and tiled fountains.

The guests that have stayed here throughout history are a veritable who’s who of Hollywood icons. A-listers still check-in to the hotel to this day when attending glittering galas such as the Academy Awards.

The hotel has at least two residents of the immortal variety as well. Marylin Monroe is its most famous ghost. Suite 1200, the room she frequented when she was alive, she reportedly still frequents in death. Reports of seeing her ghost in its full-length mirror apparently became so frequent that hotel managers finally moved the mirror to the hallway to avoid bad publicity. Local rumors report that the mirror was eventually sold at auction to a celebrity buyer. Has her spirit migrated along with the mirror?

Another ghost that frequents the Roosevelt Hotel is Montgomery Clift. A brilliant actor who, like many of the glittering Hollywood elite, struggled with addiction. He stayed at the Roosevelt in 1952 as he prepared for his role in From Here to Eternity, the role that would win him an Academy Award. He is known to be active in suite 928, where his shadowy apparition is often seen and even felt by guests. Strangely, there is often the sound of the strains of a trumpet drifting over the hallways of this area of the hotel. Clift was learning the trumpet for the bugler solo from his landmark film role, so perhaps he continues to practice to this day.

While the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is known for its paranormal spirits, it is also an excellent place to stop for a spirit of another kind. The Spare Room features vintage-era cocktails and even a charming bowling alley. The Library Bar is similarly well-suited to a visit. And don’t forget summer sips by the poolside bar. Read More

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Major Landmarks

The Four Ladies of Hollywood
The Magic Castle
The Hollywood Roosevelt
TCL Chinese Theatre
The Hollywood Museum
Woman's Club of Hollywood
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Musso & Frank Grill

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
7097 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Total distance

2km
Final location
6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Distance back to start location

892m

Directions to Starting Point

Begin your tour on the little corner island of La Brea and Hollywood Boulevard. Look for the silver gazebo with four silver statues.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Pig 'n Whistle, Lonos, Miceli's

Best time of day

This tour is good any time of day, though the dusk hours are nice for not only beating the heat, but for enjoying the pink sunsets Los Angeles offers. This is also the hour when the Boulevard nightlife starts to amp up.

Precautions

Please look both ways before crossing a street, Hollywood Boulevard is particularly prone to wreckless drivers. It is always wise to keep an eye out for pickpockets. And think twice before you take a photo with the cosplayers along the boulevard--they will expect payment for that quick selfie.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”