One of the things that Los Angeles is most famous for is its television, film and music industry. It is the ideal destination for movie fans, as there are plenty of movie studio tours to take. Music lovers will also love exploring the music-themed attractions located around the city. The Walk of Fame has nearly 2,700 stars that honor people in the film, television, music, broadcasting and theater industries.
The land where the Griffith Observatory is located, Griffith Park, was donated to Los Angeles by industrialist Griffith J. Griffith, who wanted astronomy to be accessible to everyone. That's why admission to the monument has always been free. Disneyland isn't just one of the most popular tourist attractions within the greater Los Angeles area.
It is also the second most visited amusement park on Earth behind, ironically, the Magic Kingdom of Disney World. Opened in 2003, the wildly shaped concert hall designed by star architect Frank Gehry was almost single-handedly responsible for the revival of Downtown. As a test of Los Angeles devotees began practicing it in the mid-1930s on the original Muscle Beach, located on the sands of Santa Monica. With 17 NBA titles, the Lakers tie with the Boston Celtics as the two most successful basketball teams.
Legends like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James have worn their purple and gold jersey at the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The team moved to the city from Minneapolis in 1960 and, after a difficult first few seasons, went on to become the favorite basketball team of the locals. While its area is smaller than 2 square miles (5 square kilometers), which is nevertheless ten times larger than the Vatican, West Hollywood (WeHo) is home to the Sunset Strip, long the epicenter of Los Angeles. Iconic venues like Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theater (where the Oscars have been held since 2000) and most of the stars of the Walk of Fame are located on Hollywood Boulevard. Then, starting in the 1950s, Sunset Boulevard became more and more dedicated to nightlife (yes, the Sunset Strip developed around it), which remains its core business from now on.
The history of Wilshire Boulevard may be larger than its current size. We wanted to add it to our list mainly because it was one of the main factors behind the expansion of Los Angeles into the sea. Of course, the first thing most people think about when they imagine Los Angeles is its entertainment industry. The city has music and television themed attractions and tours of film studios that attract tens of thousands of tourists. Some of the most popular ones are: Southern California's near-perfect climate and Los Angeles's outdoor activities for visitors to enjoy; skiing in the morning and surfing in the afternoon; a car to get around; iconic sights like Hollywood Sign; Beach Boys and Katy Perry's inspiration; sports teams like Lakers; Griffith Park and Observatory; Disneyland; Grauman's Chinese Theater; Madame Tussauds Hollywood; Dolby Theater; Walk of Fame; Sunset Strip; Wilshire Boulevard; Muscle Beach; Santa Monica Pier. Known as “The Entertainment Capital of The World”, Los Angeles produces more movies, TV shows, Internet web series, video games and recorded music than anywhere else in the world. Locals stomp famous nicknames and handprints on Hollywood Boulevard while tourists stop for photos with Batman or Superman as Grauman's Chinese Theater peeks out in the background.
As you drive north on Gower Street you will be welcomed by one of world's most famous signs - The Hollywood Sign - making even cynics believe that “dreams really do come true”.From Venice Beach's quirky skate park to Point Dume's quiet sands or Santa Monica Pier's rental skates or cruiser bikes - Los Angeles beaches have something for everyone. All major sports leagues in US are represented by teams in Los Angeles: Lakers (basketball), Dodgers (baseball), Rams (soccer), Anaheim Ducks (hockey) and Los Angeles Galaxy (soccer). Griffith Park and Observatory are named after Griffith J. Griffith who donated most of it to city in 1896 and donated funds for creation of observatory. Just outside Los Angeles lies Disneyland - California's top family vacation destination since 1950s.
Disneyland Park with attractions and experiences in elaborate themed sets is what most people imagine when they think about Disneyland while California Adventure Park created during one expansion offers even more action and adventure with seven lands based on movie themes. Los Angeles has something for everyone - from entertainment industry fans to sports enthusiasts or beach lovers - making it one of world's top tourist destinations.
