Vacation In Hollywood Florida
Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, if not the world. There’s no shortage of things to see and do here, from theme parks and shopping centers to historic landmarks and natural beauty spots. Many tourists choose to make vacation homes in Florida, as there are so many attractions around the state that even repeat visitors have plenty to look forward to. Below are 10 places you simply aren’t going to want to miss when making your own vacation in Hollywood Florida!
Broward County is home to 15 miles of fabulous beaches, one-of-a-kind shopping, restaurants that sizzle with excitement and South Florida’s best theme parks. Broward County also boasts a host of cultural activities, nature trails and eco-adventures that promise hours of family fun. There is an endless list of things do in Hollywood Florida; if you have the time, it would be hard to run out of things to do. Take a step out into history with a guided tour at Fort Lauderdale’s Old Hollywood Fort Museum or take your family on a vacation they will never forget at Walt Disney World® Resorts in Orlando. Be sure to stop by Broward County’s best museums for wonderful exhibits, demonstrations and galleries.Broward County is also loved for its vibrant nightlife action and unique dining opportunities scattered throughout the area. If you are thinking about vacationing in Hollywood Florida make this list your VIP pass to the best Broward County has to offer!
Hollywood Florida is a region which has some of the most popular places to visit in the world. The region known as Hollywood lies in Miami-Dade County and is home to many attractions, sights and destinations.
Hollywood Beach, also known as Hollywood on the coast of South Florida lies just north of Miami. This popular local South Florida destination is packed full of entertainment and activities for all tastes.
Hollywood lies about eight miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, the home of the famous Hollywood sign. Hollywood is the birthplace of the American film industry, its name eliciting images of wealth and fame. It is filled with attractions that celebrate the entertainment industry and its larger-than-life persona, from behind-the-scenes tours at Universal Studios to high-end shopping and people-watching on the Sunset Strip and Hollywood Boulevard.
Vacation In Hollywood Florida
Most tourists come to Hollywood to experience the glamour and excitement of Tinseltown while keeping a hopeful eye open for celebrity sightings, but you will also find a variety of natural and cultural attractions and things to do, including hiking, horseback riding, and museums. Find the best places to visit with our list of the top tourist attractions in Hollywood, California.
See also: Where to Stay in Hollywood: Best Areas & Hotels
Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues.
1. Walk of Fame
The famous Hollywood Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Here, Hollywood’s most recognized faces and names are represented by bronze-rimmed stars dedicated and laid in the sidewalk. Honorees include prominent actors, musicians, directors, personalities, and other important people from the areas of motion picture, TV, radio, recording, and live theater/performance. Stars are still being added, and new nominees are announced each June. Today, there are about 2,500 stars on the sidewalks, with a small number added each year.
Official site: www.walkoffame.com
2. Hollywood Sign
The famous hillside Hollywood sign is perhaps the most iconic site in California. The original sign was built in the 1920s to advertise a new residential development named Hollywoodland. It was never intended to be a permanent sign and eventually fell into disrepair. Rebuilt in 1978, it was changed to say simply “Hollywood” and soon became a recognized symbol of the city.
When the sky is clear, the sign is visible from several vantage points during the day, but that can be a rarity. The best way to see the sign is on a hike or horseback ride through the Hollywood Hills, and the guides know right where to go. The folks at Sunset Ranch are a treasure trove of information about other great places to view the Hollywood sign, and tourists can explore the trails around the ranch via guided horseback tour.
Another excellent option is this 2.5-hour hiking tour of the Hollywood Hills through Griffith Park. Highlights include Hollywood Sign photo ops, a visit to the Griffith Observatory, and the chance to visit numerous filming locations.
Official site: www.hollywoodsign.org
3. Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is one of Hollywood’s biggest family tourist attractions. The site is divided into several areas, including a theme park, working studio, and the Universal City Walk, an area of restaurants and shops.
The park offers some of the most innovative and interesting theme park rides to be found anywhere in the United States. There are several classic rides, but new rides are being developed all the time, based on popular movies and TV shows. One of the most popular areas of the park is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, complete with Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade, where even Muggles can fully embrace magic.
The Universal Studio Tour is the most exciting aspect of the park, a must-do for film-lovers. Here, visitors get to take a trip behind the camera and see what goes into making a Hollywood film extravaganza. The tour involves riding a tram throughout the backlots and former movie sets of classics like War of the Worlds, Bates Motel, and Wisteria Lane. The tour’s finale is an immersive experience within the Fast & the Furious world where tourists can feel the heat from explosions and the thrill of the action.
For a bite to eat, some shopping, or to catch a movie, wander over to the pedestrian-only City Walk, where there are dozens of restaurants, cinemas, comedy clubs, and even indoor skydiving.
Address: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California
Official site: www.universalstudioshollywood.com
4. La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Tens of thousands of years ago, sticky tar (natural asphalt) created pools in the ground, which trapped a variety of large and small animals. Preserved within the substance, over time their remains became fossils, which now help to shed light on these extinct species, some of which have been frozen in place for nearly 50,000 years.
The La Brea Tar Pits are located within Hancock Park, easily recognized by the population of life-size prehistoric animal replicas in the Pleistocene Garden just outside the George C. Page Museum. The museum was created to educate the public about the fossils found in the many excavation sites, as well as encourage interest in the science and methods of paleontology. Exhibits include the remains of many types of animals, from a prehistoric mammoth and Smilodon (better known as the saber-toothed tiger) to a horse, bison, and even a condor.
Address: 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California
Official site: https://tarpits.org/
5. Hollywood Boulevard
If you are looking for things to do at night in Hollywood, this is the place to come. Hollywood Boulevard is the main east-west axis, and it has been compared with New York’s Broadway because of its entertainment and nightlife. However, instead of theaters, Hollywood has extravagant cinemas, such as the Chinese and Egyptian Theaters, built originally by Sid Grauman in the twenties.
Hollywood Boulevard is probably most famous for the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards, where the Oscars are awarded each year. This street is mostly about the night scene, when these famous places are lit up, and throngs of people come down here to walk around.
There are several top-rated restaurants in this area, so you may want to combine a walk along the boulevard with a dinner out.
6. Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory, located on a hill overlooking Griffith Park, is home to a wide array of telescopes, as well as a planetarium and exhibits. Its crowning jewel is the Zeiss telescope, a historic 12-inch refracting telescope, which is open to use by the public. Visitors are also welcome to use this to stargaze, or borrow one of the observatory’s portable telescopes to use on the lawn. Thanks to the elevated position of the observatory and grounds, the sky is often less obscured by the light and thick air of the city.
The planetarium and exhibit halls offer a wide range of presentations and educational programs throughout the year, including night sky shows and exhibits about space exploration. The front lawn is a stunning attraction in itself, adorned with a model of the solar system with orbital paths marked out in bronze on the sidewalk. There is also a grand statue dedicated to six influential astronomers, including Galileo and Isaac Newton.