Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in La La Land.Photo: Dale Robinette / Courtesy Everett Collection
Tinseltown, La-La Land, The Dream Factory. Los Angeles may be a city of many names, but they all point to one thing: It’s made for cinephiles. L.A. boasts a vibrant independent cinema scene, is home to iconic studios such as Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Studios, and Sony Pictures (collectively known as the “Big Five”), and has more celebrity residents than any other place in the world. It’s also objectively gorgeous, with every corner revealing an iconic filming location—think cinematic landmarks like Griffith Observatory, Mulholland Drive, and Venice Beach.
In Los Angeles, the magic of film seeps into everyday life. As the birthplace of Hollywood, it offers movie lovers the chance to walk in the footsteps of legends, from the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame and celebrity prints in front of the historic TCL Chinese Theatre to boutiques selling used on-set fashion and cutting-edge movie museums. L.A. is more than a beautiful destination—it’s a love letter to cinema. Read on for 10 places cinephiles can’t miss while in town.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The holy grail for cinephiles, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures offers an immersive journey through the art and history of the film industry. Curated by the same folks who present the Oscars, the museum, which opened in 2021, showcases rare props, iconic costumes, and original scripts through meticulous, behind-the-scenes exhibits that reveal how movies are made. Visitors can explore everything from the evolution of visual effects to cultural changes effected by documentaries, with interactive installations, film screenings, Q&As, and rotating exhibitions. A permanent exhibition, “Stories of Cinema: Identity,” includes some of the most iconic ’fits to have ever graced the silver screen, from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to Barbie. Bonus: The museum’s striking architecture and panoramic views of the city make it especially memorable.
Hollywood Bowl
Combine the magic of movies with the power of live music, and you have Movie Night at the Hollywood Bowl. Set in a natural amphitheater with views of the Hollywood Hills, it’s one of the world’s most iconic outdoor venues (and has been since 1922, no less!). Its film-themed concerts, where movies from Home Alone to Jaws are projected on a giant screen accompanied by a live orchestra of 65 classically trained musicians, are unforgettable, turning moviegoing into a transformative experience shared under the stars.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Founded in 1899, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery offers a trifecta of history, pop culture, and entertainment. It’s the final resting place of hundreds of Hollywood greats, including Judy Garland, Burt Reynolds, Jayne Mansfield, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman), and David Lynch. Aside from paying your respects to these icons on a cemetery tour, visit in the summer for its famous Cinespia screenings, when the graveyard transforms into an open-air cinema that projects films onto a mausoleum wall, surrounded by intricate headstones. Guests are invited to bring their own blankets, picnics, and booze (though concession stands and a beer and wine bar are on-site), and, typically, these events feature DJs before and after the show. This summer kicks off with The Big Lebowski on May 24, followed by a 30th-anniversary showing of Clueless.
TCL Chinese Theatre
The TCL Chinese Theatre, with its ornate Chinese design and towering pagoda, embodies the eccentricity and glamour of Old Hollywood. Open since 1927, it has been the site of countless film premieres and red-carpet events. While it’s been updated to appeal to the modern-day movie-goer with a massive IMAX screen and plush seating, many visit simply to see the hand- and footprints that almost 200 celebrities have pressed into cement outside the theater (the tradition started when silent film actress Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped in wet cement touring the still-under-construction cinema). A veritable timeline of Hollywood history, it includes prints by everyone from Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Shirley Temple, and Clark Gable to Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, George Clooney, and Robert De Niro, to name a few.
New Beverly Cinema
L.A. has a thriving independent cinema scene, but the historic New Beverly Cinema, owned by Quentin Tarantino, is a local favorite. Described as “like Cheers for movie lovers” by the Los Angeles Times, the movie palace (formerly a candy factory, a beer parlor, a Jewish Community Center, a nightclub, and a porn theater) shows mostly classic and cult films, as well as foreign gems, many from Tarantino’s private collection. Uniquely, it shows films exclusively in 35mm and 16mm prints, making it a beloved spot for those who appreciate the art and nostalgia of movies projected the old-fashioned way. These rare prints often feature extra-rich colors and sounds, and can have a graininess that true movie buffs love. Plus, going the extra mile by having a real-life projectionist show films this way makes every screening one-of-a-kind. “I want the New Beverly to be a bastion for 35mm films. I want it to stand for something,” Tarantino once said. “As long as I’m alive, and as long as I’m rich, the New Bev will be showing double features in 35mm.”
ASU FIDM Museum
Fashionista film aficionados, this one’s for you: While primarily a fashion museum, being at home in L.A. means plenty of overlap with the film industry. The ASU FIDM Museum, which is part of the ASU FIDM fashion school, highlights how fashion is integral to cinematic storytelling, and how colors, fabrics, and small details can speak volumes. For example, during the most recent awards season, the ASU FIDM Museum celebrated with an Academy Awards Season Costume Design Speaker Series that featured conversations with Oscar-winning and nominated designers. It also hosts rotating exhibits that showcase original costumes from the year’s most acclaimed films—A Complete Unknown was recently featured. An upcoming event we’re “totally buggin’ about” is a screening of Clueless after a Q&A with its costume designer about the movie’s iconic looks and the lasting influence of Cher Horowitz’s envy-inducing closet. Note that the museum is only open when exhibitions take place throughout the school year, so make sure to check the schedule here.
Paramount Pictures Studio Tour
As mentioned earlier, L.A. is home to the “Big Five” studios—historically the largest, most powerful, and most prolific film studios. If you’re planning to do a tour, make it the Paramount Pictures Studio Tour—it’s the only major studio still headquartered in Hollywood, plus, Vogue World: Hollywood, a one-night-only event celebrating the connection between film and fashion, will take place there on October 26. Tours range from two to four hours, with highlights including the New York Streets backlot, which has façades depicting a multitude of NYC neighborhoods, and the Prop Warehouse, which showcases recognizable props such as the bench from Forrest Gump and a Star Trek portal. Other favorites include a water tank used for ocean scenes, and the costume department, where you’ll find the hat, leather jacket, and whip Harrison Ford wore in the Indiana Jones series, the bomber jacket Tom Cruise donned in Top Gun, and a range of glamorous gowns from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
It’s A Wrap Boutiques
If you spend hours trying to track down the items worn by your favorite characters or dupes to recreate their looks, save yourself the effort and head to It’s a Wrap, one of L.A.’s top thrift shops. Here, you’ll find clothes that’ve been used on TV and movie sets—the store claims to be “the only company on the planet that offers the general public the opportunity to purchase actual wardrobe and props from movie and TV sets for sale.” What’s in stock depends on what film or TV series just wrapped, and each piece (many unworn!) comes with a production show code and title. While the majority of the store’s inventory is contemporary and designer clothing, you’ll also find Western, sci-fi, vintage, and specialty items like sportswear and gear.
El Capitan Theater
Disney fans will love El Capitan Theater, an opulent theater built in the 1920s in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, where you can watch Disney classics as well as first-run flicks from Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. An extra treat: an organist plays the most beloved Disney theme songs on the theater’s pipe organ before the movie starts. Owned by The Walt Disney Company, it hosts many of The Walt Disney Studios’ film premieres.
The Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Despite not being as well-known as the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Forest Lawn Glendale is home to some heavy-hitters, like Walt Disney, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, and Elizabeth Taylor. Take a walk through the meticulously landscaped cemetery, which features art, architecture, and sculptures inspired by European cathedrals, and check out its world-renowned—and free—art museum (which has hosted solo exhibitions of the likes of Henri Matisse, Francisco Goya, and Rembrandt). The panoramic views of Los Angeles are just the icing on the cake.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
