For most people, when they hear Walk of Fame, they instantly think of the iconic stars that line Hollywood Boulevard. Did you know that there are actually multiple walks of fame in the Los Angeles area? Some are more exciting than others but a lot of them are interesting to see when you are in the area. I am still working on visiting them all but I wanted to share about them with you in case you are interested in checking them out as well. To be honest, not all of the ones on this list are a must-see but they are still interesting whenever you are in the area.
These types of posts get me excited. The reason being that I love that even people who have lived in LA all of their lives will most likely not know about the majority of these walks. There is always something new to discover in the Los Angeles area!
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The Walk of Fame in Hollywood
The walk of fame is a place that honors their contributions as well as others in the entertainment industry. The “walk” is made up of 15 blocks on Hollywood Blvd and three blocks on Vine St. It began in 1960 and is one of the most popular tourist spots in LA. There are over 2,000 stars on the walk of fame which is run by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
They have a viewing area for fans at almost every single star ceremony. You can read about my experience attending the Walk of Fame star ceremony for Debra Messing from Will & Grace. The best way to find out about upcoming ceremonies is to visit the walk of fame website. While you’re visiting this area you might want to check out the hand & footprints in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre.
Take the metro to Hollywood & Highland or to Hollywood & Vine to avoid parking fees. If you would rather drive I recommend parking under Loew’s Hotel. It can get pricey if you stay a long time but it is a safe spot to leave your car. Plus, it is a good starting point for seeing the walk of fame.
Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
Leron Gubler, who headed the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for 26 years, wrote a fascinating book about the walk of fame which you can find on Amazon.
Redd Foxx Walk of Fame
This one is a walk of fame similar to the hand & footprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre. It is located outside of the former Redd Foxx studio. There are not many recognizable names beyond Redd Foxx. You might remember him from the tv series Sanford & Son.
Location: 933 N. La Brea Ave. in West Hollywood
Rock Walk of Fame
Outside of Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd, you can find the music version of the hand & footprints in the cement. Created in 1985 the rock walk only has the handprints of the musicians so it is slightly different from the movie & tv star ones. Some of the squares accompanying the hands include the signature of the artist. In addition to the handprints, some of the musicians have their likeness on a bronze plaque. You’ll see the handprints of Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, and The Doobie Brothers among others.
Location: 7425 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood
The Grammy Walk of Fame
The Grammy Walk of Fame is located outside of the Grammy Museum at LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles. This walk of fame is run by the Recording Academy. Due to how well the records blend in with the sidewalk you might not necessarily notice them if you didn’t know to look for them. Each record honors the winners of the top four Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and Song of the Year.
Location: 800 W Olympic Ave
The Avenue of the Athletes
There is conflicting information online about when the avenue of the athletes walk of fame in Echo Park began. It was started by a L. Andrew Castle in 1976 who wanted to draw crowds to this part of town the way that the Hollywood walk of fame did. Though one incorrect article says it was started for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Either way, you will find 32 bronze plaques honoring athletes such as Sandy Koufax, Lakers, and Jackie Robinson.
Location: The walk is located on both sides of the sunset blvd in Echo Park. The plaques can be found between N Alvarado Street & Laveta Terrace. I parked by the Starbucks Reserve at 2134 Sunset Blvd G, Los Angeles, CA 90026.
Studio City Walk of Fame
Studio City Walk of Fame honors tv shows & movies that filmed in the area. This walk of fame was started by the Studio City Chamber of Commerce. It was started a few years after the Hollywood walk of fame though it never became a popular tourist destination. You can find plaques for shows like Will and Grace and The Betty White Show.
Location: Ventura Boulevard between Carpenter Avenue and Rhodes Avenue in Studio City. You can park by Mendocino Farms at 11960 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604.
Tv and Movie Animal Walk of Fame
This is the only one on the list that isn’t located on the sidewalk of a street. So, in all honesty, it is not a walk. But, it is the most precious one of all! It is located at the Burbank Animal Shelter. Each slab is dedicated to an animal who won a PATSY award. Performing Animal Top Star of the Year if you’re wondering what PATSY means. This “walk of fame” only covers winners from the 1950s and 1960s. There are slabs for famous animals like Francis the Talking Mule, Lassie, Benji, and The Shaggy Dog.
Location: 1150 N Victory Pl, Burbank, CA 91502
Disney Legends Plaza
The legends plaza at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank pays tribute to the honorees. Honorees range from singers like Elton John to actors like The Golden Girls, to Imagineers like Tony Baxter. This “walk” is not open to the public but can be viewed during studio tours. You can find out in this post how to Tour Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
Location: The Walt Disney Studios
Flight Path Walk of Fame
The Flight Path Walk of Fame is close to LAX. It was created in 1995 and pays tribute to the pioneers and individuals who helped make Southern California a leader in the aviation/aerospace industry. Each plaque acknowledges a significant contribution or body of work that helped with the advancement of aviation or aerospace. The first honorees are displayed in a rotunda with a small spaceship. The others line Sepulveda Blvd in Westchester. There are currently 54 honorees.
Location: Sepulveda Boulevard between Manchester Avenue and 92nd Street in Westchester.
Medical Walk of Fame
This walk of fame is dedicated to the actors who have portrayed medical professionals on screen. It was created in 1984 and honors actors from shows like St. Elmo’s Place, General Hospital, and Ben Casey. Maybe eventually it can be updated for fans of shows like Grey’s Anatomy.
Location: Exposition Park, outside the Park Management/Department of Public Safety building.
Author Walk of Fame at Vroman’s Bookshop
Vroman’s started the Author Walk of Fame to honor authors with a special connection to the bookstore and the community.
Location: 695 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
Hermosa Beach Surfers Walk of Fame
This one really took me by surprise. I had previously found the surfing walk of fame in Huntington Beach. However, it wasn’t until I was doing research on some of the walks I list in this post that I discovered this walk of fame. This seems to be one of the newer walks as it only began in 2003. Each surfer is acknowledged with their name on a bronze plaque embedded in the pier. There are 84 surfers total that have been honored so far and they are not done adding to the list. People like Ronnie Garner, Liz Benavidez have been recognized as well as others like The Beach Boys who have all contributed to the surf culture.
I’ve been to this pier before though I’ll admit I was distracted by the sunset so I wasn’t looking down. But, that is why I wanted to cover these little-known walks in this post. I have a feeling so many of us have passed by several of these without even knowing to look down because no one talks about them.
Location: Hermosa Beach Pier 1 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.
Motorsports Walk of Fame
Located under a row of palm trees on South Pine Avenue outside of the convention center you’ll find the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. I had to ask a few people if they knew where this was and most locals had no idea what was talking about. It is truly a hidden gem. This is one of the newest walks of fame. These plaques honor those who made major contributions to street racing. Since Long Beach hosts an annual Grand Prix which is the longest-running big street race in America it seems like the perfect spot for this.
Location: 158-156 Pine Ave Long Beach, CA 90802 on the convention center side of the street.
Rodeo Drive Walk of Style
The Walk of Style was founded in 2003 by the City of Beverly Hills and the Rodeo Drive Committee. On Rodeo Drive, visitors can find plaques on the sidewalk dedicated to those who have made an impact on fashion, design, and costume. The first inductee was Giorgio Armani. This is one I just recently learned about so I am looking forward to finding this on my next visit to Beverly Hills.
Westwood Walk of Fame
The Westwood Walk of Fame is dedicated to the winners of the Best Picture Oscar. Though, it sadly stopped for some reason after Annie Hall so there is no plaque for my favorite movie, Titanic. It took me two visits to find this walk of fame. Ike’s Sandwiches has gone out of business but the plaques are located at the entrance to the building as well as inside the stairwell. While you’re in this part of town I highly recommend stopping by for a cheap but tasty cookie ice cream sandwich at Diddy Riese. They are cash only so come prepared!
Location: 1151 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
If you enjoy walking in general this book on Amazon will take you on 57 walks in LA that will get you 10,000 steps.
Rodeo Drive Walk of Style
The Walk of Style was created in 2003 to honor style legends for their achievements in fashion and entertainment. The walk features a torso sculpture that was designed specifically for the walk of style. The plaques line the sidewalk of Rodeo Drive. I have been to Rodeo Drive before but never knew to look for this. Honorees include designers like Giorgio Armani, Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, and Edith Head.
Location: 328 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Other Walks of Fame outside of LA
Walk of Western Stars
The Walk of Western Stars was created in 1981 to honor western movie, television, and radio stars. The walk is located on both sides of main street in Old Town Newhall. This street is so cute and definitely feels completely different from walking Hollywood Blvd. Santa Clarita Valley has been home to so many iconic westerns. I grew up watching Little House on the Prarie so I was excited to find a plaque for Melissa Gilbert. Other honorees include Sam Elliott, John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Bruce Dern.
If you’re heading to Six Flags Magic Mountian this is only about a ten-minute drive from there.
Location: 24242 Main St, Newhall, CA 91321
Aerospace Walk of Honor
This walk of fame honors test pilots who had significant achievements in the industry. For sixty years Lancaster has been the aerospace center. The walk was created in 1990 and concluded in 2009. When I looked this one up I did not recognize any names of the honorees. But, I love seeing these walks in person so I will be checking it out soon.
Location: W Lancaster Blvd &, 10th St W, Lancaster, CA 93534
Anaheim Walk of Stars
Recently, the Anaheim stars were moved out of the sidewalk and put off to the side in the grass along Harbor. I walked around staring at the ground unable to find them because I had no idea that they had been moved! So, I still have to go back to see this one in person. There are only 12 stars on this walk. The Anaheim walk of stars began in 2006 and has not had any new additions for several years. People like Walt Disney, Carl Karcher the found of Carl’s Jr, and the Righteous Brothers are honored with stars.
Location: Harbor Blvd South of Disney Way
Palm Springs Walk of Stars
This Walk of Fame features Golden Palm Trees that pay tribute to various people who have lived in the Greater Palm Springs area. I went looking for Marilyn Monroe’s star and Debbie Reynold’s.
You can find their stars at 155 S. Palm Canyon Dr. (Debbie) and 101 S. Palm Canyon Dr. (Marilyn).
Surfing Walk of Fame
Inductions to the surfing walk of fame occur during the annual US Open of Surfing. The first induction took place in 1994. There are six categories of plaques, Surf Pioneer, Surf Champion, Woman of the Year, Surf Culture, Local Hero, and Honor Roll. Huntington Beach is known as the surf city USA so this seems like a fitting spot for this walk that now features 150 inductees.
Location: 101 Main St, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
I really hope that this post will encourage you to explore some new neighborhoods. It has been such a pleasure to go on these walks and not only see the plaques but get to see so many different parts of town in a new way.
