Hollywood's great historic theaters still stand within about a mile of each other on Hollywood Boulevard: the Egyptian (1922), the El Capitan (1926), the Chinese (1927) and the Pantages (1930), with the modern Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, next to the Chinese. You can see all four exteriors for free in an hour's walk, and you can get inside the way they were meant to be experienced, by buying a ticket to a film or show. Below is what makes each one special and how to visit without paying for a tour.
The theaters at a glance
| Theater | Opened | Style | Used today for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grauman's Egyptian Theatre | 1922 | Egyptian Revival | Film screenings and events |
| El Capitan Theatre | 1926 | Ornate facade, East Indian-style auditorium | First-run films, often with live extras |
| TCL Chinese Theatre | 1927 | Chinese-inspired fantasy | First-run films in IMAX, premieres |
| Hollywood Pantages Theatre | 1930 | Art Deco | Large Broadway-style productions |
| Dolby Theatre | 2001 | Contemporary | Academy Awards, concerts, events |
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Showman Sid Grauman opened the Egyptian in 1922 at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, and it hosted what is widely described as the first Hollywood film premiere, Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. Its long, palm-lined forecourt and painted columns reflected the craze for ancient Egypt in those years. After Grauman's Chinese opened down the street, the Egyptian slowly became a second-run house and later fell into disrepair.
In 1996 the city's redevelopment agency sold the building to the nonprofit American Cinematheque for a nominal sum, and after restoration it reopened in 1998. Netflix bought the theater in 2020 and funded a major renovation. It reopened in November 2023, with Netflix programming early in the week and the American Cinematheque programming weekends, a mix of classics, retrospectives and special screenings. Buying a ticket to a Cinematheque screening is one of the best ways to see the interior.
El Capitan Theatre
The El Capitan opened on May 3, 1926, as a live stage theater, nicknamed the first home of spoken drama in Hollywood. It turned to movies in the late 1930s, and Citizen Kane had its premiere there in 1941. The Walt Disney Company restored the building and reopened it in 1991, and today it shows Disney and related first-run films, sometimes paired with live extras or exhibits. It stands at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard, across from the Chinese.
Behind the facade is one of the most elaborate auditoriums in Los Angeles, decorated in an East Indian style. If you are curious about it, pick a matinee and arrive early to look at the ceilings and boxes before the lights go down.
TCL Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre opened on May 18, 1927, with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings. Its pagoda-style roof and stone guardian figures made it an instant landmark. The forecourt is the famous part: nearly 200 sets of celebrity handprints, footprints and signatures pressed into cement, starting with Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in 1927. Stories differ about how the tradition began, and the theater's own version credits actress Norma Talmadge with accidentally stepping into wet concrete.
The forecourt is free to visit during the day. The theater was renamed Mann's Chinese in 1973, returned to the Grauman's name in 2001 and became the TCL Chinese Theatre in 2013 under a naming-rights deal. The same year the main auditorium was converted into a large IMAX house. It was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1968, and it is at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard.
Hollywood Pantages Theatre
The Pantages opened on June 4, 1930, at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, near Hollywood and Vine. Architect B. Marcus Priteca gave it an elaborate Art Deco interior behind a stone-look facade. It hosted the Academy Awards ceremonies through much of the 1950s. Today it presents large Broadway-style productions, so seeing the lobby and auditorium means buying a ticket to a show. The building has been a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument since 1978.
Dolby Theatre
The Dolby is the newcomer. It opened in November 2001 as the Kodak Theatre, inside the complex now called Ovation Hollywood, and hosted its first Academy Awards in 2002, bringing the ceremony back to Hollywood for the first time since 1960. It took the Dolby name in 2012. On Oscar weekend the boulevard around it closes for days, so check dates before planning a late-winter visit.
How to see them on a budget
- Walk the exteriors. All five sit on one stretch of the boulevard. Our self-guided Hollywood Boulevard walk strings them together with other stops.
- See a film, not a tour. A movie ticket is usually cheaper than a guided tour and lets you sit in the auditorium for two hours.
- Watch for repertory screenings. Classic films at the Egyptian put old movies back in an old house.
- Go early for premieres. Red carpets at the Chinese and El Capitan close sidewalks; fans gather behind barricades hours ahead.
- Look up. Many details, such as the Egyptian's columns and the Chinese roofline, are best seen from across the street.
Why so many survived
The four older theaters are contributing properties in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and each is also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. That protection, plus new owners willing to restore rather than demolish, explains why the boulevard still has a run of 1920s movie palaces when many American downtowns lost theirs. The wider story of the neighborhood is in how Hollywood began, and other landmark buildings are covered in the Hollywood architecture guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go inside the TCL Chinese Theatre without a movie ticket?
The forecourt with the handprints and footprints is free to visit. To see the auditorium, the simplest option is to buy a ticket to a film, which is often cheaper than a tour.
Which is the oldest movie theater on Hollywood Boulevard?
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922, is the oldest of the famous palaces. It hosted what is often called the first Hollywood film premiere.
Where are the Oscars held?
The Academy Awards have been held at the Dolby Theatre, originally named the Kodak Theatre, since 2002. It sits beside the Chinese Theatre in the Ovation Hollywood complex.
How many handprints are at the Chinese Theatre?
The forecourt holds nearly 200 sets of handprints, footprints and signatures. The first were made by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in April 1927.
What shows play at the Pantages?
The Pantages presents large Broadway-style productions, along with occasional concerts and special events. Check the current schedule, as runs change through the year.