When speaking of Hollywood, what comes immediately to our mind is cinema and movie stars. Apart from the famed Hollywood sign hanged on the top of the Hollywood hills which is often viewed as a symbol of the American film industry, Hollywood is also known for its many entertaining landscapes and monuments. Los Angeles has always been one of the best U.S. tourist destinations and visiting Hollywood has turned out to be a must.

A star’s story.

Stretching along the streets of Hollywood sits the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, mainly located on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. The Hollywood Walk of Fame has been recognized internationally as a cultural icon making it a top visitor attraction. What truly stands it out from other monuments is its five pointed terrazzo and brass stars that are implanted on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.

These stars essentially have symbolic meanings and represent a lot for people working in the field of entertainment and film industry. Names of musicians, actors, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups are inscribed on the stars. Anyone, including a fan, can take part in nominating a candidate to get a star on the Walk of Fame. Once chosen, the star or their sponsor has to pay a fee for the ceremony and is given five years to set a date for it. Before officially receiving their star and having it stubbed on the famous sidewalks, the celebrity must be assessed through various criteria such as “longevity in the entertainment industry” and “contributions made to the show business community”. Today, 2,690 stars have been awarded and put on the Walk of Fame list. These stars are classified in six main categories: motion pictures, television, recording, radio, live performance, and what is called special star.

Hollywood walk of fame history.

Created in 1958, the Walk of Fame was the brainchild of a man named E.M Stuart, the Vice President of Hollywood’s Chamber of Commerce. In 1953, Stuart proposed the Walk as a tribute to the glory and glamour of Hollywood. In August 1958, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Los Angeles unveiled publicly eight stars on Hollywood Boulevard along with actors displaying the stars for Hollywood’s three-mile Walk of Fame. From that day on, the construction of the 18-block stretch began and was completed in spring 1961. The first star to be grounded in the new Walk was that of Stanley Kramer, American film director and producer. Other stars have been continuously added and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as the representative of the City of Los Angeles keeps doing so every year.

In 1978, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was designated by the Cultural Heritage Board of the City of Los Angeles as Historic-Cultural Monument. Since then, an estimated 10 million visitors come each year.

Sources: Official website of the Hollywood Walk of Fame / Los Angeles Times.