NationalGeographicPersonalExplorer
Hours vary depending on showtimes, which generally start around noon and end at midnight.
This 90-foot-high Hollywood landmark—Grauman’s Chinese Theater—opened with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings on May 18, 1927. Prior to the feature film, Sid performed a live prologue called "Glories of the Scriptures” set to the music of a 65-piece orchestra. It was also Grauman’s idea to immortalize stars’ hand and footprints in the cement surrounding the theatre’s entrance. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Norma Talmadge were the first film stars to “leave their mark,” and the tradition continues today—however, as there’s precious space left in front of the theater doors, only the prints of Hollywood “royalty” are allowed to be pressed in the cement. Don’t miss the crowd favorite: the hand and shoe imprints from Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell for the Gentlemen Prefer Blonds premiere. The theater still regularly hosts movie premieres and shows current releases. Above the ornately decorated, 2,200-seat auditorium, rings of dragons and Chinese characters surround an opulent starburst chandelier. Half-hour tours are available for a small fee.
